Home inspections in Morrison.
The Town of Morrison is a few historic blocks at the mouth of Bear Creek Canyon. A Morrison address covers a lot more ground than that, and what needs checking depends on which Morrison you’re buying in.
- County
- Jefferson County
- Who issues permits
- Town of Morrison in town; Jefferson County outside it
- Water and sewer
- Town water and sewer in town; districts or well and septic outside
- Septic at sale
- Outside town: county use permit before a septic-served home is sold
What’s different about a Morrison house
Three very different kinds of property share the Morrison name: the old town, the newer neighbourhoods along the hogback, and the foothills behind them.
The old town
The Morrison Historic District has been on the National Register since 1976 and includes 63 contributing buildings. Structures of that age have stone and brick foundations, generations of wiring and plumbing, and repairs made by many hands. They reward a slow, careful inspection.
Town utilities, creek water
The Town of Morrison owns and operates its own water treatment and distribution system, drawing from Bear Creek, and its own sewer service. Outside the town limits a home may be on a district system or on its own well and septic. Ask which.
Bear Creek runs through it
For a property near the creek, ask the seller and the town about its flood-zone status and whether the lender will require flood insurance. A flood determination isn’t part of a home inspection, but past water in a basement or crawlspace leaves marks we look for.
The hogback and its soils
Morrison sits on the line where the mountains meet the plains. The clay-bearing shales along that front are where swelling-soil damage shows up, and the Colorado Geological Survey ranks swelling clay as the state’s most significant geologic hazard. Newer homes near the hogback deserve a close look at foundations, slabs and drainage.
What we look at closely
The whole house, always. Around Morrison, these get the most attention.
Foundations and slabs
Cracking, heave, gaps at basement partition walls, and whether the drainage is doing its job.
Moisture low in the house
Staining, efflorescence and past water lines in basements and crawlspaces, especially near the creek and on hillsides.
Old-building systems
Wiring, plumbing and heating that have been updated in stages, and the places where old meets new.
Hillside grading and walls
Retaining walls, slope drainage and decks on steep lots in the foothills neighbourhoods.
What a home inspection doesn’t cover
These fall outside a standard home inspection and are worth arranging on their own when they apply.
Flood-zone determinations
Flood maps and insurance requirements come from the lender, the insurer and the local floodplain administrator.
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.
Inside the sewer line
A sewer scope is a separate camera inspection. In an old town with old pipes, we recommend it.
The septic use-permit inspection
That is done by a use-permit inspector licensed by Jefferson County, not by a home inspector. We note the visible parts of the system and anything that looks wrong at the surface.
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
- Indian Hills — up Parmalee Gulch
- Kittredge — up Bear Creek Canyon toward Evergreen
Morrison, answered.
Do you inspect commercial buildings in Morrison?+
Yes. Commercial inspections are scoped and quoted individually, because a restaurant in a 19th-century building and a small office need different things. Request a quote from the commercial page and we’ll send a written proposal.
How do I know if a Morrison home is on town water and sewer?+
The listing should say, and the Town of Morrison’s utility department can confirm for an address in its service area. If the home has a well or septic system, plan on a well test and the county’s septic use permit in addition to the home inspection.
Should I worry about swelling soils near Red Rocks?+
It’s worth checking rather than worrying. Soil conditions change quickly along the hogback. We look for signs of slab and foundation movement on every inspection and recommend an engineer when we see them.
- National Park Service — Morrison Historic District, National Register listing (1976)
- Town of Morrison — Municipal Code, Title 8 (water and sewer)
- Colorado Geological Survey — Expansive (swelling) soil
- Jefferson County Public Health — Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Regulations, effective June 15, 2026 (Section 9, Use Permits)
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.