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Home inspection
Home Inspection in Fairfax Station, VA
On a wooded acre with a well and a detached garage or a custom house near Burke Lake, a licensed inspector's report says what needs attention before you close.
Read client reviews Licensed and insured inspectors Serving Fairfax Station and all of Fairfax County
What we check in a Fairfax Station 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.
Wooded lots, wells, and wings
Fairfax Station takes its name from a railroad stop where Clara Barton once cared for the wounded, though little of that landscape remains. Large wooded lots now hold private wells and septic systems, custom houses built over several decades, and detached garages or guest structures set apart from the main house. The inspection treats each one separately rather than assuming one building type fits the address.
Large lots, private systems
A house on a well and septic system here often has its own pump room or equipment closet built onto or near the structure, and the inspector notes what is visible there without testing the well or the septic field itself, since both fall outside a home inspection's scope. The visit covers the house fully: roof covering from the eaves, foundation walls and any crawlspace for signs of water penetration, grading and drainage around the structure, and the electrical panel and its breakers.
Fairfax County's own planning records describe a historic overlay district near Fairfax Station, tied to the St. Mary's Church site where the community's railroad-era name originated.
Custom homes, detached structures
A custom house in this area was often built with a detached garage, guest house, or workshop set apart from the main structure, and each building gets its own look during the visit: its own roof, its own foundation, and its own electrical and plumbing where applicable. Windows and doors are opened and closed, the heating and cooling system is run on its normal controls, and a garage vehicle door and opener are tested for auto-reverse and photo-eye safety features.
Fairfax County's Land Development Services runs a free public Site Records Viewer and permit tracker, letting a buyer check whether a detached garage or addition near Fairfax Station was permitted.
Home inspections around Fairfax Station
Fairfax Station sits in Fairfax County, and the same inspectors cover the whole county. Every place below has its own page.
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Fairfax Station, direct answers
What Fairfax Station buyers ask about large lots, wells, and outbuildings.
Fairfax Station isn't its own town. Who issues permits for a house here?
Fairfax County issues the permit, since Fairfax Station is an unincorporated community rather than its own town or city. A historic overlay district tied to the St. Mary's Church site covers some exterior changes near that specific location, but that overlay is a county zoning tool, not a separate government, and the county's own public records portal covers permit history for any address here.
My well pump has its own equipment room built onto the house. Is that included?
The room itself is inspected as part of the house: its walls, ceiling, floor, and any electrical within it, checked for general condition and ventilation. The well equipment inside it, including the pump, pressure tank, and water quality, is not tested as part of a home inspection. Mention the room when you book so the inspector knows to expect it during the walkthrough.
Is a detached guest house or garage included in the inspection?
It can be, and it is usually treated as its own structure with its own roof, foundation, and systems rather than folded into the main house's findings. Tell us when you book whether a detached garage, guest house, or workshop is on the property and whether you want it included, since a structure you do not mention may not be part of the scheduled visit.
Is it worth attending when the property is large and spread out?
It can help, especially on a property with a detached structure or well equipment some distance from the main house. Coming for the walkthrough near the end still works well, since the inspector covers the main findings for every building included in the visit before the full written report follows online. Your agent is always welcome to attend in your place or alongside you.
Does living near Burke Lake or a stream valley change what gets inspected?
The checklist stays the same regardless of a lot's location: roof, exterior, foundation, electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, attic, and interior. What can differ is how a crawlspace or lower level has handled moisture over time, so grading and drainage around the foundation get a close look on a lot near a stream valley or lake, the same as they would anywhere else.
Explore Our Inspection Reports
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- Grading Scale
- Repair, Safety & Maintenance