A mid-century home inspection checklist has to cover more than a standard walk-through. Post-and-beam houses from the 1950s and 1960s were built with systems many buyers have never owned: heating pipes cast into the concrete slab, low-slope roofs, walls of single-pane glass and wood that stays exposed to the weather. A good inspection plan tests each of those systems on purpose instead of hoping a single report catches everything.
This checklist is organized the way we walk a house with buyers: which inspections to order, then the structure and roof, the slab and its plumbing, the wiring, the glass and the materials. Use it during your contingency period, and bring the questions to the licensed inspectors and contractors who will do the actual testing.
Order the right inspections, not just one
In California, a general home inspection is defined as a noninvasive, physical examination of a home's mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and its structural and essential components, designed to identify material defects. "Noninvasive" is the key word. The inspector won't open the slab, cut into walls or pull roofing, so the general report is a starting point that tells you where to look harder.
For a mid-century house, plan on this set:
General home inspection for the whole house, with a request to describe the heating system, the electrical panel and any visible roof drains.
Wood-destroying pest and organism inspection, done by a licensed Branch 3 field representative or operator. Post-and-beam homes put a lot of wood outdoors, so this report matters.
Roof inspection by a licensed roofing contractor. The pest report must state in bold type whether the exterior of the roof was inspected, and if it wasn't, the report itself tells you to contact a licensed roofer to judge water-tightness.
Specialist follow-ups as the general report points to them: a plumber or radiant heating specialist, a licensed electrician, and a sewer lateral camera inspection.
Lead and asbestos testing if you plan to remodel. Federal rules give buyers of homes built before 1978 a 10-day period to conduct a lead paint inspection or risk assessment, which the parties can lengthen, shorten or waive in writing.
Structure, eaves and the roof
Eichler homes are identified by post-and-beam construction, broad eaves and a simple palette of wood or concrete block, and the post-and-beam method shows in the exposed rafter tails under the roof. That exposure is part of the look and part of the maintenance. Walk the perimeter with the inspector and check:
Beam ends where they pass through glass walls or extend past the roof line: look for checking, gray weathered wood, soft spots and old patches.
Rafter tails and the wide fascia boards: decay tends to start at the ends and along the top edge.
Posts at grade: wood that meets soil or a damp planter is a pest-report item.
The roof surface: the City of Palo Alto's Eichler design guidelines list flat roofs that can be prone to leaks among the common owner complaints. Ask about ponding, the age of the membrane, and where water leaves the roof.
Roofing type: original houses often had tar and gravel, and the same guidelines list tar and gravel, single-ply, foam and composite shingles as replacement roofing with a plain appearance. Know which one you're buying, and ask whether insulation was added above the deck.
Skylights and roof penetrations: flashing, cracked lenses and stains on the ceiling boards below.
Ceiling boards: water stains on exposed decking often trace back to a roof leak that was fixed, or wasn't.
Our page on post-and-beam construction explains how the frame carries the roof, which helps you read what the inspector finds.
The slab: radiant heat and buried plumbing
Many Eichlers have radiant heating embedded in the concrete slab floor, and Palo Alto's guidelines note that both the plumbing and the original radiant heating system sit within the slab foundation and may be difficult to repair without highly invasive work. The same document lists foundations without crawl spaces among the typical issues. With no crawl space, the inspector can't look under the house, so the questions shift to the system itself:
Is the radiant system working, abandoned, or replaced by forced air or a heat pump? Ask the seller for service records.
Where is the boiler or heat source, how old is it, and does it heat every zone on a test run?
Has the radiant loop been pressure-tested, and are there warm spots, damp spots or cracked flooring that could point to a leak?
Are the water supply lines rerouted overhead or through walls, or still under the slab?
Is the water heater braced, anchored or strapped? California's Transfer Disclosure Statement asks the seller to certify that it is.
