Inspection checklist · South Louisiana
What to watch for in a South Louisiana house
Your inspection window is the one time you can walk on condition without losing your deposit. Use it on the things that are expensive, slow, or uninsurable: the roof, the foundation, moisture, termites, drainage and the systems. Cosmetics can wait.
Reviewed by Nicole Gaudet, REALTOR®
Updated September 17, 2026
Where the money is
The five that decide the deal
Everything here is either a five-figure repair, an insurance problem, or both.
Roof
Age matters as much as condition
- How old is it? Ask for the replacement date. Insurers get strict past 15 to 20 years.
- Storm damage: lifted or creased shingles, granule loss in gutters
- Flashing at chimneys, valleys and vents
- Decking sag visible from the ground or attic
- Any prior claim on this roof
Foundation and framing
Slab is common here; so is movement
- Stair-step cracks in brick, separated mortar joints
- Doors and windows that stick or won't latch
- Sloping floors — take a ball or a level
- Cracks wider than a pencil, or with vertical displacement
- Piers, shims or prior underpinning, and any paperwork for it
Water and drainage
Our rainfall finds every mistake
- Which way does the yard drain? Look for standing water lines
- Gutters, downspouts and where they discharge
- Soil or mulch above the slab line, or against siding
- Stains on ceilings, around windows, under sinks and at the water heater
- Crawlspace moisture, if it isn't slab
- Ask the seller directly whether the home has ever flooded, and check the disclosure
Termites and wood destroying insects
Formosan termites are established across South Louisiana
- Get a wood-destroying insect report, separate from the general inspection
- Mud tubes on piers, slab edges and in the attic
- Hollow-sounding or damaged trim and framing
- Is there an active termite contract? Who holds it, what it covers, and is it transferable
- Past treatment records and any damage repair
HVAC, electrical and plumbing
Heat and humidity punish undersized systems
- Age and service history of each HVAC unit; a system over 12–15 years is on borrowed time
- Does it actually cool on a hot day? Ask for the temperature split
- Condensate drainage and the secondary pan, especially in attics
- Panel brand and condition; ask specifically about aluminum branch wiring and known problem panels
- Water heater age, and whether it's gas or electric
- Water pressure, drain speed, and the shutoff locations
Insurance readiness
A house can pass inspection and still be hard to insure
- Roof age and material
- Flood zone and any elevation certificate
- Prior claims on the property, if disclosed
- Electrical panel type
- Get a real quote during the inspection window, not an estimate
Worth paying for
Reports beyond the general inspection
A general inspector is a generalist. These are the specialists worth calling in South Louisiana.
- Wood destroying insect report
- Termites, and often required by the lender anyway.
- Sewer or septic
- Camera the line on older homes; full septic inspection where there's no sewer.
- Structural engineer
- When the general inspector flags foundation movement. Their letter is what a seller will actually respond to.
- Roof or HVAC specialist
- A contractor's written quote beats "nearing end of life" in a negotiation.
Costs vary by company and home size. Ask your agent for two or three names and call them yourself.
Your own walkthrough
What to check yourself, before the inspector
Do this at the second showing. It costs nothing and it can save you the inspection fee on a house you were never going to buy.
After the report
What's worth asking the seller to fix
Ask
Safety and structure: active leaks, electrical hazards, gas issues, foundation movement, roof at end of life, termite activity, sewer failure, anything that stops you insuring or financing the home.
Let go
Cosmetics, aged-but-working appliances, minor caulking, small nail pops, anything you knew about when you offered. Asking for everything is how you lose the things that mattered.
Put requests in writing before your inspection window closes, and ask for a credit instead of a repair when you'd rather choose the contractor yourself.
Questions
Inspection questions
Does Louisiana require a home inspection?
No. The seller isn't required to inspect before selling either; their disclosure covers what they actually know. The inspection is for your protection, and skipping it on a financed purchase is rarely worth the savings.
La. R.S. 9:3198
Do I need a separate termite inspection?
Get one. Formosan termites are established across South Louisiana, a wood-destroying insect report is a separate report from the general inspection, and lenders frequently require it.
Should I get a flood quote before closing?
Yes, during the inspection window. Lenders require flood insurance in high-risk zones, plenty of homes here have flooded outside them, and the premium can change what you can afford.
Can I attend the inspection?
You should. Walking the last 30 minutes with your inspector teaches you more about the house than the report will.
The report is 60 pages. How do I read it?
Read the summary first, then sort by cost: safety, structure, systems, everything else. Ask your inspector which three items they'd fix first if it were their house.
What if the seller refuses to fix anything?
You decide whether to accept it, ask for a credit instead, or use your inspection window to terminate under the terms of your agreement. Know your deadline before you start negotiating.
Next step
Want a second opinion on a report?
Send it over. We'll tell you what we'd push on and what we'd let go.
General guidance, not an inspection or an engineering opinion. Hire licensed professionals for both.