The Inspection Process
Step 1: Schedule online or give us a call
Book everything at once! We offer ancillary services including Radon Testing, Sewer Scopes, and Level 2 Chimney Inspections to make scheduling fast and easy.
Step 2: Attend the guided walk through
The final hour of the inspection is dedicated to sharing the results of our inspection as we walk through the house with you and answer any questions you have.
Step 3: Review your report
We use the latest reporting technology so that you can access it online, see photos of our findings, and get a summary of all repairs needed. Use it to make a maintenance list and save it to refer back to at anytime.
Whether you are buying, selling or maintaining your home, Marigold Home Inspections provides professional and quality service from the moment you call us. Our certified home inspectors will walk through your home with you and teach you as much as you want to learn. We strictly follow the Standards of Practice for home inspectors established by InterNACHI, the leading home inspection association.
After we walk through the home together, we will explain the general condition of the home and systems with you and your agent. We will talk through any major issues that need to be addressed sooner rather than later. We will also mention the items that you will want to keep an eye on for deferred maintenance. All of this will be detailed in our easy-to-read report, which will be delivered online via the Client Portal in a PDF that can be viewed and downloaded. From that report, you will be able to see the items we discussed, with images for reference.
Marigold Home Inspections thoroughly inspects and reports on the following:
STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS
Foundations, grading & drainage, basements, walkways, and floor, wall and ceiling structures.
ROOFING
Roof coverings, drainage systems, flashings and skylights, chimneys and other roof penetrations.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
Service entrance and panels, branch circuits, connected devices and fixtures, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and making sure your outlets are GFCI-protected.
PLUMBING
Fixtures and faucets, water supply systems, drain, waste and vent systems, water heater, vents, flues and chimneys, and any sump pumps or fuel storage and distribution systems.
HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS
Heating and cooling equipment, ducts, vents and flues.
APPLIANCES
Dishwasher, garbage disposal, range hood, range or oven, cooktop, microwave, trash compactor, bathroom exhaust fans, garage door operator, and other built-in appliances.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! The final hour of the inspection is dedicated to walking you through the home and reviewing the results of our inspection. We are happy to explain everything we are looking at!
Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that can cause lung cancer when exposed to it. You could have high levels in your home for years and never even know about it. We use specialized equipment to test for Radon levels to determine if they are over the recommended level of 4 pCi/L. The test takes 48 hours to complete, and the house must be kept closed for the duration of the test. If radon levels are high, it is recommended to have to install a Mitigation System which runs 24/7 pulling the gas out of your home.
If you want to learn more about Radon, the Minnesota Department of Health has a lot of great info!
Time, erosion, tree roots, and more can damage your sewer lines over time, which can cause expensive repairs and restoration should pipes back up or break. You will receive a report and video showing the state of your pipes with recommendations for repair if necessary.
Our sewer scope professional partners are reliable and trustworthy; we trust them with our own homes. We make all the arrangements for you and offer special pricing for you from our partnerships.
Having a sewer scope completed can give you peace of mind in preventing unforeseen expenses on any home, and is strongly recommended for homes over 50 years old.
We have a great relationship with our professional chimney inspection partners. We make all the arrangements for you and offer special pricing through our partnerships. Our Level 2 Chimney Inspectors look at your chimney from the inside out, ensuring the safe functioning of the chimney. If repairs are needed, you’ll receive an estimate via PDF.
Yes! We pride ourselves on providing a great customer experience, and that includes after the inspection is complete. Please call or email with questions!
With each defect we include which type of contractor you will need to search for to get quotes. We have some contractors that we’ve worked with in the past that we can recommend. We still recommend you contact at least 3 in each area for quotes and do your own research.
It is very helpful when homeowners prepare for our visit, as it allows us to inspect everything we need to and to complete the inspection expediently.
- Provide access to the home.
- Make sure the utilities are turned on 24 hours in advance of the inspection.
- Make sure there is access to all things that need to be inspected such as:
- Electrical panel
- Attic entry
- Crawl space entry
- Water heater
- Furnace
- We love dogs and cats but they’re often protective of their space. Please arrange for them to stay at a friends house or at a kennel. Even a secured dog that is barking will distract us from doing our best work.
First of all, congratulations on starting your journey! We want to be your partner for home inspections, and offer you as much support as we can! A couple good things to know:
- You are invited to attend the entire inspection to observe and learn about what we do. Let us know if you’d like to do that and we’ll do our best to keep you informed about what we are doing as we move through the house. Once they are comfortable in their understanding of the process, most Realtors choose to just join for the walk through.
- We recommend that clients and Realtors attend the walk through, but we know it’s not always possible. The report you will receive is detailed, comprehensive, and includes many pictures of our findings.
- We have Supra E-Key access and book our inspections through ShowingTime, so you have one less thing to worry about coordinating!