Do the toilets, showerheads and faucets meet current flow limits? For single-family homes built on or before January 1, 1994, state law required noncompliant fixtures to be replaced by January 1, 2017, and the seller must disclose whether any remain.
A sewer lateral camera inspection is worth adding here too, because the line from the house to the street is usually as old as the house.
Electrical panel and wiring
Ask the inspector to open the panel cover and describe the panel brand, its capacity, the breakers, grounding and any signs of overheating. Then check for aluminum branch wiring. The CPSC, the federal agency that regulates consumer products, says homes built before 1965 are unlikely to have aluminum branch circuit wiring, but cables installed between 1965 and the mid-1970s in new homes, in additions and as part of rewired or new circuits may contain it. A house built before 1965 with an addition from the late 1960s needs both parts checked.
The CPSC notes that failing aluminum-wired connections seldom give easy-to-spot warning signs, but it lists symptoms worth noting on a walk-through: face plates on receptacles or switches that are hot to the touch, flickering lights, circuits that don't work, or the smell of burning plastic at outlets or switches. If you see any of them, it says to have a qualified electrician find the cause and not to attempt the work yourself.
Glass, walls and original materials
Palo Alto's guidelines describe the original buildings as having little insulation, no attic spaces, single-pane windows and large expanses of glass, which can make interiors uncomfortable. On the checklist:
Sliding doors: do they glide, lock and seal? Worn rollers and bent tracks are common repair items.
Dual-pane replacements: fogging between panes means a failed seal.
Siding: Eichlers were typically clad in vertical tongue-and-groove redwood boards or scored redwood plywood. Check the bottom edges and any spot where sprinklers hit the wall.
Possible asbestos-containing materials: the US EPA lists vinyl floor tiles and the backing on sheet flooring, roofing and siding shingles, textured paint and patching compounds, and coated hot water pipes among the places it may be found. You can't tell by looking unless the material is labeled, and EPA says a trained and accredited professional should take samples.
Painted surfaces: for a home built before 1978, the seller must give you the EPA lead hazard pamphlet, disclose known lead-based paint information and share available reports. The EPA's page on real estate lead disclosures lists every step.
Our guide to mid-century materials and construction covers what each original material was and how it ages, and the Eichler renovation guide helps you plan the fixes an inspection turns up.
Frequently asked questions
Does a general home inspection cover the radiant heat?
Only as far as the inspector can see and operate it. Because the system is cast into the slab and California home inspections are noninvasive, the general inspector can run the heat and note symptoms but can't examine the pipes. If the house still relies on radiant heat, add a specialist evaluation during your contingency period.
Will the termite report tell me if the roof leaks?
Not necessarily. The pest report must say whether the roof's exterior surface was inspected, and when it wasn't, it directs you to a licensed roofing contractor for water-tightness. Pest inspectors do report evidence of roof leaks as a condition that can lead to infestation or infection.
How long do I have to test for lead paint?
Federal rules give buyers of pre-1978 homes a 10-day opportunity to conduct a lead paint inspection or risk assessment. The buyer and seller can agree in writing to lengthen or shorten it, and the buyer can waive it. Your purchase contract sets the actual deadline, so confirm it with your agent and an attorney if you have questions.
What should I ask for from the seller before I inspect?
Ask for the seller's disclosures, any past inspection and pest reports, roof and heating service records, and the permit history. You can also check the Structural Pest Control Board's online records to see whether the property was inspected within the last two years, and request copies.
Related reading
Section 1 and Section 2 Termite Reports on Post-and-Beam Homes
Repair Requests After a Home Inspection: A Guide for Older Homes
Slab Leaks in Mid-Century Homes: Signs, Tests and Repair Choices
Buying a mid-century home and want help building your inspection plan? Call or text the Boyenga Team at (408) 373-1660 or (650) 383-8606, or contact the Boyenga Team to see our buyer resources. This article is general information, so check specific findings with a licensed inspector, contractor or attorney.
