FIELD NOTES / PROPERTY RESEARCH
Home inspection in Austin: what to check when buying an older house
A home inspection in Austin follows the Texas Real Estate Commission's Standards of Practice, which define it as “a limited visual survey and basic performance evaluation of the systems and components of a building,” and on an older house that limit is the reason to build a record before the inspector arrives. A house's age switches on rules of its own: a federal lead-paint disclosure for anything built before 1978, an Austin Energy audit for homes 10 years old or older inside the city limits, and Historic Landmark Commission review for demolition of buildings 45 years or older. Here is what the inspection covers and leaves out, which rules apply at which age, and how to brief the inspector so an older Austin home is judged by its record and not by its finishes.
By David Eimer · Austin Journal · 11 minute read · Published
The numbers
- What a Texas real estate inspection is
- “A limited visual survey and basic performance evaluation of the systems and components of a building”As of 22 TAC 535.227(a)(3), Standards of Practice in effect since February 1, 2022
Not “a comprehensive investigation or exploratory probe to determine the cause or effect of deficiencies.”
Source: Texas Real Estate Commission ↗
- Foundation requirement on every inspection
- A written opinion as to the performance of the foundationAs of 22 TAC 535.228(a)(1)(A)
Source: Texas Real Estate Commission ↗
- Lead-based paint disclosure applies to housing built before
- 1978As of EPA real estate disclosure rule, retrieved September 26, 2026
Buyers get a 10-day period to conduct a paint inspection or risk assessment.
- ECAD energy audit applies to homes
- 10 years old or olderAs of Austin Energy ECAD page, retrieved September 26, 2026
Within the Austin Energy service area and the Austin city limits.
Source: Austin Energy ↗
- Historic review of demolition or relocation
- Buildings 45 years or older that are eligible for landmark designationAs of City of Austin historic properties page, retrieved September 26, 2026
Austin has nearly 700 historic landmarks, 8 local historic districts and 18 National Register districts.
Source: City of Austin Planning ↗
- Lead service lines in Austin Water's system
- NoneAs of October 2024 field investigation of all water service lines
Homes built before 1986 “have long been considered most at risk” for lead in solder and pipes, per Austin Water.
Source: Austin Water ↗
What does a home inspection in Austin cover, and what does it leave out?
A home inspection in Austin is governed by the Texas Real Estate Commission's Standards of Practice, rules 535.227 through 535.233 of Title 22 of the Texas Administrative Code, and every licensed inspector reports on the same form, the Property Inspection Report REI 7-6, mandatory since February 1, 2022. The standards define the inspection as “a limited visual survey and basic performance evaluation of the systems and components of a building using normal controls that provides information regarding the general condition of a residence at the time of inspection.”
The same rule says what an inspection is not: it is not “intended to be a comprehensive investigation or exploratory probe to determine the cause or effect of deficiencies noted by the inspector.” On a 1950s house that means the inspector will tell you the foundation is or is not performing, that a receptacle is ungrounded, that the drainage runs toward the slab; it does not mean anyone opened a wall, tested the paint or ran a camera down the sewer line. Those are follow-ups the report points to.
What the Texas Standards of Practice require an inspector to do, and what that means on an older house
| Rule | What the inspector must do | What to ask for on an older Austin house |
|---|---|---|
| 535.227(a)(3), scope | A limited visual survey and basic performance evaluation using normal controls; not a comprehensive investigation or exploratory probe | The list of follow-up specialists the report points to, ordered inside the option period |
| 535.228(a)(1)(A), foundation | Render a written opinion as to the performance of the foundation | A structural engineer's evaluation wherever the opinion describes movement; the extent of crawlspace access |
| 535.228(b)(1), grading and drainage | Report drainage around the foundation not performing properly, grade level defects near the foundation, and gutter and downspout problems | Where roof water goes, and whether the seller's “improper drainage” answer matches |
| 535.229(b)(1)(C), electrical | Report missing GFCI protection in wet locations, missing AFCI protection in living spaces, absent grounding at 125-volt receptacles, and aluminum conductors without approved copper-to-aluminum connections | The age and type of the branch-circuit wiring and the panel, and an electrician's quote for what the report flags |
The practical consequence is that an older Austin home gets a better inspection when the buyer arrives with a list. The property research desk lays out the public records to pull, and the sections below turn the age of the house into the specific questions the inspector, the seller and the City can each answer.
Sources: Texas Real Estate Commission ↗
Which rules switch on with the age of an Austin house?
