Before you book, it's fair to ask exactly what you're paying for. A standard home inspection is a broad, top-to-bottom look at a home's visible and accessible systems — but "visible and accessible" is the key phrase, and knowing what falls inside and outside that scope helps you set the right expectations. For the service details, see our buyer home inspection page. Acadiana Home Inspectors follows the Louisiana standards of practice and has inspected Acadiana homes since 1995 — here's the full breakdown.
What Is Included in a Standard Home Inspection in Louisiana?
A standard inspection covers the home's major systems: the roof and exterior, the foundation and visible structure, the electrical system, the plumbing system, the heating and cooling equipment, and the attic, insulation, and interior. The inspector evaluates each one, documents its condition, and flags anything that needs attention now or soon.
In short, it's designed to give you an honest picture of the home's overall condition before you commit. For a room-by-room reference you can print and bring along, see our home inspection checklist.
Think of the standard inspection as broad rather than deep. It's designed to survey the whole home and surface the issues worth knowing about — not to dismantle any one system. When something it finds warrants a closer look, that's when a specialist or an add-on service comes in.
What Does a Home Inspector Check on the Exterior?
The exterior review covers the roof covering, flashing, and gutters; the siding, trim, and visible wall surfaces; the grading and drainage around the home; and attached structures like decks, porches, and railings. In Acadiana, drainage gets special attention — poor grading is a common contributor to moisture and foundation problems here.
The inspector is looking for both current defects and conditions likely to cause trouble down the road, like a roof nearing the end of its life or soil sloping toward the foundation.
Covered porches, carports, and fences get a look as well, since they're part of what you're buying and often show the first signs of deferred maintenance. In our climate, wood elements exposed to sun and rain age quickly, so the exterior review frequently turns up the home's most visible wear.
What Electrical Components Are Evaluated During a Home Inspection?
On the electrical side, the inspector evaluates the service panel and breakers, visible wiring, outlets and switches, and safety devices such as GFCI and AFCI protection. The goal is safe, functional installation — and flagging anything that could be a shock or fire hazard, like an overloaded panel or missing protection near water.
Older Acadiana homes frequently turn up aging panels, past do-it-yourself wiring, or missing GFCI protection in kitchens, bathrooms, and outdoor outlets. These are exactly the items you want documented before closing.
What Plumbing Systems Does a Home Inspector Evaluate?
The plumbing review covers visible supply lines, drains and drainage, the water heater, and fixtures — checking for leaks, corrosion, poor water pressure, and improper connections. The inspector runs water, checks drainage, and looks under sinks and around fixtures for the slow leaks that cause hidden damage over time.
In our humid climate, catching a small, slow leak early matters: left alone, it can feed mold growth inside cabinets or wall cavities for months. If moisture concerns come up, a targeted follow-up may be worthwhile.
The inspector also notes the water heater's condition and age and checks that fixtures drain properly and hold pressure. These everyday items rarely make headlines, but a failing water heater or a chronically slow drain is exactly the kind of cost you'd rather know about before closing than discover the first week in the home.
What Does a Home Inspector Look for in the Attic?
Where access allows, the inspector evaluates the attic's insulation levels, ventilation, the underside of the roof decking, and any signs of leaks or past water intrusion. Attics tell you a lot about a home's health — and in Acadiana, inadequate ventilation and damp insulation are common findings that affect both comfort and energy bills.
Because so much hides up there, the attic is one of the most valuable parts of a thorough inspection — and one a rushed inspector is tempted to skip.
Access again sets the limits. Where an attic hatch is sealed, blocked by storage, or genuinely unsafe to enter, the inspector evaluates what's visible and says so plainly in the report. You'll always know whether the attic was fully entered, partially viewed, or inaccessible on the day.
What Is NOT Included in a Standard Home Inspection?
Just as important is what a standard inspection does not cover. Inspectors evaluate what's visible and accessible — they don't open walls, dig up underground lines, or move heavy storage, so anything hidden or blocked falls outside the standard scope. A standard inspection also isn't a code inspection or a guarantee against future problems.
Some concerns call for specialized add-on services beyond the standard scope — like mold and indoor air quality testing or a pool and spa inspection. We'll help you decide which, if any, your property calls for.
Knowing the limits isn't a drawback — it's what keeps an inspection honest. An inspector who claims to see inside every wall or guarantee no future problems is overpromising. A clear, well-scoped report tells you exactly what was evaluated and what wasn't, so you know precisely where you stand.
Here Is Why You Can Trust Us
Every inspection is performed personally by Keith Blanchard (LHI #10752) or Andy Stanford (LHI #10916), Louisiana-licensed home inspectors with Acadiana Home Inspectors, serving Acadiana since 1995. We evaluate every accessible system to the Louisiana standards of practice and deliver a detailed full-color home inspection report with a Six-Month Inspection Warranty on buyer inspections.