Home inspections in Washington, DC.
DC’s housing is older, denser, and more heavily renovated than almost anywhere else in our service area. Rowhouses, condo conversions, and flips all bring their own inspection challenges.
Communities we serve here.
What we see in DC homes
The District’s housing stock skews old — much of it built between 1900 and 1940, with substantial rowhouse construction throughout. A large share has been renovated at least once, and a meaningful portion has been converted from single-family to condo units or flipped for resale. Both of those create specific things to look for.
Knob-and-tube and patchwork electrical
Older rowhouses often carry generations of layered electrical work. Original knob-and-tube may still be live in parts of the house, spliced into newer wiring in ways that aren’t safe or code-compliant.
Galvanized supply and original cast iron waste
Standard for the era. Both are typical replacement items, and both are worth budgeting for even when they’re currently functional.
Flat and low-slope roofs
Most rowhouses have them. They have shorter service lives than pitched roofs, they’re harder to evaluate from the ground, and failures show up as interior ceiling staining. Our drone scan is included and helps considerably here.
Flip-quality renovation work
Cosmetically finished but structurally or mechanically shortcut renovations are common in DC. New paint and new flooring over unaddressed moisture, undersized electrical, or unpermitted structural changes is a pattern we look for specifically.
Party walls and shared conditions
Rowhouses share structure with neighbors. Moisture, masonry deterioration, and roof-edge problems often originate next door, and it’s important to understand what’s actually yours to fix.
Basement and cellar moisture
Below-grade space in century-old masonry construction is rarely bone dry. The question is whether it’s manageable seasonal dampness or an active structural or drainage problem.
Drone and thermal imaging, included.
We’re licensed to inspect in the District, so you’re not hiring a second inspector if you’re comparing homes across the DC line.
Roof scans from the air
Included at no extra cost on every inspection — a clear view of roof and chimney conditions that aren’t visible from a ladder.
Thermal imaging
Included at no extra cost. Infrared scanning catches moisture, insulation gaps, and overheating electrical connections behind finished surfaces.
Same-day report
Your full digital report the same day, written in plain language — so a tight contract timeline never waits on us.
Common questions for this area.
Are you licensed to inspect in DC?
Yes — we’re licensed in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, so we can cover your whole search regardless of which side of the line the house is on.
Is a sewer scope worth it on a DC rowhouse?
Often yes. Sewer laterals in the District are frequently original, and root intrusion and pipe failure are common. It’s an add-on service we offer.
Can you inspect a condo unit?
Yes. We inspect the unit itself and its systems. Common elements are typically the association’s responsibility, but we’ll tell you what we can observe.
Buying in Washington, DC?
See your exact price in about a minute, or call and we’ll talk it through.