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Home inspection
Home Inspection in Fairfax, VA
A Fairfax address can mean the city or the county around it, but either way a licensed inspector's report says what the house actually needs.
Read client reviews Licensed and insured inspectors Serving the City of Fairfax and the Fairfax County area
What we check in a Fairfax 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.
Fairfax, city center to county line
The City of Fairfax became its own independent city in 1961, after growing out of the Town of Providence founded around the courthouse in 1805. Kings Park, Fairfax Station, and Oakton carry the same Fairfax mailing address while sitting in the surrounding county instead. Which side of that line a house falls on changes where its permit history lives, though not what the inspection itself covers.
The city's own permits
A house inside city limits has its own permit and inspection history kept separately from the county's, so records of a past addition or a drainage repair are pulled from the city rather than assumed to sit in county files. The inspection itself runs the same regardless: roof coverings and flashing, exterior grading, the foundation and any crawlspace, the electrical panel and a sample of outlets, plumbing supply and drain lines, and heating and cooling tested on their normal controls. Framing at any addition gets checked for how it ties into the original structure.
The City of Fairfax runs its own Accela-based online permit portal through its Code Administration office, separate from Fairfax County, covering any address inside the city's own limits.
County lines, same address
Kings Park, Fairfax Station, and Oakton carry a Fairfax mailing address but sit inside Fairfax County rather than the independent city, so a rambler, split level, or colonial here is inspected under the county's own permit records. The inspection identifies whether the affected floor sits above a crawlspace or a finished basement, checks sump equipment and exterior grading where a lower level is involved, and reads the foundation for any sign of movement. Using the full street address at booking avoids any mix-up between the two jurisdictions.
Fairfax County's Land Development Services publishes a free public Site Records Viewer and permit tracker, the resource for a Kings Park or Fairfax Station address that carries the Fairfax name while sitting in the county.
Home inspections around Fairfax
Fairfax sits in Fairfax County, and the same inspectors cover the whole county. Every place below has its own page.
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Fairfax home inspection, the address question first
What buyers ask once they realize Fairfax means two different places.
How do I know if my Fairfax address is the city or the county?
The safest way is to give the full street address when you book, and we can confirm the jurisdiction before the visit. As a general rule, addresses closest to the historic downtown and courthouse sit inside the independent City of Fairfax, while Kings Park, Fairfax Station, and Oakton carry the same mailing name but sit in the surrounding county instead.
Does a rambler need a different inspection than a colonial in this area?
Not in scope, though what the inspector expects to see does shift. A rambler with a crawlspace calls for different access than a colonial with a finished basement, so the inspection notes the position of any sump equipment, drain repairs, and downspout discharge near the foundation. Soil and grading vary by lot, so the visit reports what is actually observed rather than assuming every foundation in the area behaves the same way.
Is a City of Fairfax house on public water and sewer?
Almost always, yes, unlike some larger-lot county neighborhoods farther out that rely on a private well or septic system. A home inspection does not test water quality or flow rate on public service, and it does not test a well or septic system where one exists. Mention any private system when you book so the visit can be planned around it.
Should I test for radon in a City of Fairfax home?
It is worth considering. Fairfax County's own health department places the whole county, including the areas around the City of Fairfax, in the EPA's highest radon potential category. A home inspection does not include a radon test on its own, but one can be added to the same visit as a separate service that reports its own result directly to you.
Can I send my agent to the Fairfax walkthrough instead of going myself?
Yes. The walkthrough near the end of the visit is when the inspector covers the roof, attic, crawlspace or basement, and every major system in person, and your agent is welcome to stand in for you there. The full written report follows online afterward either way, with photos or your review whenever it is convenient.
What should I prepare for a home inspection in Fairfax?
Provide the complete address and identify the governing jurisdiction before requesting permit records. Bring dates for renovations and any previous inspection concerns.
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