SAMPLE REPORT — a fictional house, shown so you can see exactly what your clients receive.

Start with what matters

EL-01 Safety Panel — garage These panels have a documented history of breakers failing to trip under fault — the one job a breaker has. EL-02 Safety Panel — garage Lugs are rated for one wire unless marked otherwise; a loose second conductor can arc and overheat inside the panel. PL-03 Safety Water heater The temperature-pressure relief valve is the tank's last safety device; without a discharge pipe, a release scalds whoever is standing there. RF-01 Major Covering Florida sun and rain wear a shingle roof from the day it's installed; at this age and condition it is at the end of its expected service life. PL-02 Major Shower wall — master bath A thermal anomaly with a matching moisture-meter reading points at an active leak inside the wall — the kind of damage that grows quietly.

Structure

ST-01 Minor Roof framing — attic, over the garage Roof trusses are engineered as complete triangulated systems; every web member is load-bearing by design, not incidental bracing.

Exterior

EX-01 Maintenance Grading — NE corner Rainwater is directed at the foundation instead of away from it — the most common source of under-slab moisture problems.

Roof Covering

RF-01 Major Covering Florida sun and rain wear a shingle roof from the day it's installed; at this age and condition it is at the end of its expected service life. RF-02 Couldn't fully inspect Roof Covering Slope excessive to safely walk on.

Electrical

HVAC

HV-01 Minor Condensate line — air handler closet A slow drip left unaddressed eventually overflows the primary pan and stains the ceiling below — this one is still ahead of that point.

Plumbing

PL-03 Safety Water heater The temperature-pressure relief valve is the tank's last safety device; without a discharge pipe, a release scalds whoever is standing there. PL-02 Major Shower wall — master bath A thermal anomaly with a matching moisture-meter reading points at an active leak inside the wall — the kind of damage that grows quietly. PL-01 Minor water heater Work of this kind normally requires a permit.

Interior

IN-01 Note Kitchen All household appliances operated via normal controls; dishwasher completed a full cycle.

ST-01 Minor Mark as reviewed

Roof framing — attic, over the garage

Observed

A section of roof truss over the garage has been field-modified: one diagonal web member was cut and is no longer connected at its lower chord, apparently to route the garage door opener's power conduit. The cut end shows no sistering, gusset, or engineered repair. Two adjacent trusses show the original members intact and undisturbed, so this appears isolated to the single truss rather than a pattern repeated across the garage bay.

Why it matters

Roof trusses are engineered as complete triangulated systems; every web member is load-bearing by design, not incidental bracing. Removing one diagonal shifts load paths the rest of the truss and its neighbors were never sized to carry, and that redistribution isn't visible until it shows up as sag, cracked drywall, or a sheathing failure under wind or added roof load — by which point the fix is far more invasive than it would be today.

Reference

Educational illustrations, not photos of this property — each is labeled below.

Reference detail — how a correct installation looks. An illustration for explanation, not a photograph of this home.

Next step

Have a qualified specialist evaluate it. by a licensed structural engineer, before any additional roof load (a second layer of shingles, added HVAC equipment, solar) is placed on this section

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