FHA, VA and USDA Loan Inspection Services
Buying or refinancing with an FHA, VA, USDA or other government-backed loan? The appraiser or underwriter may ask for specific inspections and tests before the loan can close, and we do the ones that come up in Michigan: the well water test, the termite (wood-destroying insect) inspection, the structural inspection, the septic evaluation and the home inspection itself. Each report is written the way the lender wants it and delivered the same day; lab results follow on their own schedule.
The rules differ by loan program, and most of these are ordered only when the appraiser flags something, so tell us which loan you have and what the lender asked for and we will book the right ones. We serve all 18 counties from our Grand Blanc and Southfield offices, including Genesee, Oakland, Wayne, Macomb, Livingston, Washtenaw and Lapeer. Book online, or call or text (810) 243-4773. We test; we never repair or remediate, so nothing in the report is a sales pitch.
What each loan program may require, and what we do
VA: required on every private well (coliform bacteria, plus lead, nitrates and nitrites where the county health department requires them). FHA: required for a new well, a well within 100 feet of the septic field or near a farm, landfill or industrial site, and whenever the appraiser flags the well or the water; many lenders ask for it regardless. USDA: private wells are tested, and the result is good for 120 days at closing. We pull the sample, send it to a certified lab and deliver the report in the lender's format. From $175 when added to a home inspection.
In Michigan the VA does not require one on every loan: the appraiser calls for it when there are signs of termites, carpenter ants or wood damage, and FHA works the same way. Some lenders ask for it on every file. We inspect and write it up the way the lender expects. From $200 when added to a home inspection.
When the appraiser notes foundation cracks, settlement, sagging framing or a roof structure problem, the lender needs a written structural inspection before it will close. We inspect the foundation, framing, floor structure and roof structure and report what we found, with photos and thermal images. Where a program requires an engineer's certification instead, such as an FHA manufactured home foundation certification, we will tell you before you book.
Not required by FHA, VA or USDA, but the appraisal is not an inspection, and both FHA and VA tell buyers in writing to get their own. Starting at $425, same-day report.
Ordered when the appraiser sees signs of a failing system, when the lender asks, or where a local rule applies; USDA requires it where the home is on septic. We open the tank, check the baffles and effluent filter, and run water to the drain field. Septic from $300, or the well and septic package from $500, when added to a home inspection. Where a county or township runs its own point-of-sale program, that evaluation has to come from a county-approved evaluator; ours is the buyer's inspection.
FHA and VA do not require a lead inspection. What they require on a home built before 1978 is that chipping or peeling paint be repaired before closing, and the appraiser looks for it. If you want to know what is in the paint, dust or water before you buy, our lead test starts at $100 when added to a home inspection. A rental lead inspection or risk assessment required by a city has to come from a state-certified lead inspector, which we are not.
Not required by FHA, VA or USDA, but both fit on the same visit if you want them: a 48-hour radon test from $200 and a mold inspection from $275, when added to a home inspection.
We Proudly Serve Most Areas in Michigan
Areas We Serve