Texas Home Inspection: What to Expect, What to Check, and Why Termites Matter

The Texas option period exists so buyers can do one thing: find out what they're actually buying before they're legally committed to it. A good home inspection is the core of that process. But Texas presents specific physical challenges — the soils, the climate, the insects, the building practices — that mean a standard inspection protocol from another state will miss things that cost Texas buyers thousands of dollars.

Here's what a thorough Texas home inspection looks like and what to add beyond the general inspection.

Who Can Do a Texas Home Inspection

Home inspectors in Texas must be licensed through TREC — the Texas Real Estate Commission. The license requires education, examination, and experience hours. You can verify any inspector's license and check for complaints at TREC.texas.gov.

Inspectors produce a report using TREC's standardized reporting format, which categorizes items as deficient or informational. "Deficient" means the item doesn't perform as intended, creates a safety hazard, or indicates a condition requiring repair. Understanding the difference between a deficient item that needs immediate attention and one that's minor or cosmetic is part of reading the report.

The general home inspection covers structural components, foundation, roofing, electrical systems, plumbing visible and accessible above-slab, HVAC, insulation, windows and doors, and built-in appliances. It does not cover termites, buried sewer lines under the slab, or pool/spa equipment.

The Foundation: Texas's Most Critical Inspection Item

Foundation problems are the defining issue of Texas residential real estate due diligence, particularly in Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth. Large portions of both metros sit on highly expansive clay soils — called "Black Gumbo" or Vertisols locally — that swell when wet and contract severely during droughts.

This clay cycle puts relentless stress on concrete slab foundations. During wet seasons, the soil absorbs water, expands, and pushes up against the slab. During hot, dry Texas summers — when temperatures exceed 100°F for weeks — the clay loses moisture, contracts, and pulls away from the slab. This differential movement causes slabs to crack, bow, and settle unevenly.

Signs of foundation movement include:

• Sticking or misaligned doors and windows (especially if newly sticking)
• Diagonal cracks in drywall corners, particularly above door frames
• Cracks in brick veneer, often stair-stepping along mortar joints
• Visible cracks in the foundation itself
• Uneven floors — roll a marble across a hardwood floor and watch it

A TREC-licensed general inspector is trained to identify these warning signs but is not a licensed structural engineer. If your inspector flags foundation movement or notes conditions suggesting differential settlement, the next step is hiring a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) — not a foundation repair company.

This distinction matters enormously. Foundation repair companies have a direct financial interest in recommending pier installation, which can cost $8,000 to $30,000 or more. A licensed PE performs an independent structural assessment using specialized elevation-measuring equipment, maps the slab's actual deflection, evaluates drainage patterns and soil conditions, and provides a non-biased opinion on whether repair is needed and what type.

If a prior foundation repair was completed, demand the full documentation: the engineer's original assessment, the repair company's scope of work, and proof that any warranty is still in force and transferable. Verify the repair company is still operating — warranty coverage from a company that's since gone out of business is worthless.

Sewer Pipes: The Hidden Under-Slab Risk

In the Houston and DFW markets particularly, homes built before the mid-1980s were plumbed with cast iron sewer pipes. Cast iron has a functional lifespan of approximately 40 to 50 years in Texas's acidic clay soils — which means many of these pipes are at or near failure.

General home inspections do not cover buried sewer lines. To check the under-slab drain system, order a hydrostatic plumbing test separately from the general inspection. A licensed plumber:

1. Locates the main sewer cleanout outside the home's perimeter
2. Inserts an inflatable balloon into the main line to isolate the under-slab system
3. Fills the entire drain system with water to floor level
4. Monitors whether the water level drops over 15 to 20 minutes

If the level drops, there's a leak under the slab. Cast iron sewer replacement — which typically requires tunneling beneath the slab or breaking through interior flooring — commonly runs $10,000 to $30,000 depending on extent. That's a known, quantifiable repair cost you can use to negotiate a price reduction before closing or terminate if the seller won't negotiate.

