The Ultimate Home Exterior Inspection Checklist

Whether you’re looking for a new home or caring for one you already own, there are several things to stay on top of to keep your house in its best shape. Overlooking a small problem with your home’s exterior today can lead to serious damage and costs down the line.

While a self-inspection shouldn’t replace hiring a local professional home inspector, it helps to know where to look for issues and avoid surprises. To help you stay on top of all the aspects of your home’s exterior, we’ve put together the following exterior home inspection checklist so you can identify problems as soon as possible.

Roofing

It can be tough to see the roof of a house clearly from the ground, but some problems can be spotted even without climbing a ladder. Walk around the entire house and look at the roof from every angle. Walk down the street or in alleyways if needed for a better view. You should inspect your roof annually, after major weather events, and if you suspect leaks in your home.

Keep in mind that you won’t be able to spot everything, and that undetected roofing problems can lead to costly damage if ignored. Contact a local roofing pro to schedule a full inspection at least once per year, or whenever you suspect an issue. The following shingle problems may indicate an older roof that will need to be replaced soon.

• Cracked shingles

• Mis-matched shingles

• Patched shingles

• Severely deteriorated shingles

• Loose shingles in roof valleys

• Curled shingles, which usually occur on the south side of a home first

• Sliding shingles or shingles that aren’t in neat rows

• Missing shingles, which may have blown off completely

Chimney

Photo: Макар Мосин / Adobe Stock

Chimneys, like roofs, should be inspected from all sides for damage. It can be tough to spot problems with the chimney crown, flashing, or flue on your own, so it’s still recommended that you hire a chimney repair pro near you to inspect your chimney annually. Many homeowners do this in the spring, along with chimney sweeping after using their chimney through the winter months.

When doing a visual inspection from the ground, you may be able to see the following common types of masonry chimney damage:

• Missing mortar between bricks

• Missing bricks or large cracks, which may require rebuilding for safety

• Patches of stucco, which may be concealing damage underneath

Exterior Walls and Wall Coverings

Your inspection should include all exterior walls and coverings, including siding, caulking, and paint. Wood siding deterioration is often easy to spot and usually starts on the north side of the home, especially near the ground or in areas that aren’t protected by roof overhangs. You can determine if wood siding is rotting by pushing on it lightly with your finger to see if it’s mushy.

When checking your walls and wall coverings, look for the following:

• Cracks, holes, or patches in hardboard siding, which can lead to pest issues

• Swelling or rotted hardboard siding

• Stains below windows on stone or stucco siding, which may be signs of hidden water damage

Windows and Doors

Photo: Kristina Blokhin / Adobe Stock

Check all exterior windows and doors up close, including their frames and hinges. Damage to these areas can be hard to spot from a distance. However, like wood siding, wooden features that aren’t protected may begin to rot and become soft to the touch. Windows with aluminum coatings may need to be gently squeezed to determine if there is internal rot.

Look for these issues:

• Soft, rotting wood on windows, doors, and frames

• Rotted windows that have been patched or coated in aluminum

• Water stains and other moisture damage on the undersides of windows and frames

Water Drainage

Your home’s ability to deal with moisture is key to avoiding problems with your roofing, siding, and more. Check gutters, downspouts, and landscaping to ensure that water is properly directed away from your home. If you notice any drainage issues, contact a nearby yard grading pro to find out how you can mitigate moisture problems. Some common water drainage issues to look for include:

• Clogged or damaged gutters or downspouts

• Standing water in gutters

• The ground around your home’s foundation doesn’t slope down away from the house

If your home has a deck or any wooden steps, ramps, or railings, check for the following issues:

• Improper spacing between individual spindles holding up guardrails

• Damaged or cracked deck boards

• Rot, which may be covered by paint and only visible from below decks

• Sagging deck or balcony surfaces, which you may need to observe from a distance

• Wobbly guardrails, which you can check by pushing from the top