Condo & Townhome Inspection in Metro Detroit
Focused inspections for condominiums and townhomes, scoped to what you actually own.
15% off for active and retired military, first responders, nurses, and teachers. Any inspection — just mention it when you book.
Home › Condo & Townhome Inspection
What It Is
What a condo or townhome inspection covers.
Condominium and townhome inspections focus on what you actually own and are responsible for maintaining. Association-maintained components like roofs and exterior siding fall outside the unit boundary, but the systems inside your walls are entirely yours.
The inspection covers the unit's electrical, plumbing supply and drainage, heating and cooling equipment, water heater, appliances, windows and doors, interior finishes, and any accessible attic or crawl areas that serve your unit.
Where accessible, common elements that directly affect your unit — shared mechanical rooms, garage structures, adjacent balconies — get documented too, because association problems become special assessments.
Townhomes often sit somewhere in between. Many carry responsibility for their own roof, foundation, or sewer lateral even though they look like attached housing. I confirm where your boundary actually falls before the inspection, so the report covers what is genuinely yours.
Scope
Systems inspected
Unit vs. Association
Where your responsibility ends.
Every condominium in Michigan is defined by its master deed and bylaws, and those documents draw the line between what you own and what the association owns. For most attached condos that line is "drywall in": interior finishes, fixtures, the water heater, the furnace and air conditioner that serve only your unit, and the wiring and plumbing branches inside your walls. The roof, exterior, structure, and shared plumbing stacks belong to the association. Balconies, patios, and assigned garages are usually limited common elements — yours to use, and often yours to maintain.
Metro Detroit adds a wrinkle. A large share of what's sold as a "condo" in Macomb Township, Shelby Township, Washington Township, and Oakland Township is a site condominium: a detached single-family house on a condo plat. You own the whole building, roof to footing. If that's what you're buying, it gets inspected like a house, because it is one.
Townhomes land in between. Many carry responsibility for their own roof section, foundation, or sewer lateral even though they share walls. Before inspection day I confirm where your boundary falls so the report covers what's actually yours — and flags what isn't, so you can ask the association the right questions.
What I Find
What shows up in condos and townhomes.
Condos get less maintenance attention than houses because owners assume the association is handling it. Inside the unit, nobody is. The same items come up over and over across complexes in Sterling Heights, Clinton Township, Rochester Hills, Troy, and St. Clair Shores:
- Mechanicals original to the build. Furnaces, air conditioners, and water heaters tucked in closets and past their expected service life. A water heater failure in an upstairs unit is your problem and your downstairs neighbor's.
- Electrical panels from the 1970s and '80s. Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels are common in complexes of that era. Missing GFCI protection in kitchens and baths is near-universal.
- Water intrusion at shared surfaces. Staining below the unit above, at balcony doors, and at window sills. I document it and tell you whether it points to your unit or to a common element.
- Ventilation. Bath fans venting into the ceiling cavity, dryer vents crushed or disconnected behind the machine, and range hoods that recirculate into the kitchen.
- Townhome extras. Sump pumps, crawlspaces, garage firewall penetrations, and the sewer lateral you may own without knowing it.
Common elements that directly affect your unit — the roof over it, the exterior wall, shared mechanical rooms, the garage structure — get documented where I can safely see them, because association problems become special assessments with your name on them.
Process & Pricing
How it works and what it costs.
1. Book
Online in two minutes, or call or text 586-522-8733. Tell me whether it's an attached condo, a townhome, or a site condo and I'll scope it right.
2. Sign the agreement
Sent electronically before inspection day, so you know exactly what's covered.
3. Inspection day
Ninety minutes to three hours depending on size and type. Walk along and ask anything.
4. Report in 24 hours
Photo-documented Spectora report, prioritized, with unit items and association items clearly separated.
5. After
Call with questions any time. If the seller agrees to repairs, a re-inspection verifies the work before you close.
$375 for a typical condo or townhome unit. Larger, older, or more complex properties scale from there, and you get a firm price before anything is scheduled. Add radon testing ($175) for any unit at or below grade — ground-floor and basement units test high just like houses do. Add a sewer scope ($199) on any townhome that owns its own lateral. Active and retired military, first responders, nurses, and teachers get a permanent 15% Heroes Discount. The InterNACHI® Inspection Warranty comes standard with buyer inspections of condominium units (unit only), and Pay at Closing is available.
See the full price list — every size tier, the older-home and distance adjustments, add-ons and the Heroes Discount.
Questions
Condo and townhome inspection questions.
Do I really need an inspection for a condo?
Yes. The association covers the building envelope. Everything inside your walls — the furnace, water heater, electrical, plumbing, windows, and finishes — is yours, and it's the part that fails most often. An inspection also tells you whether the common elements you're buying into are being maintained.
What about the roof and exterior?
I document what I can safely see from the ground, the unit, and common areas, and I tell you whether it's a unit issue or an association issue. For the full picture on shared components, ask the association for its reserve study, budget, and recent meeting minutes.
Do you review the HOA documents?
No. I inspect the property. The master deed, bylaws, budget, reserve study, and meeting minutes are for your agent or attorney to review. I'll tell you what to look for — pending special assessments, deferred roof or paving projects, and litigation are the big ones.
What is a site condo?
A detached single-family home sold on a condominium plat instead of a subdivision plat. Common across Macomb and Oakland counties. You own the whole structure and lot area, so it's inspected as a house, with a full exterior, roof, and foundation evaluation.
How long does a condo inspection take?
Ninety minutes to two hours for a typical attached unit, up to three hours for a larger townhome with a basement and garage. Site condos run the same as a house, two to four hours.
Does the inspection warranty apply?
Yes. The InterNACHI® Inspection Warranty included with buyer inspections covers condominium units (unit only) and one- or two-family homes, subject to its terms.
Service Area
Available across Southeast Michigan
Schedule your inspection.
Most requests answered same day.
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