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5-Point Major-Items Inspection

If It’s Got Good Bones, It’s A Good House

NO EXTRA FEE WITH A CREDIT CARD

Not Sure? Take Our 3-Question Quiz

What Is A 5-Point Major-Items Inspection?

It is the inspection of ONLY the 5 major areas of a home.

  • No lights
  • No switches
  • No outlets
  • No windows
  • No doors
  • No interior walls
  • No minor maintenance items

ONLY the costly, intrusive, structural, and meaty parts.

In fact, these 5 areas are responsible for 80% of all major defects that snag or kill all real estate deals when things go wrong.

Who Is It For?

A 5-point major-items inspection is for the bare-bones buyer or real estate investor who is NOT interested in anything other than the condition of the 5 major areas listed above.

Whether you know enough to NOT be concerned, you’re buying the property as-is, funds are tight, or it’s a major rehab where most things will get replaced, all that matters to you is THE BONES.

What’s The Difference?

These 5 areas are responsible for 80% of the reasons homebuyers change their minds and WALK AWAY from a home they may have loved just 5 minutes before.

Why Does It Work?

You can thank Vilfredo Pareto.

He was the Italian economist and polymath who created the Pareto Principle (aka the 80/20 rule) in 1906.

It was originally used to describe the distribution of land ownership and wealth in Italy, but later became the rule for cause-and-effect outcomes in nearly all naturally occurring phenomena.

And THAT’S why it works.

And over the years I’ve watched the same 5 areas play a disproportionately large role in the demise of countless deals – NO matter how big or how old the home.

And these major areas NEVER change. Here they are:

The 5 Major Areas Of Every Home:

No fluff and no extras. Like the Spirit Airlines home inspection.

1. Foundation

What Is Inspected:

Type

Sub-floor

Cracking

Joists

Material

Columns

Shifting

Floor

Exterior

Beams

Movement

Ceiling

Interior

Posts

Seepage

Smoke detector

Click here for more about a home’s foundation.

2.Plumbing

What Is Inspected:

Water supply

Sump pump

Main Valve

Venting

Water lines

Gas lines

Water heater

Drain lines

Run water for entire inspection (if vacant)

Click here for more about a home’s plumbing system.

3.Roof

What Is Inspected:

Roof

Shingles

Flashings

Soffits

Fascias

Gutters

Downspouts

Skylights

Ventilation

Chimneys

Penetrations

Attic

Framing

Ventilation

Fans

Attic access

Insulation

Exhaust

Skylights

Chimneys

Penetrations

Wiring

Click here for more about a home’s roof and attic system.

4.Electrical

What Is Inspected:

Service entrance

Grounding

Circuit wiring

Distribution panel

Sub-panel

Click here for more about a home’s plumbing system.

5.HVAC

What Is Inspected:

Heating

Controls

Air distribution

Heat sources

CO detector

Chimneys

Flues

Vents

Cooling

Type of system

Air distribution

Refrigerant lines

Evaporator

Condenser

Differential

Click here for more about a home’s HVAC systems.

Sample Major-Item Inspection Reports

Check out the sample major-item home inspection reports below:

Sample 5-Point Home Inspection Report of 5-Year-Old Home

Sample 5-Point Home Inspection Report of 45-Year-Old HomeHome

Sample 5-Point Home Inspection Report of 112-Year-Old Home

Major-Item Home Inspection Prices

FULL HOME INSPECTION + TERMITE

BETTER

FULL HOME INSPECTION + TERMITE +RADON

BETTER +

FULL HOME INSPECTION + TERMITE +SEWER

BETTER +

FULL HOME INSPECTION +TERMITE +RADON +SEWER

BEST

5-POINT MAJOR ITEMS INSPECTION

GOOD

FULL HOME INSPECTION + TERMITE

BETTER

FULL HOME INSPECTION + TERMITE +RADON

BETTER +

FULL HOME INSPECTION + TERMITE +SEWER

BETTER ++

FULL HOME INSPECTION +TERMITE +RADON +SEWER

BEST

5-POINT MAJOR ITEMS INSPECTION

GOOD

Meet Your Major-Items Home Inspector

Steve Rodriguez - your certified master inspector

Steve Rodriguez, CMI®

CLICK HERE TO CALL NOW

Award-Winning local Certified Master Inspector® Steve Rodriguez explains the Bulldog difference:

“I created the 5-point major-items inspection in 2005 to help real estate investors and experienced homebuyers get the information they need without paying for anything extra.

