Sun Lakes, Arizona
Home inspection in Sun Lakes
A home inspection in Sun Lakes usually means a house on or near a golf course. Robson began the community on farmland in 1972 and built it out in phases through the mid-2000s, so a 1980s Cottonwood home and a 2000s Oakwood home can sit a short drive apart with very different roofs and equipment. What they share is the course: errant balls that crack tile, glass and stucco, sprinkler spray drifting onto rear walls, and lot drainage that HOA rules send toward the street. The report ties those golf-lot items to the age of each system.
- ASHI Certified Inspector
- From $285 residential
- Report on-site, same day
The Sun Lakes housing stock
What the local stock means for your inspection
Sun Lakes was built in phases from 1972 to the mid-2000s: Sun Lakes Country Club first, then Cottonwood and Palo Verde from 1979 into the mid-1990s, and the gated IronOaks neighborhoods of Ironwood and Oakwood from the late 1980s until the community sold out.
- Ed Robson began Sun Lakes on farmland in 1972 as the first Robson community, and it sold out in 2005.
- Sun Lakes is an unincorporated community of five country club neighborhoods under three homeowners associations, bordered on the north and east by Chandler.
- Ironwood and Oakwood together form the gated IronOaks community, and Palo Verde also became a gated community.
Neighborhoods we inspect in Sun Lakes
- Sun Lakes Country Club
- Cottonwood
- Palo Verde
- Ironwood
- Oakwood
And every other neighborhood in Sun Lakes. If your street is not listed, it is still covered.
On the ground here
What an inspector watches for in Sun Lakes
These are the items that come up most in Sun Lakes's housing stock. They are what to expect, not a verdict on any one home.
Errant golf balls on tile and glass
Homes along the fairways take stray shots, so the inspection looks for cracked or displaced roof tile, broken or pitted window and door glass, and stucco chips on the course-facing walls, and notes any golf ball shield or netting in place.
Course irrigation against rear walls
Fairway sprinklers run close to many rear walls and view fences. Repeated wetting shows up as stucco staining, efflorescence, rusting wrought iron and damp soil along the back of the lot, so the course-facing side gets its own look.
Lot drainage that must reach the street
Sun Lakes Country Club and IronOaks rules send roof and yard runoff to the street and bar pushing storm water onto neighboring lots. The inspection checks downspouts, grading and yard drains, since water pooling against the slab or a golf course wall signals trouble.
Zero Property Line easements on patio homes
In Sun Lakes Country Club, Legend (Patio) and Veranda homes carry Zero Property Line easements that limit how owners use part of the yard. The inspection covers the lot-line wall as access allows; the terms sit in the phase's Supplemental Declaration.
Phase age decides the equipment question
Sun Lakes Country Club dates from the 1970s, while Oakwood was still building in the 2000s. A home's phase and build year tell the inspector whether to expect several rounds of replaced roofing and cooling or original equipment approaching its first replacement.
Backyard pools behind golf-view fencing
IronOaks requires a Maricopa County permit, or a City of Chandler permit in Ironwood Estates, for a private pool or spa. The pool and spa inspection covers equipment, plumbing, surfaces and the barrier, including glass or view fencing along a golf lot.
Most relevant here
What Sun Lakes buyers ask about most
On Sun Lakes golf-course and lake lots, the buyer's inspection covers ball strikes, sprinkler spray and drainage; the pool and spa inspection handles backyard pools behind view fencing; and a pre-listing inspection helps sellers document tile, glass or stucco repairs first.
- Buyer's Home InspectionBefore you close, know exactly what you're buying, every major system, walked with you and explained.
- Pool & Spa InspectionPool and spa problems are stressful and expensive. Our certified process finds them before you buy.
- Pre-Listing InspectionFind the problems before a buyer does, so surprises never cost you leverage at the negotiating table.
See every inspection service, available in Sun Lakes like every AZHI service.
Common questions
Inspecting a home in Sun Lakes
Will the inspection catch golf ball damage on a Sun Lakes fairway home?
It looks for it on every course-facing side. On a golf-course lot the inspector checks for cracked or displaced roof tile, broken or pitted glass in windows and doors, and chipped stucco, and notes any golf ball shield or netting and its visible condition. Damage hidden under unbroken tile can't always be seen from the roof surface, so photos in the report give you something concrete to raise with the seller.
Who issues permits for pools, additions or patio enclosures in Sun Lakes?
It depends on the neighborhood. Sun Lakes is largely unincorporated Maricopa County, and the IronOaks guidelines require a Maricopa County permit for pools in Oakwood and Ironwood but a City of Chandler permit in Ironwood Estates (Unit 33). Sun Lakes Country Club and IronOaks also require architectural committee approval. The inspection reports on the condition of the pool, addition or enclosure it finds, and confirming permits with the right office is a separate step.
How different is inspecting a 1980s Cottonwood home from a newer Oakwood home?
Quite different. Cottonwood was built from 1979 into the mid-1990s, so its roofs, cooling equipment and water heaters have usually been through at least one replacement, and the inspection weighs the age and workmanship of those replacements. Oakwood was built from the mid-1990s into the 2000s, so more original equipment may still be running and nearing replacement. On either street, a fairway or lake lot adds ball-strike, irrigation and drainage checks.
Bob was very friendly and thorough. He was responsive to all communications and since I am from out of state he kept me abreast of the situation every step of the way. He even called me during the inspection while he was on my roof in Arizona. I appreciate his counsel and insight into this project. I would highly recommend him. Thanks Bob
Book it
Schedule your Sun Lakes inspection
Scheduling in Sun Lakes starts with the country club neighborhood and whether the lot faces a fairway or lake; AZHI pairs that with square footage and build year to quote a price and date.
Residential inspections start at $285. You get a price and the next available dates back.