Pillar To Post highlights 3 overlooked home inspection services

Pillar To Post® Home Inspectors says buyers and sellers are increasingly asking for inspections that go beyond standard home checks. The company is spotlighting sewer scope inspections, radon testing and water quality testing as ways to catch hidden problems before they become costly surprises.

Why it matters: - Homebuyers and sellers are looking for more information about safety, health and maintenance before closing. - Hidden issues underground, in air quality or in drinking water can turn into expensive repairs or health risks after move-in. - Pillar To Post® Home Inspectors is expanding added services to help identify problems outside the scope of a standard home inspection.

What happened: - Pillar To Post® Home Inspectors identified three inspection services it says are often overlooked: sewer scope inspections, radon testing and water quality testing. - Charles “Chuck” Gravely, vice president of technical standards and development, said customer questions are driving demand for added services. - Gravely said he oversees the company’s technical training program, inspection reporting system and development of new inspection types. - Gravely is a licensed professional engineer with more than 35 years in the home inspection industry.

The details: - Sewer scope inspections use specialized camera equipment to examine the sewer line for blockages, deterioration, tree root intrusion, damage or construction debris. - The sewer lateral is underground and falls outside the scope of a standard inspection. - Homeowners are often responsible for the sewer lateral up to the city main or another designated connection point. - Sewer repairs can be expensive and disruptive if a problem appears after move-in. - Gravely said newer homes can still have sewer lateral issues, including blockages from construction debris. - A larger household can expose a minor sewer problem that a smaller household did not reveal. - Radon is invisible, odorless and tasteless, so testing is the only way to know whether a home has elevated levels. - Gravely said radon can be found anywhere, even though some parts of the country test for it routinely. - Radon is widely recognized as the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. - Elevated radon levels can usually be remediated in a straightforward way. - Water quality testing is often associated with rural homes and wells, but Gravely said it can be useful in any home. - Basic E. coli testing is common in rural homes, but more sophisticated and inexpensive tests can identify additional drinking water concerns. - Water quality testing can also matter for homes connected to municipal systems. - Pillar To Post said buyers increasingly want to understand what is underground, invisible or hidden before small unknowns become expensive surprises.

Between the lines: - The push for add-on inspections reflects a broader shift in homebuying behavior toward risk reduction, not just condition reporting. - Standard inspections still matter, but the company is positioning expanded testing as a way to fill gaps around hidden systems and environmental risks. - The emphasis on sewer, radon and water suggests buyers are paying more attention to problems that are harder to spot during a walkthrough.

What’s next: - Pillar To Post is likely to keep expanding inspection offerings as customer questions surface new concerns. - Homebuyers and sellers may see more demand for specialized inspections before closing, especially where hidden system failures could create major post-sale costs. - More information is available at the company’s website.