Era-specific watch lists for pre-inspection prep
A 1968 pier-and-beam ranch and a 2005 townhome fail in completely different ways — aluminum branch wiring, discontinued panel brands, galvanized supply lines all belong to specific eras and regions. Experienced inspectors carry this in their heads; newer ones look it up the night before. AI compiles a solid era-and-region watch list fast, as long as it's framed as research, not findings.
You are a research assistant helping a licensed home inspector prepare for tomorrow's inspection. Build a pre-inspection watch list. Property basics: built {{year_built}}, located in {{region}}, {{construction_type}}. Create a checklist organized by system (roof, exterior, structure, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, interior, attic/insulation) of issues COMMONLY found in homes of this era, region, and construction type — period-typical materials and components now known to be problems, and what they look like in the field. Rules: - Frame every item as "commonly found in homes of this era — verify on site." You know nothing about this specific house; never state that it has any material, system, or defect. - For each item, one line each: what to look for, where to look, why it matters. - Flag era-specific products with known recalls, class actions, or insurance implications (panel brands, piping types, siding products), and note that positive identification requires labels or markings, not appearance alone. - Include a short "don't assume" list: issues inspectors commonly over-attribute to homes of this age. - Skip generic advice that applies to every house. Maximum 25 items.
Fill in your details and the prompt updates live — then copy.
ELECTRICAL — commonly found in late-1960s homes; verify on site: - Aluminum branch-circuit wiring (1965-73 builds): check conductor markings at the panel and attic runs; device connections not rated CO/ALR are a documented fire risk. - Federal Pacific Stab-Lok or Zinsco panels: identify by label, never by appearance; widely reported breaker failure-to-trip issues affect insurability. PLUMBING: - Galvanized steel supply piping at or past service life: test functional flow at the fixtures farthest from supply. DON'T ASSUME: many 1968 homes were wired entirely in copper — confirm before mentioning aluminum to anyone.
The full workflow
- Run the prompt the night before with basics from the inspection order.
- Cross out items that don't apply and add your own regional knowledge.
- Carry it as a supplement to — never a replacement for — your state SOP checklist.
- On site, confirm or rule out items by direct observation only.
Watch out for
The watch list is background research, not findings — nothing enters the report unless you observed it on site; an AI-suggested 'common issue' stated as fact is a fabricated finding.
Verify recall and class-action claims against CPSC notices or manufacturer documentation before repeating them to a client — models confuse product names, dates, and outcomes.
Where this comes from
Every use case on this site is grounded in real reports from working home inspectors — not invented by us.