LOCAL RULES

Delaware home inspection report requirements

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

  • How you inspected the crawl space, attic and roofing
  • The main water and fuel shut-off valve locations
  • The service rating, panel locations, wiring type, and any missing smoke detectors
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Delaware licenses home inspectors through the Board of Home Inspectors, and the Board's regulation (24 Del. Admin. Code 4100, section 18, amended in November 2023) sets what every written report includes: what is not functioning properly, significantly deficient, unsafe or near the end of its service life, a recommendation for each, an explanation where the problem is not self-evident, and the reason for anything present but not inspected. Here is each rule with a link to the official text, and how field notes become a Delaware report.

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

Home inspectionDELAWARE / SAMPLE

Sample notes, 149 words

Client: Dana Whitfield
Inspector: Sam Ortega
Date: October 3, 2026
1408 Larkspur Lane, Dover, DE
Weather: clear, 74F. Occupied. Built 1987.
...
FREE PREVIEW OF THESE NOTES
75%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 Delaware rules on your checklist, including how you inspected the crawl space, attic and roofing.

Still to add

  • RecommendedNotes for cooling
  • RecommendedNotes for fireplaces and chimneys

Filled in for you

Client nameDana Whitfield
Property address1408 Larkspur Lane, Dover, DE
Inspection dateOct 3, 2026
Inspector nameSam Ortega
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What Delaware requires

  • The home inspector's report must be in writing and legible; oral reports are prohibited24 Del. Admin. Code 4100-18.1.3, 17.3.2
  • The report identifies the systems and components inspected that, in the licensee's professional judgment, are not functioning properly, significantly deficient, unsafe, or near the end of their service lives24 Del. Admin. Code 4100-18.1.3.1
  • The report recommends correcting, or monitoring for future correction, each reported deficiency, or names items needing further evaluation24 Del. Admin. Code 4100-18.1.3.2
  • The report explains the nature of any reported deficiency that is not self-evident24 Del. Admin. Code 4100-18.1.3.3
  • The report lists the designated systems and components that were present but not inspected, and the reasons they were not inspected24 Del. Admin. Code 4100-18.1.3.4
  • The report describes the methods used to inspect under-floor crawl spaces and attics, the foundation and the floor, wall, ceiling and roof structure, the siding, and the roofing materials with the methods used to inspect the roofing24 Del. Admin. Code 4100-18.2.2, 18.3.2, 18.4.2
  • The report describes the water supply, drain, waste and vent piping materials, the water heating equipment and its energy sources, and the location of the main water and fuel shut-off valves24 Del. Admin. Code 4100-18.5.2
  • The report describes the service's amperage and voltage rating, the location of main disconnects and panels, the presence of solid conductor aluminum branch circuit wiring and visible knob and tube wiring, the absence of smoke detectors, and the type of wiring24 Del. Admin. Code 4100-18.6.2
  • The report describes the heating and cooling energy sources and systems, insulation and vapor retarders in accessible unfinished spaces (and any absence of insulation at conditioned surfaces), and fireplaces, solid fuel burning appliances, chimneys and vents24 Del. Admin. Code 4100-18.7.2, 18.8.2, 18.10.2, 18.11.2
  • A registered home inspector trainee may assist in completing a report and co-sign it while actively and personally supervised; the supervising licensed home inspector reviews and signs every report the trainee prepared and accepts total responsibility for it24 Del. C. s. 4109 (b), (c)
  • Home inspectors may not inspect property they have a financial interest in, work on contingent terms, pay agents for referrals, take pay from more than one party without the client's agreement, take pay for recommending contractors, or repair, replace or upgrade for pay anything the standards cover for one year after the inspection; they report objectively and keep results confidential24 Del. Admin. Code 4100-17.1, 17.2

What every Delaware report includes

The report is written and legible; oral reports are prohibited. It identifies the systems and components that, in your professional judgment, are not functioning properly, significantly deficient, unsafe or near the end of their service lives, and recommends correcting them, monitoring them for future correction, or further evaluation.

Where the nature of a deficiency is not self-evident, the report explains it. Systems and components the standards designate that were present but not inspected are listed with the reasons.

What to describe

Describe how you inspected the crawl space and the attic, the foundation and framing, the siding, and the roofing materials with the method you used to inspect the roof. For plumbing, describe the piping materials, the water heater and its energy source, and where the main water and fuel shut-off valves are.

For electrical, describe the service's amperage and voltage, where the main disconnects and panels are, and the type of wiring, and report any solid conductor aluminum branch wiring, visible knob and tube wiring, and missing smoke detectors. The standards also ask for the heating and cooling systems and energy sources, insulation and vapor retarders (including any missing insulation at conditioned surfaces), and fireplaces, stoves, chimneys and vents.

Trainees and ethics

A registered trainee may help complete a report and co-sign it while you actively and personally supervise; you review and sign every report the trainee prepared and accept total responsibility for it.

The code of ethics bars inspecting property you have a financial interest in, contingent fees, paying agents for referrals, and repairing, replacing or upgrading anything the standards cover for pay within a year of the inspection. Report objectively, without understating or overstating a condition, and keep results confidential unless the client approves.

From field notes to a finished Delaware report

Note how you got into the crawl space and attic, how you inspected the roof, the shut-off locations, the panel details and the wiring type. ReportDraft writes each deficiency with a recommendation and an explanation, flags components near the end of their lives, lists what was not inspected with your reason, gives the shut-offs their own line, and records a trainee's name in the header.

Common mistakes

  • Describing an old water heater or roof without reporting that it is near the end of its service life.
  • Not saying why the crawl space or attic was not entered.
  • Leaving out how the roof was inspected or where the shut-off valves are.
  • Missing visible knob and tube wiring or absent smoke detectors.
  • Giving the findings orally instead of in the written report.

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.