The age of an Austin house decides which rules apply to its sale and its future, and the thresholds are specific. A home 10 years old or older within the Austin city limits and the Austin Energy service area falls under the Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure ordinance, which Austin Energy says a seller satisfies by scheduling an audit with a qualified ECAD Energy Professional or by participating in a qualifying efficiency program; our ECAD guide for sellers covers the timing. A building 45 years or older that is eligible for landmark designation cannot be demolished or relocated without Historic Landmark Commission review, per the City's historic preservation office.
Rules that depend on the age of an Austin house
| Age or year built | What applies | Who sets it |
|---|---|---|
| 10 years old or older | Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure ordinance: audit by an ECAD Energy Professional or a qualifying program, for homes in the Austin city limits and Austin Energy service area | Austin Energy |
| 45 years or older | Historic Landmark Commission reviews demolition or relocation if the building is eligible for landmark designation | City of Austin Planning |
| Built before about 1980 | Original construction permit unlikely to be in the City's online permit record (61 residential building permits recorded for 1978, 243 for 1979) | City of Austin open data, computed |
| Building use existing on March 1, 1986 | Eligible for an Amnesty Certificate of Occupancy if no change of use has occurred since | Austin Development Services |
| Built before 1986 | “Have long been considered most at risk” for lead in pipes and solder; federal lead-free plumbing rules began in 1986 | Austin Water |
| Fittings and fixtures installed before 1996 | Not covered by the lead-free rules until 1996 | Austin Water |
| Built before 1978 | Federal lead-based paint disclosure: pamphlet, known information, records, Lead Warning Statement and a 10-day inspection period | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency |
Further back, federal rules take over. Housing built before 1978 carries the EPA's lead-based paint disclosure, and Austin Water notes that federal rules began requiring lead-free pipes and solder in 1986 and did not reach fittings and fixtures until 1996. The City's own permit record adds a fourth line: our count of the Issued Construction Permits dataset shows only 61 residential building permits issued in 1978 and 243 in 1979, so an original construction permit for a pre-1980 house is unlikely to be online at all.
None of these thresholds says a house is in poor condition. They say which documents exist, which disclosures the seller owes, and which City office will review a change, and a buyer who knows the year built can predict most of the paperwork before the first showing.
Sources: Austin Energy ↗ · City of Austin Planning ↗ · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ↗ · Austin Water ↗ · City of Austin Open Data ↗ · Austin Development Services ↗
How do you check the foundation and drainage on an older Austin house?
Every Texas home inspection must “render a written opinion as to the performance of the foundation,” under rule 535.228(a)(1)(A) of the Standards of Practice, and the same rule requires the inspector to report deficiencies in drainage around the foundation, in grade levels near it, and in installed gutter and downspout systems. On an older Austin house those two paragraphs of the report deserve to be read first, because foundation movement and water at the perimeter are the conditions most likely to produce a repair bill that changes the price.
Match the opinion to the seller's disclosure. The TREC Seller's Disclosure Notice asks whether the seller is aware of defects in the “Foundation/Slab(s)” and of “Previous Structural or Roof Repair,” “Improper Drainage,” “Water Damage Not Due to a Flood Event,” and “Landfill, Settling, Soil Movement, Fault Lines.” A “yes” on structural repair should come with the repair company's warranty and, ideally, the engineer's letter that specified the work; a “no” beside visible pier heads or patched cracks is a question for the seller and the inspector together.
Then decide whether the inspector's opinion is enough. The standards give you a performance opinion, not a diagnosis, so where the report describes movement, the next document is a structural engineer's evaluation of the specific foundation, priced separately and ordered inside the option period. On a pier-and-beam house ask the inspector how much of the crawlspace was accessible; on a slab, ask where the plumbing runs, since a leak under a slab is a foundation question as much as a plumbing one.
Sources: Texas Real Estate Commission ↗
What about lead paint, aluminum wiring, asbestos and old plumbing?
Older Austin houses raise a short list of material questions, and the Texas disclosure form names most of them. Item 4 of the TREC Seller's Disclosure Notice asks whether the seller is aware of asbestos components, urea-formaldehyde insulation, radon gas, lead-based paint, aluminum wiring, previous fires and previous termite damage, among other conditions; the seller answers from awareness, so the form tells you what the seller knows, not what the house contains.
