Austin, Texas
Home inspections in Austin, TX
Austin’s homes range from houses built before 1960 to homes still being framed, and two city rules reach past the front door: the sewer line the owner repairs, and the ECAD energy audit. Jeremy Luera travels from Cibolo, about 61 miles up I-35, and your report arrives within 24 hours.
- Austin
- San Antonio
- Schertz
- Cibolo home base
- Rockport
- Rio Grande Valley McAllen, Harlingen, Brownsville
Older at the center, newer at the edges
The median home in Austin was built in 1994, and about 28% of homes were built before 1980, according to the Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 American Community Survey. The citywide figure hides a wide range. In ZIP code 78757, the median home was built in 1967 and about two in three were built before 1980. In 78754, the median home was built in 2009.
An older house has had decades for its roof, plumbing, wiring and foundation to wear, and for owners to remodel. A residential home inspection walks the whole house, from the roof to the foundation, so you understand its condition before your option period ends.
The sewer line to the street is yours
Austin Water defines a private lateral as the wastewater line connecting a building to the City’s wastewater system, and City Code Chapter 15-11 puts its repair on the property owner. When the city finds a defect, the owner receives a written notice to repair or replace the line within 120 days.
The defects the code lists include roots that separate a pipe joint or widen a crack, and a sag or misaligned pipe. Those are what a sewer scope looks for: a camera run through the line from the clean-out, so you see its condition before it is yours.
Austin Water’s overflow flyer adds that sewage overflows are often the result of old or defective private plumbing, and that owners are then required to get a plumbing permit and repair or replace their private line.
The ECAD energy audit, and what thermal imaging adds
Inside Austin city limits, a home that gets its electricity from Austin Energy and is 10 years old or older may need an energy audit before it is sold, under the city’s Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure (ECAD) ordinance. A qualified ECAD Energy Professional does the audit, and Austin Energy says sellers should provide it, or details of an exemption, three days before the end of the option period.
The audit report includes the attic insulation’s condition and estimated R-value and the percentage of air leaking from the duct system. An infrared thermal inspection works differently: it reads surface temperature across walls and ceilings, and patterns in that heat can point to missing insulation, moisture or an electrical connection running warm.
Selling a home that needs the audit? A pre-listing inspection shows you the home’s condition before it goes on the market, on your own schedule.
New homes, inspected while the walls are open
The City of Austin reported 2,079 new single-family homes authorized in 2025 and 1,946 in 2024, according to the Census Bureau’s Building Permits Survey, alongside 6,459 units authorized in 2025 in buildings of five or more units.
If you are building one of those homes, a pre-drywall inspection checks framing, wiring, plumbing and ductwork while the walls are open, and a new construction inspection checks the finished home before you close, while the builder can still correct what is found.
Questions from Austin
Call (210) 378-2804 with anything else.
Do you inspect homes in Austin?
Yes. Triple A Inspections is based in Cibolo, about 61 miles from Austin by I-35, roughly an hour and a quarter without traffic. Request a consultation or call (210) 378-2804.
Who is responsible for the sewer line in Austin?
Under City Code Chapter 15-11, the private lateral, the wastewater line from the building to the City’s system, is the property owner’s to repair. A sewer scope shows its condition before you buy.
Is the ECAD energy audit the same as a home inspection?
They are different. A qualified ECAD Energy Professional does the audit, and it reports items such as attic insulation and duct leakage. A home inspection walks the whole house, from the roof to the foundation.
Can you inspect a new Austin home before the drywall goes up?
Yes. A pre-drywall inspection checks framing, wiring, plumbing and ductwork while the walls are open. Ask your builder for the date, then request a consultation.
Sources
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024, tables B25034 and B25035 (Austin city; ZIP codes 78757 and 78754)
- Austin Water, Private Lateral Program
- City of Austin, Ordinance No. 20130321-066 amending City Code Chapter 15-11 (Private Lateral Sewer Lines)
- Austin Water, What Austin needs to know about sewage overflows
- Austin Energy, ECAD for residential customers: FAQs
- US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, annual place data 2024 and 2025
Buying or building in Austin?
Request a consultation and Jeremy will call you to talk through the property and the inspections that fit.