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Home inspection
Home Inspection in Burke, VA
Burke mixes Burke Centre's shared-wall cluster homes with detached houses near Lake Braddock, and the inspector's walkthrough covers every shared wall and every foundation the same way.
Read client reviews Licensed and insured inspectors Serving Burke and all of Fairfax County
What we check in a Burke 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.
Burke, cluster homes to Lake Braddock
Burke mixes Burke Centre's cluster homes and townhouses with detached houses around Kings Park West and Lake Braddock, plus smaller pockets like Cherry Run and Signal Hill. A shared wall or a common roof changes what the inspection needs to know before the visit, such as who maintains the exterior, even though the walkthrough itself covers the same systems everywhere in Fairfax County.
Cluster homes and shared walls
A Burke Centre cluster home shares at least one wall, and sometimes a roof section, with the unit next door, so the inspection follows that shared structure to where it meets your own. The inspector checks the roof covering, flashing and gutters on your section, reads the foundation and any crawlspace for cracking or water penetration, tests the electrical panel and a sample of outlets and switches, and runs the heating and cooling system on its normal controls. Garage vehicle doors and their safety sensors are tested wherever a garage is present, cluster home or detached house alike.
Fairfax County's Land Development Services runs a free Site Records Viewer and permit tracker covering the whole county, so a Burke Centre buyer can look up what was permitted on a shared roof or an addition before the visit.
Detached houses near the lake
Around Kings Park West and Lake Braddock, most houses are detached with a basement, and the inspection reads that basement's foundation walls for cracking and past water penetration, checks any finished space for how it was added on, and traces grading and downspout discharge to see whether the yard actually carries water away from the house. Tree cover near the lake is common, so the roof, gutters and downspouts get checked for how well they shed leaves as well as rain. Windows and exterior doors are opened and closed as part of the same visit.
Fairfax County's Park Authority operates 888-acre Burke Lake Park at the edge of the Kings Park West and Lake Braddock area, one reason many nearby lots carry the mature tree cover the roof and gutters have to handle.
Home inspections around Burke
Burke sits in Fairfax County, and the same inspectors cover the whole county. Every place below has its own page.
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Burke home inspection, straight answers for cluster homes
What Burke buyers ask about Burke Centre, shared walls and Fairfax County records.
My Burke Centre home shares a wall with the next unit. Does the inspection cover both units?
Just yours. The inspector reads your unit's own foundation, roof section, electrical panel and systems, and notes where a wall, roof or structural connection is shared with the unit next door, since a problem there can have a source outside your own walls. If the shared structure itself needs a closer look, that usually means coordinating access with the neighboring owner or the conservancy separately from a standard visit.
Does the inspection include Burke Centre's common trails, pools or clubhouse?
No. Those are managed by the community's own conservancy or homeowners association as shared property, separate from any single house. The inspection is scoped to your home: its roof, exterior, foundation, electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, attic and interior. Ask the conservancy for its budget and any recent capital repairs if you want a sense of how well the shared amenities are maintained.
Our house near Lake Braddock sits under heavy tree cover. Should that worry us?
Not on its own. Tree cover mainly affects how much the roof, gutters and downspouts have to manage, since Burke Lake Park and the lake itself keep a lot of the area shaded. The inspector checks the roof covering and flashing, traces gutters to their actual discharge point, and reads the foundation and any crawlspace for signs that runoff has not been carried away properly.
Cherry Run and Signal Hill are small, older pockets of Burke. Does the inspection change for a smaller lot?
No, the walkthrough covers the same categories regardless of lot size: roof, exterior, foundation, electrical panel, plumbing, heating and cooling on normal controls, attic insulation and interior. What often differs on an older, smaller property is the number of past repairs to account for, such as replacement windows or a resided exterior, so mention any work you know about when you book.
Can I get a permit history report on a Burke Centre addition before we make an offer?
Yes. Fairfax County's Land Development Services keeps a public Site Records Viewer and permit tracker searchable by address, which can show whether an addition, a finished basement or an enclosed porch was permitted. A Permit History Report add on pulls that same information into your inspection paperwork, which is useful on a cluster home where more than one owner may have altered the original structure.
What should I prepare for a home inspection in Burke?
For an association property, obtain roof, siding and common-area responsibility information. Identify additions, decks and finished lower spaces that you want discussed.
Explore Our Inspection Reports
- HD Photography
- Commentary & Recommendations
- Grading Scale
- Repair, Safety & Maintenance