Home inspectors inspect what’s visible and accessible inside and outside the home. That’s what essentially every Standards of Practice say. So why doesn’t it include outbuildings?

Sheds, outbuildings, and other detached structures are certainly part of the property, and your insurance company might even include them. But as for home inspections, they fall into a category. Unless the local regulations state otherwise, you may inspect them or disclaim them, as you like.

Some home inspectors provide outbuilding inspection as an ancillary service and some include it in the home inspection even though it’s not required. That’s entirely up to you and the location where you work. If local regulations require an inspection of every building on the property, then you should follow those rules and include in the home inspection. It’s unlikely, but it’s possible.

If not, then it’s your choice. If you do inspect outbuildings, you’ll need to devise standards of your own or modify existing standards to suit the structure. For example, if the outbuilding has a shingled roof, you would inspect the roofing materials and also check inside for leaks. If there’s electric service inside the building, that should also be inspected if you go that route.