Home Inspections & Due Diligence in Colorado
When you go under contract, you are essentially asking for the opportunity to buy the home — if everything checks out. This is your due diligence period, and for most buyers, it is one of the most important parts of the entire transaction.
I Will Not Waive the inspection, & you shouldn't either.
No matter how competitive the market gets, I will not write an offer that completely waives the inspection. That is a firm position, and it exists to protect you.
There are many ways to write a strong, competitive offer while still preserving your ability to investigate the property. What I will not do is send you into a closing without the chance to understand what you are buying first. Once the transaction closes, the home — and everything that comes with it — is yours.
The inspection period is your window to make an informed decision. A strong offer does not have to be a blind one.
Making Good Use of the Inspection Time
The inspection period is more than just the home — it is time to evaluate everything about where you are about to plant your life.
While the inspector is doing their work, you have a window — sometimes several days — to go deeper on the neighborhood itself.
You are also an inspector.
This is your opportunity to inspect the area you want to live in, not just the property you want to buy.
I encourage buyers to revisit the neighborhood at different times of day — evenings, weekends, different weather if possible. A street can feel completely different at 7 PM on a Friday than it does during a Tuesday afternoon showing.
Drive the commute at the time you would actually be driving it. Walk to the coffee shop, the park, the school. Notice the neighbors, the parking, the noise, the lighting. Check what is being built nearby. Look up what is zoned for the empty lot down the street.
You are not just buying the home. You are buying into a neighborhood, a commute, a daily rhythm. The inspection period is one of the few moments in the process where you have time to slow down and make sure all of it feels right — before you commit.
Colorado Does Not License Home Inspectors
This surprises a lot of buyers. Unlike many states, Colorado currently has no state licensing requirement for home inspectors — which means the quality of your inspector matters more here than you might expect.
When choosing an inspector, I generally encourage buyers to look for:
- ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) membership or certification
- InterNACHI (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors) credentials
- ICC background or construction-related experience
- Proper errors and omissions insurance coverage
- Strong local reputation and familiarity with Colorado homes
An inspection report is only as valuable as the person interpreting what they are seeing. Experience matters here.
Colorado homes come with Colorado-specific concerns
Different areas along the Front Range can have very different soil conditions, drainage patterns, and foundation concerns. Expansive soils that shift with moisture changes are common in parts of the Denver Metro, and a good inspector understands how those conditions affect foundations, grading, drainage, and long-term maintenance.
Not every crack is a structural red flag — but understanding what is typical, what should be monitored, and what warrants further evaluation is exactly the kind of context a skilled local inspector provides.
How I approach inspections
I recommend giving the inspector the first portion of the inspection to work through the property independently. That gives them the space to focus, document, and fully evaluate the home without constant interruptions.
Toward the end, buyers can return so the inspector can walk through the major findings, answer questions, and explain what truly matters versus what is routine maintenance or normal wear for the age of the home.
What Does A Home Inspection Cost
Compared to the overall cost of purchasing a home, inspections are a relatively small investment that can provide an enormous amount of information — and peace of mind.
Costs vary depending on the size and age of the property. Here is what buyers in the Denver Metro area should generally expect:
Home Inspection: $800-$1200+ Varies by size and age of property
Radon Test: Under $200 Recommended in Colorado
Sewer Scope
Under $600
Important on all homes
What a Standard Inspecion Cover
- Roof condition and remaining useful life
- Foundation and structural concerns
- Electrical systems
- Plumbing
- HVAC systems
- Windows and doors
- Attic insulation and ventilation
- Appliances included in the sale
- Exterior grading and drainage
- Signs of moisture intrusion or deferred maintenance
No house is perfect — especially in Colorado, where weather can be hard on homes. The goal is not to find a flawless property. It is to understand what you are buying before you commit to it.
Additional Inspections- specific items to Colorado
Radon
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that comes from the breakdown of uranium in soil and rock. It cannot be seen, smelled, or detected without a test — and it is not something you want accumulating in your home.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, behind only smoking. Long-term exposure at elevated levels is a serious health risk, which is why the EPA recommends taking action when levels reach 4 pCi/L or higher. Colorado has elevated radon levels in many areas, making this a particularly important test here.
This is a health and safety issue — not a minor maintenance item.
I had a transaction where the sellers had tested two years prior and the results were fine. The buyers retested during the inspection period. The levels came back so high — a 22 — that we actually retested thinking there was something wrong with the machine. There wasn’t.
Radon levels can change. A clear test from two years ago tells you nothing about today. Always test.
The threshold to know: any level at or above 4 pCi/L warrants mitigation. You do not want any number higher than 4 in the home you are about to live in.
If levels come back elevated, mitigation is the solution — and in 2026 that typically runs around $1,500. Because radon is a health and safety issue, it is a completely legitimate item to ask the seller to address before closing. Most sellers understand that. It is not an unreasonable ask, and it is far better resolved before ownership transfers than after.
Sewer Scope
A sewer scope uses a camera to inspect the sewer line running from the house to the main city connection. On older Denver-area homes, this is a health and safety issue as much as it is a maintenance one — and I strongly encourage every buyer to get one done.
I had a buyer who saw in the seller’s disclosure that there was a crack in the sewer line. He figured it was minor and wanted to skip the scope. I pushed back and insisted he do it anyway. It was not a crack. The entire cast iron line under the concrete basement floor was dissolving. Sewage had been depositing under that slab — it was hard to know for how long.
I have seen this happen on more than one property.