No fluff. No nonsense. Only the 5 areas that account for 80% of all major defects.”

30 Min. Major-Items Inspection Checklist – Only $18.99

30 min homebuyers major items inspection checklist

Would YOU Like To
Check The Bones
YOURSELF Before You Order The Home Inspection?

This no-nonsense field guide is based on our Major-Items Inspection and will help you decide BEFORE your home inspection if the home has good bones or is just a money pit in disguise.
Inner pages sample - 30 Min. Homebuyer's Major Items Inspection

13 Pages Fully Illustrated

Immediate PDF delivery + flipbook

Save time and hundreds (sometimes thousands) in wasted home inspection fees

By finding out for yourself if there are major issues hiding in plain sight BEFORE the home inspection

Mention your purchase when scheduling and get $20 off your home inspection.

This Homebuyer Shopped Around First

Tyler was a no-nonsense first-time homebuyer who interviewed a few home inspectors before finally choosing us.

When it was over, we only asked him 3 questions:

1. What do you think about our service?
2. Which services did you order?
3. Would you recommend us to others?

This is what he said.

FREE – The Ultimate Consumer
Guide To Home Inspections

New For 2023

113 Frequently Asked Home Inspection Questions

Will you walk on the roof? p. 52

Should I test for radon gas if my house is brand new? p. 110

+ many more

Guidelines for Major-Items Inspection

Because this is such an efficient and laser-focused home inspection, the conditions that make the major-items inspection work are simple, but crucial. 

#1 – All utilities MUST be on and pilot lights lit.

This includes:

  1. Water (most important)
  2. Electricity
  3. Gas

#2 – Water MUST be flowing through the faucets when we get there.

It’s often when the person giving permission to turn the water on is NOT the same person who turned it off. 

Because of that, we’ve seen our fair share of unexpected (and sometimes dramtic) situations that could have been avoided with a little preparation. 

That’s why we ask that all reasonable efforts be made to ensure the water is NOT just on, but FLOWING through the faucets when we arrive for the inspection.

This NOT ONLY ensures the water lines are energized by the appropriate person, but:

  • Speeds up repairs (any leaks will be found by the owner or their representative)
  • Saves you time (you won’t be setting aside time for an inspection that won’t happen + rescheduling for another day + losing time in your inspection period)
  • Saves you the stress (you don’t want to watch water damage unfold)
  • Avoids confusion (with the homeowner or management company over what happened and why)
  • Keeps you from buying a home with fresh and unnecessary water damage (that you know should have been avoided)
  • And keeps negotiations from getting stickier than they already are (especially, if you’re being forced to buy the property in ‘as-is’ condition)

Thanks for understanding and helping us give you the best – and most efficient – major-items inspection possible!

Frequently Asked Questions

The average time for a major-items inspection is about an hour.

No. Unlike the full home inspection, our major-items inspection does not include the termite inspection.

The major-items inspection is an ala carte service based on the needs of real estate investors who want to pick and choose their inspection services.

But it can be ordered separately.

The answer depends on what you want and need.

Click here to take our 3-question quiz.

Payment for your major-items inspection is not required until your home inspection report is delivered.

The payment link will be inside your emails or you can click here to visit the payment page.

Your home inspection report will always be ready the same day and gets delivered after payment is made.

We accept:

  1. Visa
  2. Mastercard
  3. Check
  4. Money order
  5. Cash

No. Payment is required to receive your report.

Yes, of course.

A successful home inspection depends on your level of understanding not will not only increase your level of understanding, it will reduce help you make better decisions later.

Yes. I encourage you to do whatever makes you feel comfortable.

But keep in mind that distractions (including loud nearby conversations) will interfere with concentration and thus diminish the quality of the very service you’re investing in me to provide.

Yes. Absolutely. But questions should be asked before the inspection starts or saved for the end when more definite answers can be given.

Great question. Yes.

▶ Take notes and jot down questions.

▶ Send anything strange or confusing to your home inspector before the home inspection.

▶ Know your budget and expectations for the home

▶ Try to attend.  There’s nothing better than hearing and seeing the outcome firsthand.

▶ Hold your questions until the end and don’t distract your home inspector while he’s working. You’re free to follow and observe, but questions and loud conversations within earshot are counterproductive.

All your questions will get answered when it’s over.

Congratulations on your new home!

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