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Home inspection
Home Inspection in Severn, MD
A Maryland licensed inspector walks your Severn home roof to foundation and writes a photo report that flags what needs attention before you close.
Read client reviews Licensed and insured inspectors Serving Severn and all of Anne Arundel County
What we check in a Severn 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.
From rail stop to Army post
Severn grew from a stop on the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railroad into a town shaped again by Fort Meade's arrival in 1917. Later decades added planned communities such as Piney Orchard and Jacobs Forest. A house here can date from any of those periods, so the inspection starts by confirming the age of the roof, the foundation type and how the systems were updated.
Severn, Maryland. Photo: Ken Lund, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Townhomes built around shared amenities
Jacobs Forest and Piney Orchard were built as townhome communities with shared amenities and, in places, shared rooflines. The inspection covers your unit's own systems: the electrical panel and its breakers, GFCI protection at kitchens and baths, the heating and cooling equipment run on normal controls, and the plumbing supply and drain lines. Where an attached garage is present, the vehicle door and its safety sensors are tested. The roof covering is viewed from the ground or eaves, and attic access is opened to check insulation depth and ventilation, noting anywhere it ties into a neighboring unit.
Anne Arundel County's Land Use Navigator lets a buyer search permit and licensing records for a Severn address without creating an account, useful for checking work done on an older townhome unit before you buy.
Established lots with later additions
Severn Woods and Disney Estates hold larger, established lots where a house has often gained a rear addition, an enclosed porch or a finished lower level since it was built. The inspection reads the foundation walls for cracking and checks the crawlspace for access and any sign of moisture, then follows the roofline to where an addition meets the original structure, since framing connections there can shift over time. Grading and surface drainage around the house are checked next, along with the windows, doors and attic insulation.
The Odenton Heritage Society records that train service on the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railroad began in 1908, with Fort Meade's 1917 arrival driving the later growth that filled in streets like Severn Woods.
Home inspections around Severn
Severn sits in Anne Arundel County, and the same inspectors cover the whole county. Every place below has its own page.
Severn home inspection, plainly explained
Direct answers to the questions Severn buyers ask before they book an inspection.
Does Severn have its own permit office, or is that Anne Arundel County?
Severn is an unincorporated community, so Anne Arundel County issues the building permits and keeps the property records for a Severn address, not a separate town government. That does not change the inspection itself, since the same inspectors and scope apply whether an address sits in Severn, Odenton or anywhere else in the county. Give the full street address when you book so any permit history you request lines up with the right record.
What does Severn's mix of rail-era and newer housing mean for an inspection?
An older house near the historic rail corridor may carry additions built decades apart, while a home in a newer section can still be under its original systems. The inspector treats each on its own terms: checking the roof covering, the foundation, the electrical panel and the plumbing supply and drain lines regardless of the decade, then noting where an addition's framing meets the original structure. Tell us the approximate age of the house and any known addition when you book.
What does the inspection cover in a Piney Orchard or Jacobs Forest townhome?
Your unit and the systems inside it: the electrical panel, plumbing fixtures, heating and cooling equipment on normal controls, windows, doors and the attic space above your unit if it is separately accessible. A shared roof, clubhouse, pool or other common area belongs to the homeowners association and falls outside a single-unit inspection. Ask the association for recent exterior repair records, since that history can explain a roofline or siding condition the inspector notes.
Is radon testing included with a Severn home inspection?
No. A standard home inspection does not test for radon; it is offered as a separate service that can be scheduled for the same visit. The EPA's radon guidance recommends testing every home regardless of its mapped zone, since the designation is meant to guide area-wide programs rather than predict one house's reading. Ask about adding a short-term radon test when you book so the result is ready around the same time as the inspection report.
Should I be there for the Severn inspection walkthrough?
It is not required, but it helps. Being present for the last thirty minutes or so lets the inspector show you what was found in person, point out where a shutoff valve or the electrical panel is located, and answer questions the written report cannot fully capture. If you cannot attend, the photo report covers the same findings, and a phone call can cover anything you want explained further.
Explore Our Inspection Reports
- HD Photography
- Commentary & Recommendations
- Grading Scale
- Repair, Safety & Maintenance