It does not mean the seller is dishonest or negligent. Cast iron deteriorates over time and it is simply not visible any other way. But this is exactly why the inspection period exists — not to kill the deal, but to get quotes, understand the full scope of the issue, and have an informed conversation with the seller about repairs before you close.
Roof and Hail Damage
Colorado roofs take a beating from hail, snow, wind, and extreme weather. If a roof has hail damage or is near end of life, I generally recommend addressing it before closing. In many cases, it makes more sense for the seller to file an insurance claim and replace the roof before ownership transfers — because once it does, the insurance situation becomes more complicated.
New Construction
Well and Septic
Not every home in the Denver Metro is connected to city water and sewer — and that includes properties inside city limits, particularly in older neighborhoods or on larger lots. If a home has a well, a septic system, or both, those systems need their own inspections beyond the standard home inspection. A well inspection typically includes water quality testing and an evaluation of the pump and pressure system. A septic inspection looks at the tank condition, the drain field, and whether the system is functioning as it should.
There is another layer to this that many buyers — and even some sellers — do not know about.
In some developing or transitioning areas, older homes on well and septic are grandfathered in for the current owner. That means the existing owner can continue using those systems legally. But once the property changes hands, that grandfathering goes away. The new owner may be required to connect to public water and sewer — and that cost can be significant. We are talking about an expense that can easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars depending on the location and what infrastructure work is involved.
The seller may not know this applies to their property. It is not necessarily something they were ever told. But it is something that needs to be researched before you close, not after.
This is one of those situations where due diligence early in the process can completely change the financial picture of a purchase — and why having someone in your corner who knows what questions to ask matters.
Inspection Reports Can Sound Alarming
Inspection reports are designed to document concerns, often in cautious or technical language. That does not mean the home is falling apart — and it does not mean the deal is over.
Part of the process is understanding the difference between a major structural concern, a health and safety item, deferred maintenance, and typical wear for the age and location of the home. That context is what I am there to help you work through.
Here is something worth remembering: the seller still wants to sell. They are going to sell this home to someone. And in Colorado, once an inspection has been completed, the seller is required to disclose those findings to any future potential buyers. That changes the dynamic. When a buyer asks for reasonable repairs, a price reduction, or concessions based on inspection findings, it is not an unreasonable demand — it is a normal part of the process, and sellers generally understand that.
Reasonable is the key word. Not every item on an inspection report warrants a negotiation. But the significant ones, the health and safety items, the costly repairs — those are fair to address. My job is helping you figure out which is which.
One thing I factor in when deciding how to approach repairs: depending on the item, I will often recommend asking the seller for a concession rather than asking them to do the work. When the seller makes the repair, they get to choose the contractor and control how it gets done — and the quality can vary. When you receive a concession instead, you get to choose your own contractor, decide how the work is handled, and make sure it is done to your standard. That matters, especially on bigger ticket items.
One more thing: the inspection walkthrough is also one of the best opportunities you will have to learn about the home before it is yours. A good inspector will show you where the shut-offs are, how the systems work, what needs seasonal attention, and what to keep an eye on over time. Even if nothing major comes up, you will leave that inspection knowing your home better than most owners ever do. It is also a good time to get estimates on any updates or improvements you are already planning — contractors can walk the property while everyone is there and you have a clear picture of what you are working with.
New Construction
A brand-new home does not mean a perfect one. Builders are coordinating dozens of subcontractors across multiple phases of construction, and things get missed — sometimes small, sometimes not.
I have seen it firsthand. One home had a covered patio roof — the kind of newer, more architectural feature that is popular right now — and it leaked. Another had plumbing that was never connected to the main sewer line. Brand new home. Never connected.
These are not things you would ever discover during a walkthrough or a final blue tape session with the builder.
I still recommend inspections on all new construction. In many cases, scheduling around the 10-month mark — while the builder’s 12-month warranty is still active — is the smart move. By then you have lived in the home long enough to notice things, and you still have time to get them addressed before that warranty window closes.
This is not about expecting the worst. It is about being thorough with what is likely the largest investment of your life.
Inspection reports can sound alarming — but the deal is not over
A brand-new home does not mean a perfect one. Builders are coordinating dozens of subcontractors across multiple phases of construction, and things get missed — sometimes small, sometimes not.
I have seen it firsthand. One home had a covered patio roof — the kind of newer, more architectural feature that is popular right now — and it leaked. Another had plumbing that was never connected to the main sewer line. Brand new home. Never connected.
These are not things you would ever discover during a walkthrough or a final blue tape session with the builder.
I still recommend inspections on all new construction. In many cases, scheduling around the 10-month mark — while the builder’s 12-month warranty is still active — is the smart move. By then you have lived in the home long enough to notice things, and you still have time to get them addressed before that warranty window closes.
This is not about expecting the worst. It is about being thorough with what is likely the largest investment of your life.
I attend inspections. Part of my role is helping you understand what issues are reasonable to address, what is common in Colorado homes, and what could become a larger concern down the road. I also cannot effectively negotiate inspection items I have not seen myself.
One thing I always remind buyers: an inspector is not an expert in every system or trade. That is not a criticism — it is simply the nature of the role. Their job is to do a thorough visual evaluation of the entire property and flag anything that warrants a closer look by a specialist. Think of it as a first layer of due diligence. If the inspector notes a concern with the electrical panel, the foundation, the HVAC, or anything else that raises a flag — that is the signal to bring in the right expert for a deeper evaluation before you make any final decisions.
Questions about Inspections or Due Diligence?
Every transaction is a little different. If you have questions about what to expect, I am happy to talk it through.