LOCAL RULES

Connecticut home inspection report requirements

Your Connecticut home inspection report has 6 rules to meet. ReportDraft puts every one on your checklist and checks your draft before you sign.

  • The smoke and carbon monoxide detector details the rule lists
  • The descriptions and inspection methods the standards list
  • The written notice that the Department of Consumer Protection regulates your work
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Connecticut licenses home inspectors through the Department of Consumer Protection, and the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, sections 20-491-1 to 20-491-28, set the standards: report what is significantly deficient or near the end of its service life with the reason and a recommendation, give a written reason for anything not inspected, and, since a 2023 amendment, report the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in detail. Here is each rule with a link to the official text, and how field notes become a Connecticut report.

Last reviewed October 10, 2026 against the official sources listed below.

Home inspectionCONNECTICUT / SAMPLE

Sample notes, 149 words

Client: Dana Whitfield
Inspector: Sam Ortega
Date: October 3, 2026
1408 Larkspur Lane, Hartford, CT
Weather: clear, 74F. Occupied. Built 1987.
...
FREE PREVIEW OF THESE NOTES
76%of your draft is ready from these notes

We sorted 14 items into 8 sections and flagged 4 to fix first.

  • Fix firstElectrical

    Main panel has a double tapped breaker and an open splice in the attic junction box.

  • Fix firstElectrical

    No GFCI protection at the kitchen counter outlets.

  • Fix firstGarage

    Garage door opener did not reverse when it hit the test board.

6 Connecticut rules on your checklist, including the smoke and carbon monoxide detector details the rule lists.

Still to add

  • RecommendedNotes for cooling
  • RecommendedNotes for fireplaces and chimneys

Filled in for you

Client nameDana Whitfield
Property address1408 Larkspur Lane, Hartford, CT
Inspection dateOct 3, 2026
Inspector nameSam Ortega
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What Connecticut requires

  • The report covers each system and component inspected that, in the inspector's professional opinion, is significantly deficient (unsafe or not functioning) or near the end of its service lifeRegs. Conn. State Agencies s. 20-491-2 (c)
  • The report gives the reason a system or component is significantly deficient or near the end of its service life when it is not self-evident, and recommendations to correct or monitor the deficiencyRegs. Conn. State Agencies s. 20-491-2 (d)
  • The report covers every designated system and component present at the inspection, unless a written reason is given why it was not inspectedRegs. Conn. State Agencies s. 20-491-2 (e)
  • The report states the absence or presence of warning equipment (smoke and carbon monoxide detectors), the room or space of each, the total number, whether the inspector could test them, the method and result of any test, and whether the inspector could verify they are less than ten years oldRegs. Conn. State Agencies s. 20-491-10 (c) · Conn. Gen. Stat. s. 20-491
  • If the inspector does not test warning equipment, the report prominently discloses that no testing of warning equipment was conductedRegs. Conn. State Agencies s. 20-491-10 (d)
  • The report describes the foundation, structure, roof covering, piping materials, water heater and energy source, shut-off valve locations, electrical service rating, disconnect and subpanel locations, wiring methods, heating energy source and method, and insulation, and reports the methods used to inspect the crawl space or basement, the attic and the roofRegs. Conn. State Agencies s. 20-491-3 (c) · Regs. Conn. State Agencies s. 20-491-6 (b)
  • The report notes the presence of solid aluminum branch circuit wiring, and describes the service's amperage and voltage, the location of the main disconnects and subpanels, and the wiring methodsRegs. Conn. State Agencies s. 20-491-7 (b), (c)
  • Before the inspection, the licensee tells the client in writing that their work is regulated by the Department of Consumer Protection and that inquiries and complaints may be directed to the DepartmentConn. Gen. Stat. s. 20-492a (b)
  • An inspector may not disclose results without the client's approval unless public health or safety requires emergency action, take pay from more than one party without everyone's consent, give or take commissions, use the inspection to obtain other work, or give an opinion of market value; conflicts of interest are disclosed before being retainedRegs. Conn. State Agencies s. 20-491-14, Code of ethics
  • The standards apply to buildings with four or fewer dwelling units and their attached garages or carports; inspections are not technically exhaustive, and the inspector is not required to identify concealed conditions, determine code compliance or the cost of corrections, or determine the type of warning equipmentRegs. Conn. State Agencies s. 20-491-13

What the report must cover

The report covers the systems and components inspected that, in your professional opinion, are significantly deficient, meaning unsafe or not functioning, or are near the end of their service lives. Where the reason is not self-evident you give it, along with a recommendation to correct or monitor.

Every designated system and component present at the inspection is reported on, unless you give a written reason why it was not inspected.

Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

Connecticut's statute and rules ask for detail on warning equipment, meaning smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and combined units: whether any are present, the room or space of each, the total number, whether you could test them, the method and result of any test, and whether you could verify that they are less than ten years old.

If you did not test the warning equipment, the report must say so prominently. ReportDraft prints that statement at the top of page 1 whenever the report is marked Not tested, and gives the detectors their own item with a line for each detail.

Descriptions and methods

Describe the foundation and report how you inspected the crawl space or basement, and the roof structure with how you inspected the attic. Describe the roof covering and how you inspected the roof, the piping materials, the water heater and its energy source, and where the main water and main fuel shut-off valves are.

For electrical, describe the service's amperage and voltage, where the main disconnects and subpanels are, and the wiring methods, and report any solid aluminum branch circuit wiring. Describe the heating energy source and method, and the insulation in unfinished spaces.

Before the inspection, and the code of ethics

Before the inspection, tell the client in writing that your work is regulated by the Department of Consumer Protection and that inquiries and complaints may go to the Department. Disclose any conflict of interest before being retained.

Keep results confidential without the client's approval unless public health or safety requires emergency action, take pay from only one party unless everyone consents, give or take no commissions, and give no market value opinion. The standards cover buildings with up to four units, and inspections are not technically exhaustive.

From field notes to a finished Connecticut report

Note each detector with its room and whether you tested it, how you got into the crawl space and attic, and where the shut-offs are. ReportDraft fills the detector item and the shut-off item, marks whether detectors were tested and prints the no-testing statement when they were not, and writes each deficiency with its reason and a correct-or-monitor recommendation.

Common mistakes

  • Listing detectors without their rooms, total number or test result.
  • Not saying prominently that no detector testing was done.
  • Leaving out a system that was present without a written reason.
  • Calling something deficient without the reason when it is not obvious.
  • Skipping the written notice that the Department of Consumer Protection regulates your work.

Sources

Last reviewed October 10, 2026. Next review due January 10, 2027. This page explains published rules to help you write your report. It is not legal advice; the official text linked above governs.