Home inspection, buyer stage
Buyer's Home Inspection in the Phoenix Metro
A buyer's inspection is the due-diligence walkthrough you commission after your offer is accepted and before your inspection contingency window closes, so you can decide whether to proceed, renegotiate, request repairs, or walk away with the home's observed condition in front of you. It reports what an ASHI Certified inspector can see on the day, not a pass or fail verdict on the house and not a promise that every defect has been found.
- ASHI Certified Inspector
- From $285 residential
- Report on-site, same day
The decision at this stage
You're under contract, but not yet committed
You are under contract but not yet committed. Your offer is accepted, earnest money is in, and a clock is running: your purchase agreement gives you a defined inspection period to investigate the home and act. The buyer's inspection exists to turn that window into an informed choice among four moves, proceed as agreed, go back and renegotiate the price, ask the seller to repair specific items, or exercise your right to walk. AZHI's role is to give you the observed condition of the property so you can pick a move. It is not to tell you which move to make.
Your inspection report
The home’s observed condition, not a pass or fail verdict
- 1
Proceed as agreed
The condition matches your expectations; move ahead.
- 2
Renegotiate the price
Bring findings back to the table before closing.
- 3
Request specific repairs
Ask the seller to address named items.
- 4
Walk away
Exercise your inspection contingency and exit.
The inspection window
The window is short, and it is yours to manage
The inspection contingency window is short and it is yours to manage. Book the inspection early in that period rather than on its final day, because findings often lead to follow-up: a specialist referral for a closer look, a second opinion, or a written repair request that itself needs time for the seller to answer. Getting the report walked through with you on-site the day of the inspection, instead of waiting days for a document to arrive, is what makes acting inside the window realistic. We do not track, calculate, or advise on your contract's exact dates and deadlines. Those live in your purchase agreement and with your agent.
- 1
Offer accepted
the clock starts
- 2Book early
Book the inspection
early in your contingency period
- 3
Attend the walk
see items in place
- 4
Report the same day
on-site, questions answered
- 5
Optional specialist look
if a finding calls for it
- 6
Choose one move
before the window closes
Your inspection contingency window is tracked by you and your agent, not by AZHI.
Book late and you burn the time the seller needs to answer a repair request.
What gets walked
“Observed condition” means these six systems
Every AZHI home inspection follows the ASHI Standards of Practice. The full, room-by-room walkthrough lives on its own page.
- Structural SystemsFoundations, framing, grading and drainage
- RoofingCoverings, flashings, penetrations, skylights
- Electrical SystemsPanels, branch circuits, GFCI, detectors
- PlumbingSupply, drains, water heater, fixtures
- Heating, Ventilation and Air ConditioningHeating, cooling, ducts and vents
- AppliancesBuilt-in appliances and garage door
Clear boundaries
What the walk settles, and what it cannot
This is the one point before closing where an independent, standards-driven set of eyes walks the home with you and answers your questions in person, while you can still act on the answers. What that settles is what a visual inspection can observe on the day. What it cannot settle is hidden or intermittent defects behind finishes, the dollar cost of any repair, whether the home meets any code, and whether you should buy this house. Those decisions stay with you, your agent, the licensed tradespeople you bring in, and your own tolerance for risk.
What the walk settles today
- The observed condition of the six systems
- Seen in person and explained on-site
- Documented with photos, the same day
- In time to act inside your window
What it cannot settle
- Hidden or intermittent defects behind finishes
- The dollar cost of a repair (a licensed trade does that)
- Whether the home meets any code
- A buy or no-buy verdict
- Your contract’s deadlines
- The negotiation itself, or legal and disclosure questions
From finding to action
One observation, four ways to use it
A reported observation is information, not a demand and not a verdict. You and your agent decide what each one becomes.
One reported observation
Information about condition, not a demand or a verdict
A question to the seller
A written repair request
A price renegotiation
A specialist referral
for a closer look and an actual cost
- roofer
- licensed electrician
- structural engineer
- pest pro
- pool inspector
Be there
Attend the walk, and come prepared
Being present is the buyer-stage advantage. You leave understanding the property you are about to buy, not just holding a document about it.
Get the most from the walk
- Plan for the full inspection, not a drop-in at the end
- Bring your own list of concerns and questions
- Bring your agent
- Ask to see items in place so you understand them
- Take your own notes, and ask what to watch after you own it
Before the day
- Confirm it is scheduled inside your contingency period
- Arrange access through your agent
- Gather any seller disclosures to test against what is observed
- Line up a specialist contact in advance, just in case
The deliverable
The report you leave with, the same day
AZHI uses Spectora: a visual report with a photograph against every finding, finished on-site and delivered before the inspector leaves. It filters to the major safety items and gives you a defect summary you can hand your agent.
ASHI Certified, licensed & insured
ASHI · AZ BTR · OPM Termite
Combined 50+ years of experience
A team with a combined 50+ years across home inspection and the trades
Your report, same day in most cases
Finished on-site and delivered typically the same day
Home Binder & concierge, included
A digital Home Binder of your home, plus concierge support after we leave
Common questions
Buyer questions we get asked
Still weighing it up? Talk it through before you book.
When should I schedule the buyer's inspection?
Early in your inspection period, not on its last day. Findings can lead to a specialist referral or a written repair request, and the seller needs time to respond, all before your window closes. Your exact dates live in your purchase contract, so confirm them with your agent.
Should I attend the inspection?
Yes, if you can. The buyer-stage advantage is being there while your inspector walks the home, so you can ask questions, see items in place, and leave understanding the property. Plan for the full inspection, bring your agent, and come with your own concerns written down.
If the inspection finds a problem, does that mean I should walk away, or that the seller has to fix it?
Neither is automatic. A reported observation is information, not a verdict and not a demand. You and your agent decide which findings become questions, a repair request, a price renegotiation, or a reason to bring in a specialist. AZHI reports the condition it observes; the moves are yours to make.
Will the inspection tell me what repairs will cost or whether the house is up to code?
No. A home inspection reports the condition an inspector can observe on the day. It does not price repairs, certify code compliance, or find every defect. For a repair cost, bring in the relevant licensed trade; for a code question, ask your municipality.
Where we work
Buyer's inspections across the Valley
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Gilbert
- Glendale
- Peoria
- Avondale
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
- Verrado
- Litchfield Park
- Tolleson
- El Mirage
- Surprise
- Waddell
- Youngtown
- Cave Creek
- Carefree
- Anthem
- New River
- Rio Verde
- Fountain Hills
- Paradise Valley
- Queen Creek
- San Tan Valley
- Apache Junction
- Gold Canyon
- Florence
- Casa Grande
- Maricopa
- Coolidge
- Sun City
- Sun City West
- Sun Lakes
Also worth knowing
The other stages
- Pre-Listing InspectionFind the problems before a buyer does, so surprises never cost you leverage at the negotiating table.
- New Construction InspectionA brand-new build still needs an objective third party. City and county inspectors do not catch everything.
- Mold Testing & InspectionMoisture problems do not always announce themselves. Mold testing shows what is happening behind the walls, in the attic, and around past water intrusion, before it becomes your liability.
Bob was extremely thorough and detailed, identifying both major concerns and smaller issues that we would have never noticed ourselves. His expertise was evident in the way he explained each finding, not just pointing things out, but helping us truly understand what it meant, how serious it was, and what our next steps should be. He covered everything with confidence and care, giving us peace of mind during a very important decision.
Book it
Get a price for your buyer's inspection
Send the property details and you get a quote and the next available dates back. Residential inspections start at $285.
- 1Send the property details
- 2Get a quote and the next open dates back
- 3Book inside your inspection window