California does not require you to inspect your own home before you sell it. Buyers will inspect it anyway. In a standard California purchase, the buyer's contingency period for inspections runs about 17 days (C.A.R.), and what turns up in that window becomes a negotiation. A pre-sale inspection lets you read the report first, while you can still fix a problem, get a bid for it, or price it in.
The Checklist
Walk the house with this list before you hire anyone. A general home inspector covers most of it. Termites are a separate inspection.
| Area | What to Check | San Diego Note |
| Roof and attic | Cracked or missing tiles and shingles, flashing, ceiling stains | 37% of Realtors recommend new roofing before a sale (NAR). Get a roofer's opinion on repair versus replacement. |
| Stucco and exterior | Cracks, peeling paint, wood trim, window and door seals | Near the coast, add deck surfaces, hardware, and window frames, where salt air does its damage. |
| Foundation and drainage | Cracks, sloping floors, water pooling near the house | On slope and canyon lots, confirm where roof and yard water drains. |
| Plumbing | Leaks, water pressure, water heater age, slow drains | Toilets over 1.6 gallons per flush and showerheads over 2.5 gallons per minute have to be disclosed as noncompliant (City of San Diego). |
| Electrical | Panel condition, exposed wiring, outlets near water | Keep the permits for any panel upgrade or solar installation with your disclosures. |
| Termites and dry rot | Eaves, fascia, patio covers, garage door frames | Order a separate pest report, covered in the next section. |
| Safety devices | Smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, water heater straps | All three are required by California law, and the seller certifies the smoke alarms and water heater bracing in writing (Health & Safety Code §13113.8, §19211, §17926). |
| Permits | Additions, garage conversions, patio covers | The Transfer Disclosure Statement asks about work done without permits (Civil Code §1102.6). |
| Fire zone | Vegetation and clearance around the home | In a high or very high fire hazard severity zone, the seller provides defensible space documentation, or the buyer agrees in writing to obtain it within a year (Civil Code §1102.19). San Miguel Fire & Rescue in East County charges $274 for the inspection (San Miguel Fire & Rescue). |
The Termite Report Is a Separate Inspection
A licensed structural pest control company does this one, and the report has its own vocabulary. Section 1 items show active infestation or damage. Section 2 items are conditions likely to lead to it (Structural Pest Control Board).
No law requires a pest inspection in every sale. The report has to be delivered to the buyer when the purchase contract or the buyer's lender makes it a condition (Civil Code §1099). In San Diego that comes up regularly, because VA loans require a pest inspection in California (VA) and military and VA buyers are a meaningful share of the market.
The inspection itself is a small line item. Whissel Beer Group values the termite inspection included in its VIP Buyer Program at $100 to $175. Clearing Section 1 items before you list costs more, and it takes the most serious pest finding off the buyer's report.
What You Find, You Disclose
A pre-sale inspection has one real cost beyond the fee, which averages about $343 nationally (HomeAdvisor data via Rocket Mortgage, 2026). California's Transfer Disclosure Statement asks sellers to list the defects they are aware of (Civil Code §1102.6), and the report makes you aware. Plan on sharing it with buyers along with your disclosures, and ask your agent or a real estate attorney how to handle it.
Whissel Beer Group's read: for most sellers the trade is worth making. A defect you disclose up front, with a contractor's bid attached, is a known cost. The same defect found by the buyer's inspector on day ten of escrow is a reason to reopen the price.
Questions to Ask a Listing Agent About Inspections
- Would you order a pre-sale inspection on a home like mine?
- Which findings would you fix, which would you price in, and which would you only disclose?
- Who schedules the inspectors and collects repair bids?
- How do you handle a buyer's repair request during escrow?
At Whissel Beer Group, our Listing Management department gets a home ready for the MLS after the listing agreement is signed, and our Transaction Management department takes the sale from contract to close. Every Whissel Beer Group agent is supported by more than 40 staff, including transaction coordinators, listing coordinators, and an in-house marketing team, so inspection deadlines and repair paperwork do not depend on one person. Once the home is ready, it launches through the VIP Seller Program, Whissel Beer Group’s seller marketing system. Our guide on what to ask a listing agent before you sign has the full interview list.
Ready to Find Out What Your Home Is Worth?
Whissel Beer Group has sold more homes in San Diego County than any other real estate team in history, over 9,000 transactions totaling more than $7 billion in volume. Whissel Beer Group was also the first real estate team in San Diego history to sell over 1,000 homes in a single year, closing 1,042 transactions totaling $876M in 2025. That gives our agents direct, current insight into what homes like yours are selling for right now. Get a Free Home Valuation before you order inspections, so you know what the repairs are protecting.
Call or text 619-815-5589, or use the contact form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a pre-sale home inspection required in California?
No. California requires sellers to disclose the defects they know about. It does not require them to commission an inspection. Sellers order one so the buyer's inspection holds fewer surprises.
Do I have to give buyers my pre-sale inspection report?
What the report tells you about the home's condition is something you now know, and the Transfer Disclosure Statement asks about known defects. Plan to share the report, and confirm the handling with your agent or a real estate attorney.
What is the difference between Section 1 and Section 2 on a termite report?
Section 1 covers active infestation or damage that exists today. Section 2 covers conditions likely to cause it later. When a VA lender asks for a pest clearance in California, Section 1 is what has to be cleared.
Sources
- California Association of Realtors (C.A.R.), escrow and contingency guidance, car.org
- California Civil Code and Health & Safety Code, leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
- California Structural Pest Control Board, pestboard.ca.gov
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, home loan property requirements, benefits.va.gov
- City of San Diego Public Utilities, plumbing retrofit disclosure, sandiego.gov
- San Miguel Fire & Rescue, AB 38 inspections, sanmiguelfire.gov
- National Association of Realtors, 2025 Remodeling Impact Report, nar.realtor
- Rocket Mortgage, home inspection costs (HomeAdvisor data), February 2026, rocketmortgage.com
- Whissel Beer Group, VIP Buyer Program and listing process details
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