No house is perfect, and that includes the brand-new ones. This checklist is for the two times you’re most likely to need one: when you’re touring a home you might buy, and when you own one and want to stay ahead of the expensive stuff.
It’s written for North Texas houses specifically. The clay soil, the hail, the summers, and the way this area’s subdivisions were built all change what matters. Use it to take notes on a showing, compare homes side by side, and know which questions to bring to your inspector. It doesn’t replace an inspection, and the last section explains why.
The Big Picture
Before you look at a single faucet, stand in the street and look at the house and its neighbors. Homes built at the same time by the same builder age the same way, so the block tells you what to expect.
- Age and era. Fort Worth housing comes in a few distinct generations, and each has a signature problem. 1950s–60s homes: pier-and-beam foundations, original cast-iron drains, and possibly aluminum branch wiring. 1970s–80s: slab foundations that have moved, roof decking under multiple shingle layers, and a handful of electrical panel brands that are known hazards. 1990s–2000s: the first roof, water heater, and HVAC all coming due at once. Post-2010: fast construction and the shortcuts that come with it.
- How the lot drains. Does the ground slope away from the house on all sides? Are downspouts discharging at least a few feet from the foundation? On expansive clay, water management around the slab is the single biggest driver of foundation repair bills, and it’s the cheapest thing to fix.
- Trees. Big trees close to the house mean roots under the slab and in the sewer line, and limbs over the roof.
- Big-ticket items and their ages. Roof, HVAC, water heater, and foundation are where the real money is. A roof runs into the tens of thousands; a full foundation repair can exceed that. Ask the seller for dates and receipts on all four.
What a Home Inspection Checklist Is (and Isn’t)
A checklist is a note-taking tool. It helps you stay organized on a showing, compare properties before you make an offer, and flag the things you want the inspector to look at harder. It is not an inspection. It won’t tell you whether the panel is safe, whether the roof has hail damage, or whether the foundation has moved beyond normal, because those take tools, training, and access you don’t have on a walkthrough.
Roof and Attic
From the ground, with your phone camera zoomed in:
- Missing, lifted, or curling shingles, and obvious patches that don’t match
- Granule loss in the gutters or at the downspout outlets (a sign the shingles are aging or were hit by hail)
- More than one layer of shingles visible at the edge
- Flashing at the chimney, vents, and wall intersections: is it rusted, lifted, or sealed with a blob of caulk?
- Gutters attached and sloped correctly, downspouts extended away from the house
- Any sagging in the ridge or roof plane
If you can get into the attic, look for daylight, water stains on the decking, and insulation depth. Most DFW attics were insulated to the minimum, and it’s one of the better returns on money in a house here.
North Texas note: hail is the number one roof issue in Tarrant County. Ask when the roof was last replaced and whether it was an insurance claim. My hail damage guide shows what to look for.
Foundation, Floors, and Structure
This is the section that matters most in Fort Worth, and the one that generic checklists get wrong.
- Walk the perimeter and look at the brick. Stair-step cracks in mortar joints, gaps at the corners, and separation at the frieze board under the eaves all point to movement.
- Inside, check whether doors latch and swing freely, and whether there are gaps at the top or side of door frames.
- Look along baseboards and at the tops of walls for separation.
- Drop a marble on tile or wood floors and see where it rolls. Slopes are common; the question is how much and whether they’ve stopped.
- On pier-and-beam homes, look for soft spots, bounce, and moisture under the house.
Some movement is normal on clay soil. What you want to know is whether it’s active, whether there’s been prior repair (ask for the warranty paperwork), and whether the drainage that caused it has been fixed.
