The Colorado Springs Buyer's Home Inspection Checklist

An inspection is the one point in a Colorado purchase where you get to look behind the listing photos, on a clock. This guide walks through that clock, the add-on tests that matter most around Colorado Springs, and how the findings flow into your appraisal, your negotiation, and your loan. At the end there is a printable checklist for inspection day.

The timeline: from signed contract to your objection deadline

Most Colorado residential sales use the standard contract forms approved by the Colorado Real Estate Commission. That contract includes an inspection objection deadline, along with related termination and resolution deadlines. Buyer and seller fill in those dates when they negotiate, so there is no single number of days that applies to every deal. Your agent will point them out on the deadline chart, and a Colorado real estate attorney can explain the legal effect if you need advice.

Everything in this guide has to fit inside that window, which is often shorter than buyers expect. A practical sequence:

• The day you go under contract: find your inspection deadlines on the contract and put them in your calendar.
• The next day or two: book the general inspector and any specialists (radon, sewer scope, septic, well water).
• Inspection day: attend if you can, and bring the checklist below.
• Report review: sort findings into safety, big-ticket, and routine maintenance. Get repair estimates or a specialist opinion on anything major.
• Before the objection deadline: decide whether to object, and how, through your agent and in writing.
• Resolution: any agreed repairs, credits, or price change goes into a signed written amendment. Send a copy to your loan officer the same day.

What a standard inspection covers, and what it does not

A general home inspection is a visual look at the accessible parts of the home: roof and exterior, structure and foundation, drainage, plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling, water heater, attic and insulation, interior, and built-in appliances. Inspectors generally do not open walls, move furniture, or test for environmental hazards unless you add those services. Ask each inspector for a sample report and a written list of what is and is not included, because scope varies from one company to the next.

Colorado Springs add-ons worth considering

Radon

El Paso County is in the EPA's Zone 1, the highest radon potential category, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment identifies the county as an area with high radon potential. El Paso County Public Health reports that more than 40 percent of homes tested in the county between 2005 and 2021 had high radon levels. Radon is invisible and odorless, so the only way to know is to test. The EPA recommends fixing a home at or above 4 picocuries per liter. Many inspectors offer a short-term test during the inspection period. If the home already has a mitigation system, ask the seller for the installation details and any recent test results, and confirm the fan is running.

Sewer scope

Colorado Springs Utilities states that the wastewater service line running from the house to the utility's main is the customer's responsibility to maintain. A sewer scope sends a camera down that line to look for tree roots, cracked or offset pipe, sags where water collects, and older pipe materials. It is especially worth considering on older homes and lots with mature trees.

Methamphetamine screening

Colorado law requires sellers to disclose if they know a property was used as a meth lab, and the state health department certifies the professionals who test and clean meth-affected properties. A screening test is optional. Some buyers order one for properties with a long rental history or an unclear past. If you test, confirm the tester holds the state certification.

Well and septic in Black Forest and rural El Paso County

Much of Black Forest, Peyton, and the rural eastern county runs on private wells and septic systems, which a general inspection usually does not evaluate in depth. For septic, hire a qualified septic inspector to locate, pump if needed, and evaluate the system. El Paso County Public Health keeps a list of certified property sale inspectors, and local rules on inspections at sale have changed in recent years, so confirm the current requirement with the county health department. For a well, order a water quality test (commonly bacteria and nitrates, plus anything your inspector suggests) and ask about flow. Look up the well permit with the Colorado Division of Water Resources to confirm the permitted uses fit your plans, such as irrigation or livestock.

Hail and roof age

The Front Range sees frequent hail, and the roof is often the single most expensive near-term item in a Colorado Springs inspection. Ask the seller for the roof's age, material, and any replacement or insurance claim records. Ask your inspector to note the approximate remaining life, visible hail damage, and whether the roof can be walked safely. Roof age matters twice: once for repair costs and again for insurance, since some insurers price or limit coverage based on roof age and material. Our Colorado Springs insurance guide covers that side.

Expansive soils and foundation signs

The Colorado Geological Survey describes swelling soil as a geologic hazard that has damaged thousands of Colorado homes, and parts of the Colorado Springs area have soils that swell when wet and shrink when dry. Watch for diagonal drywall cracks at door and window corners, doors that stick or will not latch, cracked or heaved basement slabs and garage floors, gaps between walls and floors, and interior walls that appear to have been re-leveled. Many homes show small settlement cracks that are not a concern. If your inspector flags movement, a structural engineer's evaluation before your deadline can tell you whether it is cosmetic or structural.

Wildfire and defensible space

The Waldo Canyon and Black Forest fires showed how close wildland fire can come to Colorado Springs neighborhoods, especially on the west side and in forested parts of the county. The Colorado State Forest Service describes a home ignition zone around a house: the first 5 feet, which needs the most vigilant work; 5 to 30 feet, where fuels should be reduced; and 30 to 100 feet on relatively flat ground. A home inspector is not a wildfire assessor, but you can note roof material, vent screening, wood decks and fences touching the house, and vegetation close to the structure. Those details also affect insurance availability and price.

Repairs, credits, or a price change

Once you have the report, you generally have a few paths, depending on your contract: ask the seller to repair specific items before closing, ask for a credit or a price reduction, accept the home as it is, or, if your contract allows, terminate by the deadline. Each has trade-offs:

• Seller repairs put the work in the seller's hands. Ask for licensed contractors where required, receipts, and time for a re-check before closing.
• Seller credits can help with closing costs, but every loan program caps seller-paid concessions, and credits generally cannot exceed your actual closing costs or be paid to you as cash.
• A price reduction lowers the loan amount and down payment math, and can be simpler to underwrite than a large credit.

How to choose an inspector

Colorado does not license home inspectors, so the state does not screen them for you. That makes your own questions matter more:

• Are you certified through a professional association such as InterNACHI or ASHI, and how many years have you inspected homes here?
• Do you carry errors and omissions and general liability insurance?
• Can I see a sample report, and when will I receive mine?
• Will you walk the roof, and what happens if you cannot?
• Do you offer radon testing, sewer scopes, or other add-ons, or will I need separate specialists?

Your agent can suggest several inspectors, but the choice, and the report, are yours.

Sources: EPA radon zones, EPA radon health risk, El Paso County Public Health, radon, Colorado Springs Utilities wastewater backup policy, Colorado Geological Survey, swelling soils, Colorado State Forest Service, El Paso County Public Health, septic systems.