What inspectors actually find in North Texas houses
Expansive clay moves nearly every slab in Dallas–Fort Worth. Hail ends most roofs here long before age does. Cast iron, Federal Pacific panels and polybutylene each belong to a particular decade of building. This is a reference to 29 findings — what each one is, what it means, and, just as often, why it does not need fixing.
Movement is not the same as damage
Every page here leads with a verdict, because the useful question is not whether a house has a finding — they all do — but whether that finding is worth acting on. Most are not. We say so.
Structure and systems
Structure & Exterior
Foundations, roofs, cladding and the envelope — 14 findings. This is where North Texas differs most from anywhere else, because of the soil and the hail.
Systems
Plumbing, electrical and mechanical — 15 findings. Mostly a question of which decade the house was built in, and what was standard practice at the time.
Three things worth understanding first
Foundations in North Texas
Why the soil moves, what movement does to a slab, and who is qualified to say whether it matters.
What the decade tells you
The year a North Texas house was built predicts most of what an inspection will find in it.
Every era
16 findingsFindings that turn up in North Texas houses of any age.
Flashing, penetrations and roof leaks Attic ventilation in Texas heat Composition shingle failure modes Foundation drainage and grading Hail damage and roof age Brick veneer, lintels and weep holes Expansive clay soil movement Reading interior distress — cracks, doors, floors Ductwork and condensate in unconditioned attics Slab leaks GFCI and AFCI protection HVAC age, sizing and capacity Irrigation systems and backflow prevention Service entrance, grounding and bonding Water heaters — TPR valves, pans, expansion Wood-destroying insect inspections
Pre-1960
4 findingsCast iron waste lines, plank decking, pier and beam, original service equipment.
Pier and beam foundations Roof decking and board spacing Cast iron sewer lines Sewer scope — what it actually finds
1960s–1970s
4 findingsThe panel and wiring era — Federal Pacific, Zinsco, aluminium branch circuits.
Conventionally reinforced slabs Aluminium branch circuit wiring Federal Pacific Stab-Lok panels Zinsco and Sylvania panels
1980s–1990s
3 findingsPost-tension slabs become standard; polybutylene supply lines appear.
Windows and failed glazing seals Post-tension slab foundations Polybutylene supply plumbing
2000s
2 findingsCPVC and PEX, radiant barriers, tighter envelopes.