Inspecting Homes in Dove Creek, Colorado

The numbers below combine Dove Creek with the other smaller communities I inspect around Cortez and Durango. The photos are from real inspections in and around Dove Creek. Out here every house is different, and I go through each one with fresh eyes, looking for something I've never seen before.

Schedule Nowor call (970) 317-5639
About 6 in 10Homes I inspect in the smaller communities around Durango and Cortez sit on poured concrete. Most of the rest are concrete block or insulated concrete forms, with the occasional stone, pier or wood-on-soil foundation.
Nearly halfHomes I inspect in these communities were built since 2000. 1 in 4 were built before 1980, and the oldest dates to 1900.
1 in 4Homes I test for radon in these communities come back high.
Next dayYour report, with photos. Pay at close if you like.

What I find most in homes around Dove Creek

Most of these are fixable. Knowing about them before your objection deadline is the point of the inspection.

Moisture damage and staining at the base of a wall in a home near Dove Creek

Moisture staining indoors

About 7 in 10 homes

Stains and damage at walls, windows and under sinks. Some are old and dry, some are active. I check each with a moisture meter.

Taped wire splices outside a junction box under a sink in a Dove Creek home

Open or exposed electrical

6 in 10 homes

Splices made outside a junction box, missing cover plates and open knockouts. A shock or fire risk until someone fixes them.

Missing asphalt shingles exposing the underlayment on a Dove Creek roof

Roof covering wear

More than half of homes

Missing, blown or worn shingles and loose metal fasteners. Wind is hard on roofs out here.

Double- and triple-tapped breakers in an electrical panel near Dove Creek

Electrical panel defects

Half of homes

Double and triple taps, corroded breakers and missing knockouts.

Corroded flue pipe and flashing on a Dove Creek roof

Roof flashing defects

Nearly half of homes

Flashing that is corroded, missing or held together with sealant. This is where most roof leaks start.

Leaking pump with rust streaks down the pressure tank in a Dove Creek home

Plumbing leaks

Nearly half of homes

Leaks at pumps, tanks, drains and shutoffs. Small now, but they are how floors and framing get ruined.

What you can't see at a showing

A clean house can hide a bad sewer line

Half of the cleanest houses I inspect still have something in the sewer line: roots, a low spot holding water, or old Orangeburg pipe. A tidy house tells you nothing about the pipe under the yard.

New homes still come with a list

Half of the homes built since 2020 that I inspect have 8 or more findings. New doesn't mean nothing to fix. For homes built before 2000, half have 28 or more.

Radon in Dove Creek

About 1 in 4 homes I test in the smaller communities around Cortez and Durango comes back at or above the EPA action level of 4.0 pCi/L. That is nearly the same rate I see in Cortez and Durango, so the address doesn't tell you much. The house does. Winter tests run higher than summer tests, and homes with a basement come back high about twice as often as homes without one. A 48-hour test is the only way to know what a particular house is doing.

Why choose Straight Edge for your Dove Creek inspection

  • General contractor background. Knowing how a problem gets fixed matters as much as spotting it. I can tell you what a repair involves, not only that something is wrong.
  • Outbuildings. Shops, barns and sheds get inspected along with the house.
  • Sewer scopes and radon testing. Both can be added to the same visit.
  • Pay at close. The inspection fee is paid at closing instead of on inspection day, with no fee and no interest. That preserves your cash until closing.

Dove Creek home inspection questions

Is a home inspection really worth it in Dove Creek?

Half of the homes I inspect have 25 or more findings. In the smaller communities around Durango and Cortez, Dove Creek included, I find moisture staining in about 7 in 10 homes, open or exposed electrical in 6 in 10 and roof wear in more than half. Most of it is fixable, and finding it before your objection deadline lets you ask the seller to repair it, credit you or lower the price. The inspection costs far less than a roof, a sewer line or a foundation repair.

What problems do you find most often around Dove Creek?

The most common are moisture staining indoors, open or exposed electrical, roof covering wear, electrical panel defects, roof flashing defects and plumbing leaks. Those are only the most frequent. There are many others, and every house has its own list, which is why I inspect the whole house from roof to foundation.

Do you inspect outbuildings?

Yes. Shops, barns and sheds are inspected along with the house.

Is radon a problem in Dove Creek?

About 1 in 4 homes I test in the smaller communities around Durango and Cortez comes back at or above 4.0 pCi/L. You can't predict it from the neighborhood, so the only way to know is a test.

Should I get a sewer scope in Dove Creek?

Yes. About 6 in 10 lines I scope across the region have something worth knowing about.

How fast will I get my report?

You'll get a complete, photo-rich report sent to you the next day.

Every number on this page comes from my own inspections and tests. They describe the homes I was hired to inspect, not every home in town.