Home Inspections in Petaluma, CA

Petaluma's historic downtown came through the 1906 earthquake largely intact, and the neighborhoods around it still have many Victorians and early-1900s houses. Most sit on raised foundations over a crawlspace.

I also look for what comes with age: older wiring, including knob-and-tube in some of the oldest houses, galvanized supply piping, and past remodels that left framing or drainage worse off.

The Petaluma River runs through the middle of town, and low-lying areas near the river and its creeks have flooded in heavy winter storms. On these properties I pay close attention to grading and drainage, crawlspace moisture, signs of past water around the foundation, and anything built at ground level.

Cool marine air and fog also move through the Petaluma Gap, so siding, window trim, and decks on shaded sides of a house can stay damp longer and show wood rot sooner. Whether a lot sits in a mapped flood zone is a question for your agent and insurer. What I can show you is how the house handles water today.

East of Highway 101, much of Petaluma was built out as subdivisions from the 1970s through the 1990s. Many of these homes are now on their original or second roofs, water heaters, furnaces, and windows, and houses of the same age tend to wear out in the same ways.

I note the condition of each major system, so you know what may need replacing in your first few years.