How to Schedule a Home Inspection:
Weekends, Timing, and What to Have Ready
Your inspection window starts the day your offer is accepted. Here’s how to get the inspection on the calendar fast, including on a Saturday or Sunday, and what to line up before inspection day.
You can schedule a home inspection online any time, and the inspection itself can happen on a Saturday or Sunday. Trusted Home Inspections inspects seven days a week across the Portland metro and SW Washington. A weekday job doesn’t have to cost you days from your inspection contingency.
The bigger question is speed. Your contingency clock usually starts when the offer is accepted, and every day before the inspection is a day you don’t have afterward. Book first, then sort out the details.
When to book
Book the day your offer is accepted, or the next morning. The inspection takes 2 to 4 hours on site. Most reports go out the same day. That still leaves you only part of the contingency period to read the report, ask questions, and line up any specialist evaluations it recommends.
If you think you’ll want a sewer scope, call a plumber the same day too. That’s a separate service, and their calendar is separate from the inspector’s. This post on your inspection contingency covers how that window works in Oregon.
How to book
The online scheduler is open 24 hours a day. You pick the date and start time, enter the property address and a few details about the home, add any extra services, and pay. You can also call or text (971) 202-1311.
Have these ready before you start:
- The property address
- Approximate heated square footage and year built, which set the inspection price
- Your agent’s name and contact information
- Which add-ons you want, like radon testing, mold air quality testing, a pool and spa inspection, or a detached structure
- A discount code, if one applies to you, such as MILITARY10 for military or RESPOND10 for first responders
Picking a start time
Start times vary by inspector and by day, and the scheduler shows which ones are open. A few things help you choose.
Plan around the walkthrough, not the start. Buyers are encouraged to arrive near the end of the inspection, when Russ walks through what he found with everything still in front of you. If the inspection starts at a given time, plan to show up two to three hours later. Three hours is about average.
Older and larger homes take longer. A 1925 house has more to look at and more to document than a 2015 house of the same size. So does a house with a pool, a detached garage, or a big crawlspace.
Weather matters less than people think. Inspections happen in the rain, and this post on rainy season inspections covers what wet weather shows and hides.
Before inspection day
Most of the prep falls on the seller and the agents, but it’s worth asking your agent to confirm it.
- All utilities on: water, power, and gas, with pilot lights lit
- Heat on, so the house is at normal temperature
- Attic and crawlspace hatches reachable, not blocked by stored items
- Clear path to the electrical panel, water heater, and furnace
- Garage and any outbuildings unlocked
- Pets secured or out of the house
- Seller told the date and time
A house with the water shut off or the gas turned off at the meter can’t be fully tested. When something can’t be inspected or tested on the day, the report says what and why.
Book the inspection as soon as your offer is accepted, on whatever day works, weekends included. The time you save at the start is time you’ll have to act on the report.
Real Inspection Photos
What Limits an Inspection on the Day
Real photos from Russ's reports. When something can't be reached or turned on, the report says so.
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An attic hatch blocked by stored belongings. Clearing a path to hatches before inspection day lets the inspector reach those areas. -
An electrical panel blocked by a freezer and stored items, which kept the panel from being fully inspected. -
Gas turned off at the meter. With the gas off, gas appliances like the furnace and water heater can't be tested, so ask that utilities be on.
What happens on the day
Russ works through the roof, exterior, attic, crawlspace, and the major systems in the house, using a moisture meter, a water pressure gauge, and thermal imaging (included at no additional charge). The inspection day guide goes through it step by step, and how long a home inspection takes breaks down what changes the timing.
Ready to book? Schedule online any day of the week.
Scheduling FAQ
