Why should you attend your inspection?

Because a report makes far more sense when you have seen the house through the inspector’s eyes. On paper, “moisture staining at the water heater flue” is a line item. In person, it is a spot you looked at together, with an explanation of whether it is old history or an active problem.

Attending is also the single best education you will get in the home you are about to own: where the shutoffs are, what maintenance actually matters, which quirks are normal for a house of that age.

Scott’s customers describe the walkthrough this way: he works the house, then brings you to what needs explaining:

He walked us through everything he was doing and why. He brought both my husband and I back to places he felt might need further explnation.

(Brady Heckler Powell, Google review, quoted verbatim, including the original typo.)

My fiancé and I were inspecting our first home purchase, and Scott walked us through every little piece of the house.

(Charlotte Crowgey, Google review, quoted verbatim.)

Do you have to attend?

No. The inspection happens with or without you, and the written report stands on its own. ASHI-affiliated guidance describes attendance as encouraged rather than required. If you cannot be there, ask your inspector whether they will walk you through the findings by phone after the visit.

How is attendance arranged?

Remember that until closing, the house belongs to the seller. Access for the inspection is scheduled through the agents, the same way a showing is, so tell your agent you plan to attend when the inspection gets booked. Sellers are usually not present.

When should you show up, and for how long?

Most inspectors do their best work when the systematic part of the inspection is uninterrupted, then bring you in for the walkthrough. Scott’s customers describe the same pattern: he looks closely, then walks them through what he found and answers everything. So the practical plan:

  • Come for the walkthrough. Ask the inspector when to arrive; for a multi-hour inspection that is usually toward the end. You see the findings in person, in context, with time for every question.
  • Want to be there the whole time? Ask first. Some inspectors welcome it, some prefer room to work, and either way the walkthrough at the end is the part not to miss.

Tell the inspector your plan when you book, so the walkthrough gets the time it deserves.

How can you be useful without being in the way?

  • Let the inspector work. The systematic part of an inspection needs focus; save most questions for the walkthrough.
  • Ask anything during the walkthrough. There are no dumb questions about the biggest purchase of your life.
  • Take notes on maintenance advice. Much of what you learn will not be in the report because it is guidance, not a finding.
  • Leave children and pets home if you can. An inspection involves open panels, ladders, and attic hatches.

What questions are worth asking on site?

  • Which of these findings would you fix first, and which are just aging?
  • Is this something a seller would normally address, or is it maintenance I should expect to own?
  • Where are the main water shutoff, the gas shutoff, and the electrical panel?
  • What should I keep an eye on over the next few years?

A good inspector answers all of these in plain language. That conversation is exactly what the walkthrough is for, and it is why attending beats reading the PDF alone. What happens once the report lands is covered in the next guide.