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Home inspection
Home Inspection in Gaithersburg, MD
Kentlands porches, Olde Towne originals or a Washingtonian Woods rebuild: the inspection gives you one consistent look at the whole house.
Read client reviews Licensed and insured inspectors Serving Gaithersburg and all of Montgomery County
What we check in a Gaithersburg 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.
Kentlands porches, Olde Towne brick
Gaithersburg is its own incorporated city inside Montgomery County, and its neighborhoods reflect several distinct building eras: Olde Towne's older core, the postwar streets around Washingtonian Woods, and the traditional-style, porch-fronted blocks of Kentlands and Lakelands built more recently around a walkable town plan. A house's era here often matters more than which neighborhood it sits in.
Front porches, tight lot lines
Kentlands and Lakelands were built with front porches close to the sidewalk and garages tucked to the rear, so the inspection pays particular attention to where a porch roof ties into the main wall and how that junction sheds water. Narrow side yards can limit where a downspout can discharge, so the inspector traces each one and notes where runoff actually goes. Inside, the visit covers the electrical panel, plumbing, heating and cooling on normal controls, and accessible doors and a representative number of windows, porch included.
Gaithersburg is one of Montgomery County's incorporated cities, and its own Planning and Code Administration Department, not the county, issues building permits and runs inspections inside the city limits.
Original materials, later replacements
An Olde Towne house can still carry original siding, trim or windows beside components replaced decades later, so the inspection evaluates each by its current condition rather than assuming a uniform age. For a Washingtonian Woods or Quince Orchard Park property with replacement windows or siding, share renovation records and ask about visible flashing and connections between materials. The foundation, attic insulation and ventilation, and readily accessible systems within the agreed inspection scope get the same walkthrough regardless of the block's age.
Montgomery County requires that most real estate transactions include a radon test result or a signed waiver before closing, under County Code Chapter 40, a rule that reaches Gaithersburg sales the same as any other address in the county.
Home inspections around Gaithersburg
Gaithersburg sits in Montgomery County, and the same inspectors cover the whole county. Every place below has its own page.
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Gaithersburg home inspection, in plain language
The questions Gaithersburg buyers ask about porches, permits and older streets.
Does Gaithersburg run its own permit department, or does Montgomery County handle it?
Gaithersburg is an incorporated city with its own Planning and Code Administration Department, which issues building permits and performs inspections inside city limits, separately from Montgomery County. That matters most if you ever pull a permit history on a Gaithersburg address; ask the City rather than the County. It does not change how we schedule or run your home inspection.
Our Kentlands porch roof meets the wall and there is a stain inside. What does that mean?
That junction is a reasonable place to look, and the inspection does look there: flashing, trim and how the porch roof sheds water toward the main wall. A stain by itself does not tell us the cause. The inspector reports what is visible, including the stain's location and any related damage, and you decide from there whether further investigation from a contractor makes sense before closing.
Is a Washingtonian Woods townhouse's exterior maintenance covered by the inspection or the HOA?
The inspection covers the house itself, including its exterior walls, roof, windows and doors, regardless of who is responsible for maintaining them going forward. Many Gaithersburg townhouse communities assign exterior maintenance, such as roofing or siding, to the homeowners association. Ask your agent for the association's maintenance responsibilities in writing; the inspection report tells you the current condition, not who is on the hook to fix it.
Does a newer home near Watkins Mill still need the full inspection?
Yes. New construction can still have a loose garage safety sensor, an unfinished grading slope, or a window that was never properly sealed. The inspection runs the same way regardless of the home's age: roof, foundation, electrical panel, plumbing, heating and cooling, attic insulation and ventilation, and accessible doors, garage doors and a representative number of windows on its normal controls.
Can I attend just the end of a Gaithersburg inspection if I cannot take the whole day off?
Yes. You are welcome for the entire visit or just the walkthrough at the end, when the inspector covers the main findings room by room before the written report follows online. Many Gaithersburg buyers join only for the walkthrough between other appointments on closing week, and your agent is welcome to attend as well.
What should I prepare for a home inspection in Gaithersburg?
Bring renovation records and association responsibility information. Identify garages, decks and mechanical equipment that the inspector will need to reach.
Explore Our Inspection Reports
- HD Photography
- Commentary & Recommendations
- Grading Scale
- Repair, Safety & Maintenance