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Home inspection
Home Inspection in Kensington, MD
From a Victorian house near the old train station to a newer home toward Rock Creek Park, a licensed inspector's report says what needs attention before you close.
Read client reviews Licensed and insured inspectors Serving Kensington and all of Montgomery County
What we check in a Kensington 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.
Victorian streets, creekside lots
Kensington was built as a garden suburb starting in 1890 and incorporated as its own town in 1894, and its oldest houses date to that Victorian-era boom. Rock Creek Hills and Parkwood filled in later, closer to the park and its stream valley, and Chevy Chase View added larger lots farther out. Construction details vary block by block, so the inspection starts by placing the house in its own decade.
Old core, new wing
A house from Kensington's original development often carries a rear addition from a noticeably different period, so the inspection reads the roofline where the two sections meet and follows framing to see how the addition ties into the original structure. The foundation and any accessible crawlspace or cellar are checked for signs of water penetration, the electrical panel is opened to check breakers and grounding, and plumbing supply and drain lines are tested by running fixtures and flushing every toilet in the house.
The Town of Kensington's own history page dates its founding to a suburb modeled on Kensington, England, incorporated in 1894, after developer Brainard Warner began buying land there in 1890.
Sloped lots toward the park
A lot that slopes toward Rock Creek Park can hold more moisture at the foundation than one on level ground nearby, so the inspection reads grading and surface drainage closely here and checks any crawlspace for ground cover and standing water. The roof covering and gutters are checked from the eaves, attic insulation and ventilation are checked where the access allows, and the heating and cooling system is run on its normal controls as part of the same visit.
Montgomery County's Department of Permitting Services runs an online eServices system where a buyer can search permit and inspection history for a specific Rock Creek Hills address without an account.
Home inspections around Kensington
Kensington sits in Montgomery County, and the same inspectors cover the whole county. Every place below has its own page.
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Kensington buyers, plain answers
What Kensington buyers ask about the town, older houses, and permits.
Kensington is its own incorporated town. Does that mean a separate permit?
Often yes. Kensington has run its own town government since 1894, and most building projects here need a permit from the town in addition to whatever Montgomery County requires, so it is worth checking with the town hall before assuming county records tell the whole story. A home inspection does not depend on either permit and covers the same ground regardless of which office issued them.
Is my Victorian-era house's addition inspected differently from the original rooms?
The inspector notes where the original house ends and the addition begins, since framing, wiring, and plumbing often differ by decade even when the exterior looks continuous. A stain or a settlement crack near that seam is called out specifically. The same full checklist, roof, exterior, foundation, electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, attic, and interior, applies to both sections during the same visit.
Is a detached garage on a larger Chevy Chase View lot included?
It can be, and it is usually treated as its own structure rather than folded into the main house's findings. Mention a detached garage, workshop, or other outbuilding when you book so it can be added to the scope. Its own roof, foundation, and any electrical inside it are checked separately, and the report describes the structure and the main house as distinct items.
Should I attend, or can I rely on the report alone?
Either approach works well. Some buyers walk the whole visit, especially useful for an older house near Kensington's historic core where questions come up room by room. Others come only for the walkthrough near the end, where the inspector covers the main findings before the full written report follows online with photos and clear priorities. Your agent is always welcome to join in your place.
Is Kensington on public water and sewer, unlike the more rural parts of the county?
Yes, Kensington is close enough to the District line that public water and sewer serve the whole town, unlike Potomac or the county's outer edges, where a private well and septic system are common. The inspection runs every fixture and checks the water heater and its venting, though it does not test water quality, pressure, or flow rate beyond what running the fixtures during the visit shows.
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