Condo Inspection
Condo inspections in San Francisco
The association looks after the building. You're buying everything inside your walls — so that's what we inspect: the unit's own systems, windows and doors, the balcony, and any water coming in from next door or upstairs.
Not a smaller house inspection
In most condos the roof, the foundation and the exterior walls belong to the homeowners' association. So the questions that matter are different: does everything you'll own outright work, and is water getting into your unit from somewhere you don't control?
In San Francisco that second question matters more than most places. Many condos here are flats in converted Victorian and Edwardian buildings, sharing century-old walls, floors and drain lines with the neighbours. Others are newer units where one leaking balcony door can stain the ceiling of the unit below.
We inspect everything inside your unit, note anything visible outside it that affects you, and tell you plainly which items are yours to fix and which belong to the association.
Condo or attached unit
Free quote
Thermal imaging and moisture readings included. Send us the address and you'll have a firm number before you book, usually within the hour.
(628) 230-0357See a sample report
If we miss it, they buy it back
Full home inspections here are backed by InterNACHI's Buy-Back Guarantee — full purchase price if we miss a covered defect.
How the guarantee worksWhat we inspect inside your unit
Electrical
The unit's panel or subpanel, visible wiring, outlets, GFCI and AFCI protection, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
Plumbing
Supply and drain lines inside the unit, fixtures, shutoff valves, and the water heater if it serves only your unit.
Heating & cooling
Wall heaters, baseboard, furnace or heat pump serving the unit, and radiators in older buildings (the boiler behind them is usually the association's).
Windows, doors & balcony
Operation, seals and glazing, balcony door thresholds, and the visible condition of the balcony surface, railing and drainage.
Kitchen & laundry
Built-in appliances, and in-unit laundry including the dryer vent — long vent runs through a building clog with lint.
Water from next door or upstairs
Ceilings below the unit above, shared walls and window openings, checked with a moisture meter and thermal camera.
What we don't inspect
These are normally the association's responsibility, so they're outside a condo inspection:
- The roof, foundation and building structure
- Hallways, lobbies, garages and other common areas
- Building-wide systems such as central boilers, elevators and fire sprinklers
Exactly where your responsibility ends is set by the association's CC&Rs, not by us — ask your agent for them early. We still note anything we can see from your unit that affects it, such as a balcony above that drains onto yours.
Three documents to ask for
We don't review association paperwork, but these answer the questions an inspection of one unit can't. Your agent can request them.
The association's balcony inspection
California requires condo associations to have wood-supported balconies, decks, stairs and walkways more than six feet above ground inspected by a licensed engineer or architect at least every nine years (Civil Code 5551, from SB 326). That inspection covers a sample of them, not necessarily yours — so read it alongside what we see on your balcony.
The reserve study and current budget
Shows whether big repairs are already funded or likely to arrive as a special assessment after you move in.
Board minutes from the last year or two
Leaks, special assessments and disputes between owners usually show up in the minutes before they show up anywhere else.
What we find in Bay Area condos
Water from the unit above
Stained ceilings under a neighbour's bathroom or kitchen. We check with a moisture meter whether it's active now or an old leak that was fixed.
Condensation and mold-like growth at windows
Fog, closed windows and a weak bathroom fan are a common combination in San Francisco. It shows up on window frames and the drywall beside them first.
Bathroom fans that don't move air
A fan that runs but doesn't pull air leaves moisture in the room. It's one of the most frequent condo findings, and one of the cheapest to fix.
Leaking shower valves and slow drains
Small in-unit plumbing defects that are yours to repair, not the association's, and which can damage the unit below.
Balcony doors and sliders that let water in
Worn thresholds, blocked tracks and failed seals at the balcony opening, often with soft or stained flooring just inside.
Old wiring and pipes in converted buildings
Many San Francisco condos are flats in converted Victorian and Edwardian buildings. Ungrounded outlets and galvanized pipes inside the unit are common.
Condo Inspection FAQs
Ready to book your condo inspection?
Thermal imaging, moisture readings and a same-day report included. Get a firm quote before you book.