If you're buying a home in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, or Westmoreland County, a professional home inspection is the single most important step between falling in love with a house and actually understanding what you're buying. A few hundred dollars now can save you tens of thousands later.
I'm Theron Mahone, owner of AccuCheck Home Inspection Services. I built AccuCheck on professionalism, integrity, and attention to detail. And I treat every home as if it were my own. This guide answers the questions I get most often from buyers, sellers, and agents across Western PA.
A residential home inspection is a non-invasive, top-to-bottom visual examination of a property's major systems and components. Here's what I evaluate on every inspection:
The deliverable is a clear, photo-rich report you can act on. Plain language. Findings prioritized by what actually matters. No filler.
A standard residential inspection answers most questions, but four add-ons come up often in Western PA. Each one is its own service at AccuCheck. And you can usually schedule them on the same visit.
What it is: A targeted inspection for evidence of termites, carpenter ants, wood-boring beetles, and wood-decay fungi.
When you need it: Required by many lenders (especially VA and FHA loans), and a smart add-on for any older home, log home, or property with a wood foundation, crawlspace, or extensive deck/porch.
What it is: Air and surface samples sent to an accredited lab to identify and quantify mold spores.
When you need it: Visible growth, musty odors, history of water damage, or any health concerns. Mold doesn't always look the way you'd expect. Sampling tells you exactly what's in the air you're breathing.
What it is: Targeted sampling for pollutants, allergens, or other airborne contaminants based on your specific concerns.
When you need it: Persistent allergies that worsen at home, recent remodeling work, attached garages, or properties with combustion appliances. The lab results tell you whether the issue is the home or something else.
What it is: A quick, non-invasive functional test that introduces fluorescent dye into the plumbing system and checks for surface breakthrough at the drain field.
When you need it: Any property on a septic system. Often required for FHA, VA, and USDA loans. Catches failures the eye can't see.
Pricing varies with square footage, age, and which add-ons you choose. As a general guide for Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, and Westmoreland counties:
First responders and active or retired military members receive 10% off every AccuCheck inspection. Just mention it when you book.
For a real quote based on your specific property, request one here or call (724) 516-3362.
No. A home inspection isn't a pass/fail test. It's a report card on the condition of the home at the time of the inspection. That report becomes a tool you and your agent use to decide how to move forward.
In practice, every home has something. Even new construction. The question is whether what I find is:
I make this distinction clearly in every report so you're never left guessing which findings actually matter.
A good report gives you four options after the inspection:
The report is your tool. I'm always available by call or text if you want to walk through findings together. Including after closing, when you're actually living with the house.
Homes across Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, and Westmoreland counties span a huge range. From century-old foursquares and brick rowhouses near the rivers to mid-century ranches in the suburbs to brand-new builds in growing developments around Cranberry, Mars, and Murrysville.
Older Western PA homes commonly have:
Newer construction has its own quirks. Improperly flashed roof valleys, attic ventilation shortcuts, undersized HVAC sizing, and post-construction grading that pushes water toward the foundation.
I've seen all of it. My job is to find what matters and explain it in language that helps you make a confident, informed decision.
How long does a home inspection take? For a typical single-family home, plan on 3 to 4 hours on-site. Larger or older properties, or those with additional systems (pools, outbuildings, multiple units), can run longer.
Should I attend the inspection? Yes, if you can. It's not required, but being there means you see findings firsthand, can ask questions on the spot, and leave with a real working knowledge of how the house operates. I always walk clients through the most important items before I leave the property.
When will I get the report? You get the full report. Photos, findings, and plain-English explanations. Within 24 hours of the inspection, often the same day.
Do you offer light commercial inspections? Yes. Small retail spaces, offices, restaurants, and small multi-tenant buildings across Western PA. I evaluate the building envelope and major systems and deliver a report owners, buyers, and investors can act on.
Do you offer a First Responder or Military discount? Yes. 10% off every inspection for active or retired military, police, fire, EMS, and dispatch. Just mention it when you book.
If you're buying, selling, or just trying to understand your own home better, I'd be glad to help.
Honest. Thorough. Detail-oriented. Every inspection.
The AccuCheck Promise
Honest. Thorough. Detail-oriented. Every inspection.
Schedule Your InspectionTheron Mahone · 10% off · First Responders & Military