This test is especially important if the general inspection reveals past foundation repair. Foundation movement can shear under-slab sewer connections, and sewage leaking under a slab accelerates foundation heaving from soil saturation.

Termite and Wood-Destroying Insect Inspection

Texas's warm, humid climate — particularly in East Texas, Central Texas, and Houston — supports active populations of subterranean termites, drywood termites, and carpenter ants. These insects cause billions in structural damage annually in the state.

Critically, a general home inspection does not cover wood-destroying insects. You need a separate Wood Destroying Insect (WDI) inspection from a licensed pest control professional. The additional cost is typically $75 to $100. The inspector checks for:

• Active termite infestations
• Evidence of past infestations (damaged wood, hollowed members)
• Mud tubes on foundation walls — the signature of subterranean termites
• Conducive conditions: soil-to-wood contact, moisture accumulation near wood structures, inadequate ventilation

Most lenders require a clean WDI report as a loan condition. Even if yours doesn't, get the inspection. Active termite damage in structural members is a serious deficiency that affects both safety and value.

If the WDI report shows active infestation, treatment typically costs $300 to $1,500. Prior damage that weakens structural members is more expensive — structural repairs to infested floor joists, sill plates, or window framing can run $2,000 to $15,000 depending on extent.

HVAC Systems: Compressed Lifespan in Texas Heat

Air conditioning is not optional in Texas. HVAC systems run five to six months continuously every year. As a result, the average useful lifespan of a Texas HVAC system is compressed to 12 to 15 years, compared to 15 to 20 years in milder climates. Full system replacement costs $6,000 to $12,000.

During the inspection, verify:

• The system's age (check the manufacture date plate on the unit)
• The refrigerant type — systems using R-22 refrigerant are outdated, and R-22 has been phased out nationally, making repairs expensive
• The temperature differential: the inspector should check that the cooling system produces a 15°F to 20°F drop between return air and supply air when running
• Ductwork condition, especially in attics where summer temperatures can exceed 140°F — leaky ducts cause 20% to 30% efficiency loss

If the system is 10+ years old, budget for replacement within the next few years and factor that into your offer or repair negotiation.

Roof Inspection: Texas's Hail Belt

Texas homes take significant weather abuse. The DFW area and Central Texas sit in the nation's "Hail Alley," where violent convective hailstorms are annual events. Gulf Coast homes deal with hurricane-related wind and water. The UV index across most of Texas is extreme.

Asphalt shingle roofs in Texas last 15 to 20 years in practice — manufacturers rate them for 25 to 30 years, but Texas conditions cut that significantly. Replacement costs $8,000 to $15,000 for a standard residential roof.

The inspector should physically access the roof and check for:

• Shingle granule loss (granules protect the fiberglass matting; loss accelerates deterioration)
• Hail impacts (even minor impacts can compromise granule coverage and void manufacturer warranties)
• Prior repairs or patches that may indicate an insurance claim was filed but the full roof wasn't replaced

Ask the seller whether any insurance claims have been filed for roof damage. Request documentation of any prior roof replacement. An undisclosed hail-damaged roof that's nearing end of life is a significant defect.

Texas Home Warranties

A home warranty is a service contract — not the same as homeowners insurance — that covers repair or replacement of specific systems and appliances (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, built-in appliances) during a contract period, typically one year.

In Texas, sellers sometimes offer a home warranty as an incentive, particularly in slower markets. You can also purchase one yourself or negotiate for the seller to pay for it.

Home warranties have exclusions — often including pre-existing conditions, improper installation, and lack of maintenance. Read the specific contract, not the marketing materials. Coverage varies significantly between providers.

A warranty doesn't substitute for a thorough inspection. It's useful for catching unexpected system failures in the first year of ownership, but it won't cover the foundation issues, sewer problems, or termite damage that a proper due diligence process is designed to catch before closing.

The Texas First-Time Home Buyer Guide includes a complete inspection checklist tailored to Texas — organized by system, with specific items to flag for older homes in Houston and DFW, and a guide to evaluating inspection reports so you know which deficiencies are negotiating leverage and which are deal-breakers.

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