Home inspections in Arvada.
Arvada runs from a 19th-century downtown through miles of mid-century ranch homes to brand-new neighbourhoods on its western edge. What an inspection turns up depends a great deal on which of those you’re buying.
- County
- Jefferson and Adams counties
- Who issues permits
- City of Arvada
- Water and sewer
- City water and sewer
- Sewer line
- Ask the city where the owner’s responsibility ends before you close
What’s different about an Arvada house
Age is the best guide to an Arvada home. Each era of building brought its own materials and its own typical faults.
Olde Town
Arvada’s original downtown was listed on the National Register in 1998 as a historic district with 42 contributing buildings. The houses around it are among the oldest in the city, with the layered wiring, plumbing and foundations that come with a century of use.
The mid-century belt
Much of central Arvada was built from the 1950s into the 1970s. Expect original cast-iron drains, galvanized supply pipe in the older ones, electrical panels at or past their service life, and sewer lines of clay or cast iron.
New construction out west
Newer neighbourhoods on the west side are closer to the mountain front, where swelling clay is most active. A new house still needs an inspection: grading, drainage and builder workmanship are easier to fix before the warranty runs out.
Radon
About half of Colorado homes test above the EPA action level, and Jefferson County’s test results average above it. A test during the inspection window turns it into something you can negotiate.
What we look at closely
Everything is inspected. In Arvada, the age of the house decides where the time goes.
Electrical in mid-century homes
Panel type and condition, aluminium branch wiring in some 1960s and 70s homes, grounding, and amateur additions.
Plumbing nearing its limit
Cast-iron and galvanized pipe, water pressure, water-heater age and signs of past leaks.
Slabs, foundations and drainage
Cracking and heave, grading, downspouts and sump pumps.
New-build details
Roof and flashing workmanship, attic insulation, exterior sealing and the grading the builder left behind.
What a home inspection doesn’t cover
A home inspection is visual and non-invasive. These are the usual add-ons and referrals in Arvada.
Inside the sewer line
That takes a sewer scope: a camera run from a cleanout to the street. We offer it as an add-on in the same visit.
Radon, unless you add it
Radon testing is a separate 48-hour monitor test. It’s easy to add to the inspection and we recommend it on every purchase.
Engineering opinions
We report what we see — cracks, movement, sagging, undersized framing — and say when a structural engineer should take it further. We don’t size beams or certify a structure.
Lead paint and asbestos
Older homes may contain both. We note materials that are commonly suspect; confirming them takes laboratory testing by a specialist.
What you can book
Full home inspection
Every major system, a walkthrough on site, and a photo report the same day.
Radon testing
A 48-hour continuous monitor, alone or alongside the inspection.
Sewer scope
A camera through the main sewer line, from the house to the street.
Commercial inspection
Scoped and quoted for the building. Written proposal first.
Go deeper
Nearby communities we cover
- Wheat Ridge — directly south, with housing of a similar age
- Westminster and Broomfield — to the north and east
Arvada, answered.
Should I get a sewer scope in Arvada?+
On a home built before the mid-1980s, yes. Clay and cast-iron lines were standard then, and they crack, shift and let roots in. On newer homes it’s inexpensive reassurance. We scope the line in the same visit as the inspection.
Does a new-construction home in Arvada need an inspection?+
We’d recommend one. A municipal inspection checks code minimums at set stages; it isn’t a top-to-bottom review of the finished house. An independent inspection before closing, and another before the builder’s one-year warranty ends, catches the things that are cheapest to fix while the builder is still responsible.
Is radon common in Arvada?+
Yes, as it is across the Front Range. Results vary from house to house, so the only way to know is to test. A 48-hour monitor can run alongside the inspection.
Do you inspect older homes near Olde Town?+
Yes. They take longer, and the report separates what is normal for the age of the house from what needs repair or a specialist.
- National Park Service — Arvada Downtown historic district, National Register listing (1998)
- Colorado Geological Survey — Expansive (swelling) soil
- CDPHE — Half of Colorado homes have elevated radon levels
- Colorado Radon Check — CDPHE test data by county (Jefferson County average)
County and utility rules change. Checked November 2026; confirm current requirements with the agency before you rely on them for a closing.
Book the inspection. Know the house.
Pick a date and time — you'll get a confirmation email right away, and we'll reach out only if something needs to change.