10 Questions to Ask During a NJ Home Inspection (and What the Answers Mean)
The report arrives two days later as sixty pages of photos. The questions you ask while you are standing in the basement are how you learn which three pages matter.
Stock photograph used for illustration; not a client property
Go to the inspection and ask questions
House Outlook ran a list of questions to ask during a home inspection. It is a good general list. New Jersey has its own wrinkles, so here is the version I give buyers. The most important advice is the simplest: show up. In New Jersey the inspection happens after attorney review ends, inside a contingency window your attorney negotiated. The written report comes later. The inspector will answer almost anything while you are standing next to them, and those answers are what turn a sixty-page report into a three-item request.
The ten questions
- How old is the roof, and how many layers are on it? Ask for remaining life, not “it looks fine.” A second layer of shingles on a Westfield or Cranford colonial means the next roof is a tear-off, which costs more.
- Is there any evidence of water in the basement? Staining on the slab, white mineral deposits on the block, a sump pump that runs constantly. Most of the houses I sell in Union and Essex counties have basements, and this is the question that matters most.
- Do the grading and gutter discharge move water away from the house? Downspouts that dump at the foundation are the cheapest problem on this list and the one most often ignored.
- What is the age and condition of the heating, cooling and water heater? Steam boilers in older Elizabeth and Montclair homes, oil-to-gas conversions in Morris County, and central air added later all get different answers.
- Is the electrical panel safe and adequate? Ask by name about panel brands with a known history, aluminum branch wiring, and whether the service is sized for the house. My electrical warning signs guide covers what the inspector looks for.
- Is there any sign of an underground oil tank? A fill pipe in the yard, a capped line through the basement wall, a chimney with no appliance attached. In New Jersey this gets its own tank sweep, and it is worth every dollar.
- What is the plumbing made of, and is anything leaking now? Galvanized supply lines, an old sewer lateral under a pre-war house in Maplewood or Jersey City, and a slow drain all lead to the follow-up: should we scope the sewer line?
- Is there any structural movement? Cracks that step through brick or block, doors that do not latch, floors that slope toward one corner. Ask whether it is old and stable or active.
- How is the attic ventilated, and where do the bathroom fans go? Fans venting into the attic and blocked soffits cause the moisture and mold problems that show up in a Chatham or Summit cape a few winters later.
- If this were your house, what would you fix first? Inspectors are careful in writing and candid in person. This is the question that ranks the report for you.
Jorge’s tip: Radon testing, the wood-destroying insect inspection, the oil tank sweep and a sewer camera are usually separate services in New Jersey, not part of the general inspection. Ask your inspector which ones they include before inspection day, and book the rest so they fall inside your contingency window.
Stock photograph used for illustration; not a client property
What to do with the answers
The answers go to your attorney, not straight to the seller. In New Jersey the inspection response is a written request for repairs, a credit or both, and the seller can agree, counter or decline. Sellers in Millburn or Morristown who get a forty-item list that includes a loose towel bar tend to dig in. Sellers who get a short list built around safety, structure, water and major systems tend to negotiate. Use question ten to write that list. My guide to negotiating price, credits and terms covers how the request fits the rest of the deal.
Budget for the inspections themselves before you make an offer. They are part of the cash-to-close picture in my NJ home buying costs guide.
If you are the seller
Every question on this list is one you can answer before a buyer asks. Extend the downspouts, know the roof’s age, find the boiler’s service records, and have the tank sweep done yourself if the house ever had oil heat. The buyer’s inspector will still come, but the report will be short. Related guides:
- NJ buyer offer guide: agency, inspections and due diligence
- NJ attorney review explained
- House sounds sellers and buyers should not ignore
- What NJ sellers must disclose
- A maintenance triage plan before selling
Buying a home in New Jersey this fall?
Jorge attends the inspection with his buyers and helps turn the report into a request the seller will actually answer.
Talk to Jorge About Your SearchNJ Buyer GuideQuestions about home inspections when buying in New Jersey
Should I attend my home inspection in New Jersey?
Yes. The inspector will explain findings in person that the written report only lists, and you can ask which items are urgent and which are routine for a house of that age. Plan on being there for the whole visit, and bring a notebook. The report arrives later and is much easier to read once you have walked the house with the inspector.
When does the home inspection happen in a NJ purchase?
After attorney review ends and the contract is binding. Your attorney negotiates an inspection contingency period, and all inspections, including add-ons like radon or a tank sweep, need to be completed and any request delivered within that window. Book the inspector as soon as attorney review concludes.
Which inspections are usually extra in New Jersey?
Radon testing, the wood-destroying insect inspection, an underground oil tank sweep, a sewer line camera and, where they apply, well water and septic testing are commonly separate from the general home inspection. Ask your inspector what is included before the visit and schedule the rest so they fit inside the contingency.
Can I ask the seller to fix everything on the inspection report?
You can ask, but in my experience a long list of minor items leads to a short answer. Sellers respond to requests built around safety, structure, water intrusion and major systems. Use the inspector’s own ranking of what matters most, and let your attorney frame the request as repairs, a credit or a combination.
What happens if the inspector finds an underground oil tank?
The tank sweep and any soil testing become the next step, and the results decide whether the tank is removed, decommissioned or already documented. In New Jersey this is negotiated during the inspection period with the attorneys involved, and it is one of the main reasons to have the sweep done before the contingency runs out.
Sources reviewed September 28, 2026, including the House Outlook article on questions to ask during a home inspection. This guide is general information drawn from Jorge’s experience, not legal advice; confirm contingency terms with your attorney.