Top Ten Ways to Prepare

At the time of inspection, all of your detectors must be operating! Don't fail this part of your inspection for lack-of-batteries! Also, your detectors must be located in the correct locations and properly installed. For hints on fire detector installation: Minneapolis Bloomington (pdf)

Bathroom and kitchen fixtures need to be installed correctly so that waste water has no way to flow back into the drinking water. If you installed your own fixtures, be sure that the work is up to code.

When work is done on your sewer or drainage system, it is important that things are done properly. An inspector will look for broken pipes, missing sewer caps and new installations that do not meet code.

If your home has a private well the inspector will make sure that there is no connection to the public water supply. If your home had a well, most cities will require that it be capped and that you have a certificate that says so. After all, a capped well can't have motor oil poured down its pipe!

Did you remodel your own basement? Make sure that all of the electrical work, especially wall plates and light fixtures, were properly installed. An inspector will look for any missing wall plates, broken outlets, etc.

Electrical service in your home is grounded at the water meter. Older homes will run a copper wire from your electrical panel to a pipe in your water system. Upgraded panels, unaware home owners and other changes can disrupt or damage this connection. Inspectors will look for a properly installed jumper wire.

Remember when you installed your garage door opener and that fancy new lighting in your garage? Did you use an extension cord to wire it? This is the most common offender when it comes to using extension cords where permanent wiring is required.

Make sure that any upgrades/repairs to your home's natural gas system were done to code. Using a licensed plumber is a good way to be sure that your home is safe from a gas leak.

This one deserves its own number because so many home owners install their own gas appliances, espe cially gas dryers. Make sure that they are properly vented. Improper ventilation leads to carbon monoxide poisoning, which can be deadly!

Pressure relief valves are an important safety issue. An improperly installed or missing valve could lead to serious injury or death. An inspector is going to make sure that the valve is in the right spot, has a discharge pipe and isn't leaking.