Insurance Inspections Are Back, Here’s How To Pass One Without Panic, Spending

Craig Smollen
Jan 12
4 min read

If you own a house in Marin, or anywhere near it, you’ve probably felt the mood shift. Insurance companies are inspecting properties again, and in some cases they’re doing it with the enthusiasm of a hall monitor.

The good news is this, most insurance inspection issues are not catastrophic, they’re basic maintenance, access, and documentation. The bad news is homeowners often respond by panic, spending, throwing money at the loudest problem first, not the ones the inspector will actually flag.

Here’s how to pass an insurance inspection without lighting your wallet on fire.

What Insurance Inspectors Usually Care About

They’re not grading your taste. They’re looking for exposure, things that could cause a claim, or make a claim worse.

The usual suspects:

Roof condition: missing shingles, curling, moss, soft spots, visible patches, and anything that looks “end of life.”
Tree clearance: branches overhanging the roof, vegetation touching structures, dead limbs, anything that screams “wind damage.”
Defensible space: combustible brush near the house, especially around decks, under eaves, and along fences.
Exterior paint and wood: peeling, bare wood, rot, failed caulk, exposed trim ends, punky fascia, and soft siding.
Decks and stairs: loose handrails, rot at posts, sketchy connections, wobbly steps.
Chimney and spark arrestor: cracked cap, missing screen, or a flue that looks like it’s been through a bar fight.
Electrical “red flags”: unsafe panels, amateur wiring, open junctions, loose exterior fixtures, missing covers.
Drainage: downspouts dumping at the foundation, standing water, wet crawlspaces, erosion.
Access: can emergency services reach the house, are pathways clear, is the address visible.

They’re scanning for risk, not trying to understand your architecture.

Step One, Don’t Guess, Do a Pre, Inspection Walkthrough

Before the insurance company shows up, do your own walk, or hire someone who builds for a living and knows what gets flagged.

Walk the property like an inspector would:

Start at the street. Can you clearly see the address? Is the driveway clear? Any obvious vegetation crowding the structure?

Then do a slow lap around the home:

Look up at eaves and roof edges
Look at where wood meets concrete
Look under decks and stairs
Look for peeling paint, rot, cracks, and failed sealant
Follow your downspouts and see where the water actually goes

Then check the “boring but expensive” zones:

roof penetrations, flashing, skylights
decks, handrails, stair safety
electrical panels and exterior outlets
trees that can hit the house

Write it down. Take photos.

That last part matters more than most people realize.

The Smart Order of Operations, Fix What Gets You Non, Renewed First

Here’s the practical priority list, the one that keeps you insured.

1) Life safety and obvious hazards

Loose rails, rotted stairs, dangerous electrical, trip hazards, anything that could cause immediate injury or a fast claim.

2) Roof and water

If the roof looks questionable, nothing else will impress them. Water wins every fight.

3) Vegetation and clearance

This is one of the easiest “high impact” fixes, and one of the most common inspection notes.

4) Exterior maintenance that signals neglect

Peeling paint, exposed wood, rot at trim, and failed caulk read as “future claim coming soon.”

5) Drainage and moisture

Downspouts, grading, pooling water, damp crawlspaces, all claim generators.

Don’t Over, Repair, Avoid the Panic, Spending Traps

These are the big three ways homeowners burn money.

Trap #1, Replacing something that only needs a targeted repairA roof doesn’t always need full replacement. Sometimes you need proper flashing repair, a localized patch done correctly, or a tune up to eliminate obvious red flags. Sometimes, yes, it’s done. But verify.

Trap #2, Cosmetic upgrades instead of inspection fixesNew exterior light fixtures won’t help if your handrails are loose and your downspouts dump at the foundation.

Trap #3, Doing work with no documentationThe inspection is not just about the work, it’s about the proof.

Documentation, The Secret Weapon

Insurance decisions get made by people who were not at your house. They’re reading notes and looking at photos.

If you do repairs, build a simple “proof packet”:

Before photos
After photos
A short scope summary (what was done, where, and why)
Invoices and contractor license info (when applicable)
Receipts for materials if you did it yourself
A maintenance list (roof cleaned, gutters cleared, tree trimming performed, etc.)