What should I look for during a Colorado Springs home inspection?

It's worth looking past the length of the report to the findings that carry real risk or cost: safety issues, water and drainage, the foundation, the roof, and major systems like heating, electrical, plumbing, and the sewer line. In Colorado Springs, hail damage, swelling soils, radon, and older sewer lines deserve extra attention. Not all findings are created equal, and almost everything is fixable. Your inspector is the right person to explain what's serious and what's routine, and then you decide what to ask the seller to address.

Your inspector explains the findings

When I walk through an inspection with a buyer, I leave the call on what's serious and what's normal to the inspector. That's why your inspector matters. You want someone who can put each finding in terms of managed risk, to the best of what anyone can know, and tell you whether something is likely to stay small, could grow in scope, or calls for another inspection.

My part is different. I explain that almost everything is fixable, and I frame findings in terms of risk to the deal and cost to you. My priority is making sure you make an informed decision and are comfortable with what you're taking on.

How to weigh what's in the report

A long report doesn't mean a bad house. Most reports list many small items. It helps to sort findings into groups:

• Safety issues: things like electrical hazards, gas or carbon monoxide concerns, and missing safety features. They deserve serious attention.
• Water, drainage, and foundation: water is behind many expensive problems, so grading, gutters, moisture, and foundation cracks deserve a close look.
• Major systems near the end of their life: the roof, furnace, water heater, and air conditioning are expensive to replace, even when they still work today.
• Items that need a specialist: when the inspector recommends a structural engineer, roofer, plumber, or HVAC contractor, that follow-up can change the picture.
• Routine maintenance: loose fixtures, worn caulk, and small repairs that come with any home.

A home inspection isn't the same as a building department code inspection. An older home's original construction may not match today's code, and that alone isn't automatically a defect. Work done later is a different story. If a past owner added or changed something, especially without a permit, and it doesn't meet code, it deserves serious attention. Your inspector can point out what looks like later work, and the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department keeps permit records for homes in El Paso County, so you can check what was permitted.

Issues to watch in Colorado Springs

• Hail damage. Roofs, gutters, siding, and window screens can show it. See how serious hail damage is when buying.
• Swelling soils and drainage. The Colorado Geological Survey calls swelling soil a common and sometimes serious problem in Colorado that can damage houses, sometimes slowly over time. Signs worth noting include foundation cracks, sticking doors, and grading that sends water toward the house.
• Radon. Colorado's standard purchase contract strongly recommends an indoor radon test before you buy.
• The sewer line. A sewer scope looks inside the line from the house to the street, which a general inspection doesn't do.
• Wells and septic systems in parts of El Paso County outside city water and sewer. See buying a home with a well or septic system.
• Insurance-related findings. An older or damaged roof can affect what insurance costs or whether you can get it. See why homeowners insurance varies.

Asking the seller to fix things

Once you understand the findings, you decide what, if anything, to ask the seller to address. Under Colorado's standard contract, you can send an inspection objection by the Inspection Objection Deadline, or end the contract by the Inspection Termination Deadline. Sending an objection ends your right to simply walk away under that termination deadline and starts a resolution process instead.

When you want something fixed, I ask the seller, and I give you my assessment of where there's room to negotiate and where the seller might turn the request down altogether. The seller may agree, offer a credit, or decline. If they decline, that's a new set of facts: you can choose to move on, or the seller may choose to fix it after all. Either side can decide to move on, depending on the circumstances. If no agreement is reached by the Inspection Resolution Deadline, the contract ends unless you withdraw your objection.

A simple way to decide

• If a finding is a safety issue, it's worth addressing before closing, either through a repair or a credit.
• If a finding could grow, like water intrusion or foundation movement, it's worth getting the specialist's opinion before you decide.
• If a major system is near the end of its life, factor the replacement cost into your decision and your request.
• If a finding is routine maintenance, it's usually better handled after closing than in the negotiation.

What could change the answer

• A finding that needs a specialist can turn a small item into a large one, or the reverse.
• An older home, a home with a well or septic system, or a home with a history of hail damage may need more inspections.
• Your loan type can require certain repairs before closing, separate from what you negotiate.
• In a competitive situation, a long list of requests can weaken your position, so it's worth focusing on what matters most.

When to talk with a professional

A home inspector evaluates the home and explains what each finding means. A structural engineer, roofer, plumber, electrician, or HVAC contractor can give you a firm opinion and a repair estimate. Your insurance agent can tell you whether any finding affects coverage, and your lender can tell you whether your loan requires specific repairs.

Sources

• Colorado Geological Survey, Swelling soils
• Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, About PPRBD
• Colorado Division of Real Estate, Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate (Residential), for use on or after January 1, 2026 (§ 10.3 inspection; § 10.13 radon)