No, a home inspection is not necessary for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) home loans, but all lending institutions highly recommend that you get a house inspected before you buy it. In fact, HUD requires that applicants for an FHA or VA loan sign a form (shown below) acknowledging that they have been advised to get a home inspection.

   While it is required that you get an appraisal as part of the home loan application process, a FHA appraiser also does what amounts to a limited evaluation of the condition of the property based on the FHA’s published Minimum Property Requirements (MPRs). So an FHA appraisal evaluates both the dollar value of the home at current market conditions and whether it appears to be safe, sanitary, and liveable. But it is nowhere near as thorough as a home inspection.

   You will be required to get a termite (WDO) inspection if the home is in an area defined as likely to have a termite infestation by the U.S. Forest Service’s “TIP Map.” Go to our blog post What is a TIP Zone Map? to learn more. Also, if the home is in a rural house served by a well, water testing is required. See our post What is the required water testing for an FHA, VA, or USDA mortgage application? for more on this.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 

  To learn more strategies for getting the best possible home inspection, here’s a few of our other blog posts:

• How can I make sure I don't get screwed on my home inspection? 

• How thorough is a home inspector required to be when inspecting a house?

• Should I trust the Seller's Property Disclosure Statement?

• Can I do my own home inspection?

• How can homebuyers protect themselves against buying a house over a sinkhole? 

• The seller gave me a report from a previous home inspection. Should I use it or get my own inspector? 

    To read about issues related to homes of particular type or one built in a specific decade, visit one of these blog posts:

• What are the common problems to look for when buying a 1940s house?

• What are the common problems to look for when buying a 1950s house?

• What are the common problems to look for when buying a 1960s house?

• What are the common problems to look for when buying a 1970s house?

• What are the common problems to look for when buying a 1980s house?

• What are the common problems to look for when buying a 1990s house?

• What problems should I look for when buying a country house or rural property? 

• What problems should I look for when buying a house that has been moved?

• What do I need to know about buying a foreclosure? 

• What should I look for when buying a former rental house?  

• What problems should I look for when buying a house that has been vacant or abandoned?

• What are the most common problems with older mobile homes?

• What should I look for when buying a house that is being "flipped" by an investor seller? 

• What do I need to know about a condo inspection?

• What are the "Aging In Place" features to look for when buying a retirement home?

   Visit our HOME INSPECTION page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.