For a Salt Lake City buyer, a useful inspection plan works backward from the due-diligence deadline in the signed purchase agreement. Confirm that the protection applies, arrange inspections early enough to obtain any specialist follow-up, and leave time to decide what the findings mean for your purchase. Ordering an inspection is only the start; the goal is to understand the home and make the required decision in time.
Begin with the seller disclosures, the property you actually toured and your intended use. A question about a finished basement, a roof repair or an older heating system may need a different professional and a different turnaround time. Identify those concerns when booking, rather than waiting for the general report to arrive.
Establish the decision deadline first
Under Section 8.1 of Utah's Real Estate Purchase Contract, effective December 4, 2024, the due-diligence condition applies when selected. If results are unacceptable, the form provides for written cancellation or written resolution with the seller by the Due Diligence Deadline. Missing that action can waive the condition and affect deposit refundability, subject to other provisions. Ask your agent or attorney to explain the signed agreement, amendments, notice delivery and applicable time before relying on these options.
Set your inspection appointments and review discussion ahead of that deadline. If a specialist cannot report in time, address the scheduling problem promptly with your agent. A pending appointment or an unanswered request for more time is not a completed decision.
Tell the inspector what needs attention
Ask what the inspection includes, what is excluded, which areas must be accessible and when the written report will arrive. Share the disclosures and specific observations that concern you. Ask how inaccessible or untested components will be identified in the report so you can distinguish “no concern noted” from “not evaluated.”
Use the general inspection to inform follow-up, not as a substitute for every other review. For example:
| Question about the home | Useful next step |
|---|---|
| A ceiling stain with an unclear repair history | Ask about the source and whether a qualified roof or plumbing evaluation is needed. |
| A finished lower level with uncertain alteration history | Compare the work described by the seller with permit documents and the inspector's observations. |
| A system the inspector could not operate or access | Arrange appropriate access or specialist review before assuming it works. |
| An issue that may affect insurance | Obtain a property-specific answer from the insurer, including any conditions. |
These are examples of questions, not diagnoses. Discuss the significance, likely next step and cost of obtaining an answer before deciding how to respond to an item in the report.
Use Salt Lake City's permit records for the right question
For a property within Salt Lake City, the city's permit-research instructions explain how to search current records by address or permit number and open public attachments. Older records have a separate historical search. The city recommends trying a simpler address entry and contacting Building Services if expected records are missing; a GRAMA request may be the next step for historical records after those checks.
Match the permit description, dates and available documents to the alteration you are asking about. A permit for one project does not explain every later change. If the search returns nothing, ask for help with the address and record history before concluding the work was unpermitted.
Permit research and inspection answer different questions. The documents can help explain recorded work; a qualified inspection helps you understand visible present conditions. For a home outside Salt Lake City, start with the building department responsible for that address rather than assuming the city database covers the entire valley.
Arrange a property-specific radon test
The Utah Department of Environmental Quality's real-estate radon guidance explains that radon can vary between neighboring homes and that area maps cannot establish the level in a particular house. Obtain the actual prior report if one exists, and discuss its date, location and testing conditions with a qualified radon professional. Ask whether a current test is appropriate for the space you intend to occupy.
Include enough time for the test, the results and any follow-up proposal. If mitigation is being considered, ask who would perform it, what work is proposed, how results would be checked and how the expense would be addressed. Make the purchase decision from the property's findings and the proposed solution, not a general claim that a neighborhood is “safe.”
For other concerns—such as possible lead hazards, structural movement, water issues or a suspected environmental problem—ask for the appropriate qualified specialist. Keep any separate disclosure or testing rights on the calendar alongside, not inside an assumed generic inspection period.
Turn findings into a practical decision
Separate routine maintenance you can budget for from issues that may change whether the home works for you. For a consequential finding, ask what is known, what remains uncertain, what a further evaluation would cost and when it could be completed. Avoid negotiating from a repair number that has no defined scope behind it.
Consider a hypothetical inspection that identifies staining below a bathroom. A cosmetic allowance may not answer whether there is an active leak. A focused plumbing evaluation could clarify the cause and repair scope; that information may then support a specific repair request, a credit discussion or a different purchase decision. The example does not establish a diagnosis or require the seller to accept a request.
If you propose repairs, explain the work, documentation and completion expectations clearly. If you propose a credit instead, discuss its treatment with your lender and closing team. Ask your agent or attorney to put any agreed resolution into the appropriate written form.
Close the loop before moving forward
Before the controlling deadline, make sure you understand the important findings, the status of unanswered questions and the action required by your agreement. Confirm receipt of any required notice or signed resolution. Do not treat an ongoing conversation as proof that a deadline has moved.
Keep the reports and agreements for the final walkthrough and future ownership planning. They are useful for checking agreed work, budgeting maintenance and knowing which professional to contact if an issue needs follow-up.
Plan your Salt Lake City inspection review with Kamee Shrope. Bring the signed agreement, disclosures and inspection schedule so you can organize the next steps around the home and the dates that matter to your purchase.