FHA Inspection Checklist

This Process Street FHA Inspection Checklist provides a complete breakdown of the inspection process to make sure any property is up to the required standards. 

These Federal Housing Authority standards are meant to protect buyers from investing in dangerous or mis-sold property.

Like every Process Street checklist, all the data which is entered is saved in a table format in the template overview tab. This data can be exported as a CSV file for on-site storage.  

As you work through this checklist you will find it asks you negative questions about the nature of the property. The goal is to reach the end of the checklist without registering a single "Yes" answer.  

You can record notes and further details in the form fields provided.

As the US Department of Housing and Urban Development say: For Your Protection, Get a Home Inspection. 

Appraisals and inspections are slightly different in the FHA process, but this video will give you a feel for what FHA inspections are for:

Use this section to record the important details of the inspection.

Section VC-1 pertains to general potential problems within the immediate location of the premises. 

This is inclusive of the presence of gasoline stations within that 300 feet radius. 

The presence of gasoline stations should still be noted even though they do not make the property unacceptable.

Low voltage lines must also not directly pass over living spaces including pools of the property being insured by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

Sections VC-2 and onwards are concerned with the specific property area to be insured by the Department of Housing and Urban Development

The septic system must be visually inspected for readily observable evidence of system failure, along with the septic system’s immediate surrounding area. 

This could comprise:

• Pits
• Ponds
• Lagoons
• Stressed vegetation
• Staining to soil
• Staining to pavements
• Odors

Proper drainage should combine guttering and downspouts with appropriate grading or landscaping to encourage water to flow away from the structural foundations. 

Checking for standing water on and around the property can reveal grading issues which could otherwise have been missed. Look closely for the ponding of water.

A "Yes" response will require that the lender performs water testing on the property.

If the property is served by a:

• Dug well
• spring
• lake 
• cistern
• river

It is ineligible.  

If the property is served by a drilled well, the well must be:

• 50 feet from a septic tank
• 100 feet from the septic tank’s drainfield
• 10 feet from any property line

If a connection to a public sewerage system is feasible then said connection is mandatory.

If the answer to this is "Yes" then a termite inspection is required. 

In the case of condominiums, a termite inspection would only be required for the first-floor units. 

The key elements to check to uncover potential termite presence include but are not limited to:

• Mud tunnels up the side of the building
• Swarms around wooden structures
• Small collections of wings around windows and windowsill areas
• Excessive dampness
• Areas where vegetation has died 

All buildings should be checked for signs of termite infestation. 

All roads must have access for vehicles and pedestrians. 

Recorded easements should be revealed by a title search. It is the responsibility of the DE Underwriter to determine whether there is evidence of a permanent easement within the records.

The FHA defines an all-weather surface as one which can be used all year round by the normal vehicles of emergency services. 

For example, grass would not count but gravel would just.  

This ventilation could be in the form of vents, fans, or windows. 

If dampness is noted, a vapor barrier is required.

The presence of a flat roof simply requires that a further investigation would need to be done into the health of the roof. 

The appraiser must inspect all the appliances present in the property.

This will involve turning the appliances on and monitoring them while in use to make sure they are in full working order. 

Lead based paints are a particular problem for homes and buildings constructed prior to 1978.

When this checklist is completed, you can choose to print it as a document. 

This will give you the option of saving the checklist as a PDF. Once your checklist is saved as a PDF it will provide a full report of everything documented in the inspection. 

Use the form field below to upload your PDF.

Use the email field to send the report to the appropriate body.

• FHA Inspection Checklist – Cliff Odom
• FHA Appraisal Guidelines – FHA Handbook
• FHA Mortgagee Starter Kit – US Department of Housing and Urban Development
• FHA Inspection Requirements Checklist – Grant Pass Association of Realtors
• FHA Inspection Checklist – Love to Know

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