Condo and Townhouse Inspection Checklist: What's Different From a House

Most home inspection guides are written for detached single-family homes. If you're buying a condo or townhouse, the scope changes significantly — and so does what you need to check before you sign.

The core difference is ownership boundaries. In a condo, you typically own from the "paint in" — the interior surfaces and fixtures. The structure, roof, exterior cladding, and common-area mechanical systems belong to the HOA or strata corporation. In a townhouse, you usually own the interior plus the walls and roof over your unit, but share the land.

This changes what the inspector can and should evaluate, and what you need to investigate independently.

What a Home Inspector Covers in a Condo or Townhouse

A general home inspector will evaluate everything within your unit:

• Electrical panel and branch circuit wiring inside your unit. If the building has a main panel in a utility room, the inspector may not have access to it.
• Plumbing supply and drain lines to and from your unit. Shared risers, main stacks, and water heaters in mechanical rooms are usually outside scope.
• HVAC systems — your unit's furnace, heat pump, or fan coil unit, plus any supply and return ductwork inside your walls.
• Interior finishes — flooring, ceilings, walls, windows, doors, and cabinetry.
• Bathrooms and kitchen — fixtures, drainage, water pressure, signs of leaks or moisture.
• Balcony or patio surfaces visible from the unit.
• In a townhouse, the inspector will also check the roof over your unit, any attached garage, and the exterior envelope where you have direct ownership.

What the inspector typically cannot assess:

• Common-area mechanical rooms (boilers, main electrical switchgear, elevators)
• The building's roof on a mid- or high-rise condo
• Exterior cladding on a stacked condo building
• Foundation or structural systems below grade
• Shared plumbing risers inside walls
• Parking structures and underground garages

The HOA Documents Are as Important as the Inspection Report

For any condo purchase, the governing documents are not optional reading. Request and review:

Meeting minutes from the past 2–3 years. Look for repeated mentions of building-wide problems — roof leaks, elevator failures, water infiltration in underground parking, or elevator shaft issues. If the same problem appears in minutes year after year without resolution, that's deferred maintenance at scale.

Reserve fund study (or reserve fund disclosure statement). This document projects the cost of replacing major common elements — roof, elevators, boiler, exterior cladding — and tells you whether the HOA has been saving enough. An underfunded reserve is a signal that a special assessment is coming. Special assessments — one-time charges levied on all unit owners — can run from a few thousand to tens of thousands per unit.

Current financial statements. An HOA with cash flow deficits or significant deferred maintenance is a financial liability attached to the property you're buying.

Pending litigation. Any current or threatened lawsuits against the building must be disclosed in most jurisdictions. Construction defect litigation is common in newer buildings.

In Canada and Australia, these documents go by different names — strata documents in BC, body corporate records in Queensland — but the same principle applies: read them before you remove subjects or go unconditional.

Additional Checks for Townhouses

Because townhouse buyers typically own their roof and exterior walls, the inspection scope is closer to a full single-family inspection:

• Roof condition and estimated remaining life. Standard three-tab asphalt shingles last 15–20 years; architectural shingles, 20–30. Replacement for a typical townhouse roof runs $8,000–$17,000 depending on pitch and materials.
• Exterior cladding — siding, trim, window flashing, caulk condition. These are entry points for water.
• Foundation wall where visible in a basement or crawlspace.
• Attached garage — floor drainage, fire-rated entry door and wall, automatic closer on the door to living space.
• Sewer lateral — if the townhouse has its own connection to the municipal sewer, a sewer scope is worth adding, especially for older construction.

What to Ask About Before You Make an Offer

Before you're under contract, ask the listing agent or HOA manager:

1. When was the roof last replaced, and is there a current condition report?
2. Are there any pending or approved special assessments?
3. What are the monthly HOA fees, and what do they cover?
4. Are there restrictions on short-term rentals, pets, or renovation work?
5. What is the current reserve fund balance, and what does the reserve study project?

These answers may change your offer price more than anything the inspector finds inside the unit.

Electrical Hazards Still Apply

Don't assume that because you're buying a newer condo you're safe from legacy electrical hazards. Many buildings constructed between 1950 and 1990 have Federal Pacific Electric or Zinsco panels in individual units or in common electrical rooms. FPE Stab-Lok breakers have a documented failure-to-trip rate of approximately 25%, making them a fire hazard. Insurance carriers in many markets refuse to write new policies for buildings with these panels still in service.

If the inspector finds a legacy panel inside your unit, get a licensed electrician to evaluate it and price a replacement before you waive your contingency.

Getting the Full Picture Before You Close

A condo or townhouse inspection requires two parallel tracks: the physical inspection of your unit and the financial health review of the association. Skipping either one leaves you exposed.

The Home Inspection Checklist & Red Flag Guide includes a room-by-room and system-by-system checklist applicable to any property type, plus a section on understanding inspection report terminology so you can tell a material defect from a maintenance item before you negotiate.