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Home inspection
Home Inspection in Damascus, MD
Out in Damascus, a Maryland licensed inspector covers the roof, the systems and the foundation, then hands over a report that separates urgent items from the rest.
Read client reviews Licensed and insured inspectors Serving Damascus and all of Montgomery County
What we check in a Damascus 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.
Farmhouses meet newer townhomes
Damascus sits inside Montgomery County's Agricultural Reserve, where a small Town Center serves a mostly rural area crossed by the Great Seneca and Magruder Branch stream valleys. A house here might be a farmhouse with additions built over generations, a newer townhome close to downtown, or an estate lot with a walk-out lower level. The inspection starts by confirming which of those applies.
Townhomes sharing one long roofline
Reserve at Damascus and Damascus Village are newer townhome communities close to the Town Center, often built with one roofline spanning several units. The inspection covers your unit's electrical panel, plumbing supply and drain lines, heating and cooling on normal controls, and accessible doors and a representative number of windows, then checks the attic space above your unit for insulation and ventilation. Where a shared roof section is involved, the inspector notes its condition and where it meets the neighboring unit, since a leak there can travel before it shows up inside.
Montgomery Planning describes Damascus as surrounded by the county's Agricultural Reserve, with the Great Seneca and Magruder Branch stream valleys running through the area, a rural setting that still supports roughly 17,000 residents.
Older lots, wells and septic systems
Kings Valley and Sweepstakes hold established houses on larger lots, some served by a private well and septic system rather than county water and sewer. The inspection does not test the well or evaluate the septic field, since both fall outside its scope, but it does check the crawlspace, the foundation walls, and grading and surface drainage around the house, since a poorly draining yard often explains a damp lower level more than the water source does. Additions built onto an older farmhouse get a look at the framing where old and new meet.
Montgomery County's own guidance describes a household on a private well and septic system as running a small utility of its own, responsible for its testing, maintenance and eventual replacement, separate from anything the inspection covers.
Home inspections around Damascus
Damascus sits in Montgomery County, and the same inspectors cover the whole county. Every place below has its own page.
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Damascus home inspection questions
What Damascus buyers ask before an inspection out past the county's suburbs.
Does Damascus have its own town government for permits?
No. Damascus is an unincorporated community, so Montgomery County's Department of Permitting Services handles permit records for a Damascus address the same way it does for the rest of the county, through its online eServices search. The Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation covers ownership and assessment history for the same property. Give the full address when you book so any related records line up correctly.
My house is an old Damascus farmhouse with additions. Does that change the inspection?
Tell us about each addition when you book, since it helps the inspector target where to look closest, particularly where newer framing ties into the original structure. The visit still covers the same scope regardless of age: roof, foundation, electrical panel, plumbing, and heating and cooling on normal controls. An older farmhouse often shows its history at the attic and the crawlspace first, so those areas get extra attention.
What does the inspection include in a Reserve at Damascus townhome?
Everything inside your unit: the electrical panel, plumbing fixtures, heating and cooling equipment, windows, doors and finishes, plus the attic space above your unit where it is separately accessible. A shared roof section, a clubhouse or any other common element the homeowners association owns and maintains sits outside a single-unit inspection. Ask the association about recent exterior repairs, since that history can explain a roof or siding condition found during the visit.
Does Montgomery County's radon testing law apply to a Damascus home sale?
Yes, for most single-family homes and townhomes in the county. The law has required a radon test before closing since October 2016, with results shared with both buyer and seller; the exemption covers only condominiums, co-ops, and the towns of Barnesville, Kensington and Poolesville, none of which include Damascus. A home inspection itself does not test for radon, so this is a separate step that can be scheduled for the same visit.
Do I have to be present for a Damascus home inspection?
No, attendance is optional. Many buyers join for the last part of the visit to hear the findings directly, see where the main shutoffs and the electrical panel are, and ask questions on site. If getting out to a rural Damascus property does not work with your schedule, the full photo report and a phone call afterward cover the same information.
Explore Our Inspection Reports
- HD Photography
- Commentary & Recommendations
- Grading Scale
- Repair, Safety & Maintenance