What does a home inspector do all day?

A good inspection day starts the evening before. Russ Motyko, a Certified Master Inspector® with more than 3,000 inspections, describes a short routine that heads off most of the day's surprises:

• Confirm each appointment, the address, and how to get in, such as a lockbox code or the agent's number.
• Read the property notes. A 1960s ranch, a new two-story, a pool, or a detached shop each changes the plan.
• Charge the thermal camera, the moisture meter, and the flashlights.
• Check the gas detector and the outlet tester.
• Load the ladder, coveralls, and crawlspace gear.

A dead battery in the field costs time that the day does not have.

For a starter kit tied to the standards of practice, see what tools a new home inspector needs.

The inspector arrives a few minutes early and walks the outside first. A look at the roof, grading, and drainage before the client shows up gives a feel for the house before the talking starts.

Most inspectors work the same order every time, so fewer things get missed. A common one starts with the roof and the exterior, then moves inside from the top down: attic, living areas, and the basement or crawlspace last. Along the way the inspector takes photos and enters notes in the reporting software.

What gets examined is broad. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the roof, foundation, and walls, plus the plumbing, electrical, and heating and cooling systems. The written standards of practice set what each system includes and what the inspector can skip.

Crawlspaces and attics are where the work gets physical. Under the house, the inspector crawls through tight, dim space to look at the foundation, framing, insulation, vapor barrier, plumbing, and signs of moisture. In Russ's experience, this is also where a lot of the important findings turn up: wet soil, wood rot, rodent activity, and missing insulation.

The attic is the same kind of work overhead, often through a small hatch in a closet. For what that asks of a body over years, see is being a home inspector physically demanding.

Some buyers follow the inspector through the whole house. Others arrive near the end. Either way, most inspections close with a summary walk: the major findings, which ones are safety issues, and which ones call for a specialist.

For many clients this talk is the part they remember. A report lists the problems. The walkthrough shows them where each one is and how much it matters. See should clients attend the home inspection and how to explain findings without scaring clients.

Midday is for the drive, a meal, and a reset. Russ's advice to new inspectors is to leave real space between jobs. Booking two inspections back to back with no buffer is a common early mistake, and a tired second inspection is where defects get missed.

The afternoon house runs the same way, but it is a different building with different problems. A well-kept 2010 build in the morning can be followed by a 1920s house with five owners of repairs behind it. For how long each job takes and how many fit in a day, see how many home inspections you can do in a day.

Once the fieldwork is done, the reports get written. The BLS describes this split directly: home inspectors usually inspect during the day and write reports in the evening. Many inspectors deliver the same night or the next morning, because the buyer's inspection deadline comes from the purchase contract and does not wait. Some states also set a legal deadline; see how long a home inspector has to deliver the report.

Report writing surprises career changers more than anything else on the job. They expect fieldwork. Then a large share of the day turns out to be desk time, though reporting software that pulls in the photos and sorts findings by system helps. For more, see the software inspectors use and writing reports clients read.

The calls come next. A buyer reads the report that night and texts in the morning about one finding. An agent wants a defect explained in plainer words for a nervous buyer, or books a re-inspection once the seller's repairs are done. Answering those calls well is how inspectors build referrals from agents.

The work suits people who like variety, problem solving, and explaining what they found. It wears on people who dislike tight spaces, evening desk work, or a schedule that moves with the housing market. For pay, outlook, and licensing, see is home inspection a good career and how to become a home inspector.