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Home inspection
Home Inspection in Arnold, MD
From a dock-side house on the Severn to an inland street under mature trees, a Maryland licensed inspector's report says what needs attention before you close.
Read client reviews Licensed and insured inspectors Serving Arnold and all of Anne Arundel County
What we check in an Arnold home
The inspection follows the same 12 areas, from the roof down to the grounds, within the agreed scope and safe access available. It is visual and non-invasive: finishes are not removed, and personal belongings are not moved. Select an area to see what is checked.
- Range, oven and wall oven run normally
- Dishwasher, disposer and microwave run
- Kitchen exhaust fan and the dryer vent exit
- Service entrance, meter and main disconnect
- Panels, breakers, grounding and bonding
- Sampled outlets and switches; GFCI, AFCI, smoke and CO detectors
- Siding, flashing, trim, eaves, soffits and fascia
- Every exterior door and a sample of windows
- Walkways, driveway, stoops, porches, decks and railings
- Foundation walls, slabs and the basement
- Any accessible crawlspace
- Signs of movement, water penetration and wood touching soil
- Vehicle door and opener on their normal controls
- Auto reverse and photo eye safety sensors
- Walls, ceiling, floor and the fire door into the house
- Grading and drainage at the foundation
- Retaining walls and vegetation against the house
- Downspout discharge, walkways, driveway and steps
- Heating and cooling run on their normal controls
- Energy source, method and thermostat location noted
- Visible ducts, filter, condensate drainage and equipment condition
- Floors, walls, ceilings, stairs and railings
- A sample of doors and windows opened and closed
- Accessible attic: insulation depth, ventilation and framing; fireplace and damper
- Sink, faucet, drain and disposer run
- Dishwasher connection checked for leaks
- Cabinets, drawers, counters, floors, walls, ceiling and exhaust fan
- Main water and fuel shut-offs located
- Water heater, its venting and TPR valve; pipe materials
- Every toilet flushed; every sink, tub and shower run
- Coverings, flashing, vents, skylights and chimney
- Gutters, downspouts, eaves and rake
- Roof structure from inside the attic where accessible
- Visible framing, beams, posts and joists
- Masonry walls and the chimney structure
- Settlement signs: cracks, out of square openings, unlevel floors
Every inspection follows a written standard of practice. Need additional testing? Explore radon testing, termite inspection, mold testing and water testing, then confirm your selected services and timing when booking.
Add a package to the inspection
Three packages built around the home inspection. Package prices are for the add-on services only and are added to the inspection price. The savings are against booking the same services one by one.
Home Essentials
The perfect starting point
Home Advantage
Most popular for homebuyers
Home Enhanced
The ultimate peace of mind
Warranties must be requested when you book, not after the inspection. Radon and thermal imaging can also be added on their own. Read more about each package.
What a home inspection actually involves
No jargon, no surprises. Here is the whole visit, start to finish, so you know what you are booking before you book it.
You book, we confirm
Online or by phone, in a few minutes. Your agent can book for you. Add radon, termite or a package at the same time, and we confirm the appointment with you before the visit.
The walk-around
Roof, siding, grading, decks, the garage and the grounds first. The inspector photographs what they find as they go, so the report shows you exactly where each item is.
Systems and accessible spaces
The inspector checks accessible electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling components and operates equipment with normal controls when conditions allow. The report identifies areas that could not be inspected and any recommended follow-up.
The walkthrough and the report
You see the main findings in the house itself. The written report follows online with photos, priorities and what to do about each item.
Broadneck's shoreline and inland streets
Arnold sits on the Broadneck Peninsula between the Severn and Magothy rivers, with a dozen marinas along its shoreline and quieter streets set back from the water. A house near a dock or bulkhead faces different questions than one on an inland lot under mature trees, so the inspection is scoped to where the specific address sits on the peninsula rather than to Arnold as a whole.
Waterfront lots, docks, additions
A waterfront house here has often gained a sunroom or family room facing the water, built at a different time than the original structure, so the inspection follows the roofline and foundation to where that addition meets the older house. The crawlspace clearance and any staining on framing above it are checked for signs of past water, gutters and downspouts are traced to where they discharge, and the electrical panel is checked for breakers and grounding throughout the house.
The Arnold Preservation Council's own history counts a dozen marinas along the peninsula's shoreline, supporting one of the area's more active sailing communities on the Severn and Magothy.
Away from the shoreline
Farther from the water, larger inland lots often carry mature trees close to the roofline and gutters, so the inspection checks for overhanging limbs and debris affecting drainage as part of the roof and exterior walkthrough. Crawlspace access and ground cover are checked where a lower level exists, framing is followed to where any addition ties into the original house, and the heating and cooling system is run on its normal controls.
Anne Arundel County's Land Use Navigator lets a buyer search permit and licensing records for a specific address without creating an account, useful on an older inland Arnold house.
Home inspections around Arnold
Arnold sits in Anne Arundel County, and the same inspectors cover the whole county. Every place below has its own page.
Arnold buyers, questions answered
What Arnold buyers ask about docks, additions, and inland lots.
Does a dock or bulkhead on the property get inspected?
No. A home inspection covers the house itself, not a dock, pier, or bulkhead, so those structures are outside the visit's standard scope even on a waterfront Arnold property. The inspector can still note their general condition if you point them out, but a title search or a separate marine contractor is the right resource for questions about a dock's own structure and any permits tied to it.
Does Arnold have its own town government that issues permits?
No. Arnold is unincorporated, and Annapolis is the only incorporated city in Anne Arundel County, so the county issues all building permits here, whether the house sits on the water or well inland. The county's Land Use Navigator searches permit and licensing records by address at no cost, which is worth checking before you close on an older waterfront addition.
Is a waterfront house inspected differently than one farther inland?
The checklist stays the same either way: roof, exterior, foundation, electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, attic, and interior. What differs is what the inspector expects to find. A waterfront house often has an addition facing the water built at a different time than the original structure, while an inland house under mature trees gets closer attention on gutters, roof debris, and shaded drainage.
Is it worth attending when the concern is mostly about the shoreline?
It can still help, since a dock or bulkhead is outside the inspection's scope, but seeing the house's own systems in person, especially where an addition meets the original structure, makes the written report easier to follow later. Coming for just the walkthrough near the end works well too, where the inspector covers the main findings before the full report follows online with photos.
What does the inspection cover for a Bay Hills townhome near the golf club?
Your unit is inspected fully: roof covering, foundation, electrical panel, plumbing fixtures, heating and cooling on normal controls, and interior finishes. A shared wall with a neighboring unit is noted as shared, and irrigation or drainage from the adjacent course is described if it is visibly affecting grading near the foundation, though maintaining that shared feature is typically the community association's responsibility.
Explore Our Inspection Reports
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- Commentary & Recommendations
- Grading Scale
- Repair, Safety & Maintenance