Home inspector in Pittsburgh, PA

What is distinctive about Pittsburgh housing?

Pittsburgh is a city of hills, rivers and ravines, and its housing reflects that. Many neighborhoods are dense with brick and frame homes built before mid-century, some on steep streets with stone retaining walls and stairs.

Inspectors commonly pay attention to:

• Foundations and retaining walls on sloped lots, where water movement and settling can show up
• Basement moisture, old drain lines and sump systems
• Older electrical service, plumbing and heating equipment
• Roofs, chimneys and flashing on homes with complex rooflines
• Lead-based paint, since many homes predate the 1978 ban
• Radon, which can be present in older and newer homes alike
• Mine subsidence: parts of southwestern Pennsylvania have an underground mining history, and the state has a Mine Subsidence Insurance program

A home inspection reports visible conditions, and is a good time to raise these questions with your insurer too.

In tight urban blocks, houses may share walls, have small lots and have limited access around the exterior, all of which affects what can be seen and documented. Roof areas can be steep and complicated, with chimneys, dormers and valleys where leaks begin. Inspectors look closely at flashing, masonry and any sign of water reaching framing.

Inside, older Pittsburgh homes may have updated kitchens and baths layered on top of original systems. Mixed plumbing materials, older panels, ungrounded outlets and heating systems of different ages are a frequent finding and a fair basis for budgeting.

Sewer and drain lines are another topic. A visual inspection does not include the underground portion of sewer lines, so if the age and history of the property raise a concern, a specialist sewer scope may be sensible.