MILITARY & VA

Does a VA loan require a home inspection?

By Steve Lockhart

The short answer

This is one of the most misunderstood details of the VA process, so let me be direct: the VA does not require a home inspection as a condition of the loan.

Full answer

This is one of the most misunderstood details of the VA process, so let me be direct: the VA does not require a home inspection as a condition of the loan. What it requires is an appraisal, and the appraisal checks value plus the Minimum Property Requirements, which are about safety and basic livability, not the whole picture.

A home inspection is a separate, buyer-paid service where a licensed inspector goes through the house top to bottom: the roof, the plumbing, the electrical panel, the heating and cooling, the foundation, and the water heater. In Las Vegas, that is where the honest condition gets revealed, and buyers routinely find issues the appraisal never flagged.

So the official answer is no, and the practical answer is that skipping the inspection to save a few hundred dollars is one of the worst trades in home buying. The inspection gives you two strategic assets: knowledge of what you are actually buying, and a negotiated repair list or price adjustment before closing.

The VA angle actually strengthens the case. Because the appraisal can impose repair requirements on the seller, combining the appraisal findings with a real inspection gives us a clear, documented path to ask for what a fair deal requires. We build the inspection into every VA purchase, with the report read and priced before you ever sign the final papers.

Go a little deeper

Frequently asked

Questions service members often follow up on

Can I negotiate repairs after the inspection on a VA loan?

Yes. The inspection findings go into the same negotiation as any purchase. We decide which items matter, request them in writing, and let the seller respond with fixes, credits, or a price adjustment, all within the contract timeline.

How much does a home inspection cost in Las Vegas?

Expect a few hundred dollars for a typical single-family home, and it is money well spent. Some inspectors charge extra for pool, sewer-scope, or radon checks, and we recommend which extras are worth it for that specific home.

What if the inspection finds an expensive problem?

That is exactly when you are glad you paid for it. We get a repair quote, go back to the seller with the numbers, and you either get the issue resolved, get a credit, or move on to a better home, all before you own the problem.

The Lockhart Method

Your Home | My Strategy | Proven Results

My strategy: treat the inspection as a negotiation tool, not a formality. We schedule it early, read the report line by line, and present the seller a short, priced repair request that keeps the VA timeline intact while protecting your money.

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