Walls, Ceilings, and Interior
- Water stains on ceilings, especially below bathrooms and around HVAC closets
- Fresh paint in one room or on one ceiling (ask why)
- Cracks above doors and windows, and whether they’ve been patched before
- Popcorn ceiling in a pre-1980 house (possible asbestos; leave it alone or test before scraping)
- Signs of pests in the garage, attic access, and under sinks
Windows and Doors
- Fogged or hazy double-pane windows (failed seals, common on 1990s–2000s builds)
- Single-pane aluminum windows on older homes (a comfort and utility bill issue in North Texas summers)
- Windows that stick or won’t lock, which can be a foundation symptom
- Exterior doors: weatherstripping, threshold condition, and whether the frame is rotting at the bottom
- Sliding doors that drag
Bathrooms and Kitchen
- Run every faucet and flush every toilet. Watch for low pressure, slow drains, and gurgling (a drain-line issue on older homes)
- Look under every sink for staining, soft cabinet floors, and active drips
- Caulk and grout at tubs and showers; press on tile walls for give
- Toilets that rock at the base
- Check the dishwasher, disposal, and range for operation
- Water heater and laundry connections: rubber washer hoses that should be braided steel
Electrical
- Find the panel and take a photo of the label. Certain brands common in 1970s–90s DFW homes are known fire and shock hazards, and your inspector will want to know before the visit.
- GFCI outlets at kitchen, bathrooms, garage, and exterior; press the test button
- Any outlets that are loose, scorched, or two-prong
- Extension cords used as permanent wiring
- Light switches that do nothing (not always a problem, but note it)
HVAC System
- Age of the outdoor unit (data plate on the side; the serial number usually encodes the year)
- Does it cool? On a warm day, the air at the register should be roughly 15–20 degrees cooler than the room
- Filter condition and size
- Condensate drain line clear, and a secondary drain pan under the attic air handler with a float switch
- Ductwork in the attic: crushed, disconnected, or unsealed sections
In Fort Worth, an air conditioner works harder than almost anywhere in the country. A unit over 12–15 years old should be budgeted for replacement.
Water Heater
- Age from the serial number, and type (tank or tankless, gas or electric)
- Rust at the fittings or on the tank, water in the pan
- Temperature and pressure relief valve with a discharge line to a safe location
- Gas units: proper venting and a sediment trap on the gas line
- Location: attic water heaters are common here and mean a leak goes through a ceiling
Not sure how much life is left? See when to replace your water heater.
Seasonal Maintenance Checklist for Fort Worth Homeowners
If you already own the house, this is the part to keep. Most of the expensive findings on inspections are things nobody did for ten years.
Spring (March–May): Have the AC serviced before the first 95-degree day. Clean gutters and confirm downspouts discharge away from the foundation. Walk the roof line after every hail storm and photograph any damage the same day for insurance. Check sprinkler heads and set the controller so beds near the house aren’t soaking the slab. Test the sump or drainage system if you have one.
Summer (June–August): Water the foundation perimeter evenly during drought (soaker hoses set back from the slab) so the clay doesn’t shrink unevenly. Change the AC filter monthly. Check attic ventilation and insulation. Watch for condensate drain backups from the air handler.
Fall (September–November): Have the furnace or heat pump serviced. Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replace batteries. Clean gutters again after the leaves drop. Check weatherstripping and caulk before the first cold snap. Drain and store hoses; insulate exposed hose bibs.
Winter (December–February): Before a hard freeze, cover outdoor faucets, open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls, and know where your water shutoff is. Check the attic after any ice event for leaks at penetrations. Run the fireplace only after a chimney check if it hasn’t been used in years.
Once a year, any season: Flush the water heater. Test the GFCI outlets. Look at the electrical panel for scorching or rust. Walk the perimeter and note any new cracks in brick or gaps at the foundation. If you see a change from last year, that’s when to call an inspector, not when the doors stop closing.
Why You Still Need a Professional Inspection
Everything above is what you can see. An inspection covers what you can’t: the roof from on top of it, the panel with the cover off, the attic from the far corners, the crawlspace, the HVAC’s actual performance, the plumbing under pressure, and the moisture behind walls with an infrared camera. A TREC-licensed inspection also produces a report you can negotiate with, which a checklist never will. If the inspection turns up something serious, here’s when to walk away.
I’m Ricky Ray, a Certified Master Inspector with more than 5,000 inspections in the Fort Worth area. If you’re under contract or about to be, schedule your inspection or call or text 469-879-2772. If you’re a homeowner who found something on this list that worries you, the same number works.