What’s Included in a Home Inspection in Texas?

In Texas, home inspectors are licensed and regulated by the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC). TREC has set forth the requirements of a residential home inspection. However, many people don’t actually know what is and is not included in a home inspection in Texas. The standard home inspection will cover almost every system in the home. It covers the following systems:

Electrical

Service Entrance and Panels
Branch Circuits

Plumbing Systems

Water Supply System and Fixtures
Drains, Wastes, Vents
Water Heating Equipment

Gas System
Hydrotherapy Equipment

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Systems

Heating Equipment
Cooling Equipment
Ducts and Vents

Optional Systems

Lawn Sprinklers
Swimming Pools and Equipment
Outbuildings
Water Wells
Septic Systems

All of the above systems (with the exception of the Optional systems) are required to be inspected if they are present. NOTE: If a particular item or system is not accessible, it will not be inspected, and will be so noted on the inspection report.

Once the inspector has completed the inspection, he or she will produce a written report which is normally delivered to the client via email. The report will contain information (and most often photos) explaining the inspector’s findings.

Here are some things to keep in mind when reading your home inspection report.

1. Almost every home has some deficiencies, and often, the majority of these deficiencies are minor or related to newer building standards that may not have been in place when the home was built.
2. It is not uncommon to have ten or more items marked as deficient on a home inspection report – even when the home is in good condition.
3. Home inspectors do not have x-ray vision, and they cannot predict the future. There are many parts of a home such as under carpet, inside walls, and behind furnishings that cannot be seen or inspected. Although it’s rare, an item that is functioning today could stop working tomorrow, and your home inspector often has no way of knowing that something is about to stop working.

© 2022 Mike Morgan

This article was written by Mike Morgan, the owner of Morgan Inspection Services. Morgan Inspection Services has been providing home, septic and well inspection services throughout the central Texas area since 2002. He can be reached at 325-998-4663 or at mike@morganinspectionservices.com. No article, or portion thereof, may be reproduced or copied without prior written consent of Mike Morgan.