Older-house conditions on the Texas Seller's Disclosure Notice and the rule behind each
| Condition | Where the seller answers | What else applies |
|---|---|---|
| Lead-based paint | Item 4, from awareness | EPA disclosure rule for pre-1978 housing: pamphlet, records, Lead Warning Statement, 10-day inspection period |
| Aluminum wiring | Item 4 | Inspector must report aluminum conductors lacking approved copper-to-aluminum connections (535.229) |
| Asbestos components | Item 4 | Not part of the visual inspection; a specialist test if suspected before demolition or remodeling |
| Urea-formaldehyde insulation, radon gas | Item 4 | Not part of the standard inspection; specialist testing |
| Previous structural or roof repair | Item 4 | Inspector gives a written opinion on foundation performance (535.228); ask for the repair warranty and engineer's letter |
| Improper drainage; water damage not due to a flood event | Item 4 | Inspector reports drainage, grade and gutter deficiencies (535.228) |
| Landfill, settling, soil movement, fault lines | Item 4 | Structural engineer's evaluation where the foundation opinion describes movement |
| Previous fires; termite damage or treatment | Item 4 | Ask for the repair and treatment records |
| Work done without necessary permits | Item 9 | Austin Build + Connect permit search and Property Profile footprint history |
Lead paint has its own federal process. For most pre-1978 private housing, the seller must give the buyer the EPA pamphlet “Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home,” disclose any known information about lead-based paint and its hazards, provide all available records and reports, include a Lead Warning Statement in the contract, and “provide homebuyers a 10-day period to conduct a paint inspection or risk assessment.” Lead in water is a different question with a clearer Austin answer: Austin Water says there is no lead in its source water or treated water, that its October 2024 field investigation found no lead service lines in the system, and that fewer than 1,000 galvanized lines on the private side of the meter were identified for replacement, with their owners notified. The utility's inventory map shows the service line material for an address.
Wiring is where the inspection standard does the most work. The electrical rules in 535.229 require an inspector to report the absence of ground-fault protection in bathrooms, garages, outdoors and other wet locations, the absence of arc-fault protection in bedrooms, kitchens, living areas and hallways, the presence of grounding at 125-volt receptacles, and, where aluminum branch-circuit conductors are found, whether approved copper-to-aluminum connections are in place. Read those lines closely on any house wired before the 1980s.
Sources: Texas Real Estate Commission ↗ · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ↗ · Austin Water ↗ · City of Austin ↗
Which records should you pull before the inspector arrives?
Pull the public record for an older Austin house before the inspection, so the inspector is briefed instead of guessing. Start with Property Profile, the City's parcel map, whose June 2026 layer list includes building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, demolition and tree permits, the FEMA and fully developed floodplains, and building footprints from 1987, 1997, 2003, 2006, 2013, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023. Switching between those footprint years shows, on the map, when a rear addition or a detached building first appeared, which is the fastest way to date the changes you saw at the showing.
Then match each change to a permit through the Austin Build + Connect public search, following the steps in the Austin permit search guide, and pull the appraisal record from the Travis Central Appraisal District's property database. Where the finished space you toured is larger than the record describes, or a footprint changed in a year with no permit, you have a specific question for the seller and a specific place for the inspector to look.
Add three more documents to the file: the seller's disclosure, read against the map and the permits; the ECAD audit or program record that Austin Energy requires for a home 10 years or older; and the FloodPro result for the address, because several building-permit exemptions do not apply in a flood hazard area and the Austin flood zone map guide explains what the zones change. The inspector cannot use records they never see.
Sources: City of Austin ↗ · Austin Energy ↗ · Travis Central Appraisal District ↗
Is the house historic, and what does that change?
Austin has “nearly 700 historic landmarks, 8 local historic districts, and 18 National Register historic districts,” according to the City's historic preservation office, and the way to find out whether a specific property is designated at the local or national level is the City's Historic Property Viewer map. The Historic Landmark Commission “reviews proposed exterior changes to all these resources, as well as demolitions and relocations of 45+ year-old buildings eligible for landmark designation.”
The distinctions matter for a renovation plan. A local historic landmark or a house inside one of the eight local historic districts faces City review of exterior work; a National Register listing is a different designation with different obligations; and a 45-year-old house with no designation at all can still trigger Commission review if it is eligible and the plan involves demolition or moving the building. Our guide to renovating a historic Hyde Park home walks through the local-district process, and the Hyde Park and Clarksville neighborhood guides describe where the districts sit.
For a buyer the rule is address-specific: a survey listing, a district boundary and a formal designation are three different facts, and the fact that a nearby house was changed says nothing about what can be done to this one. Get the designation status in writing before the purchase depends on an exterior change.
Sources: City of Austin Planning ↗
What does the seller's disclosure tell you about an older Austin house?
The Texas Seller's Disclosure Notice is the older-house buyer's second inspection, if it is read closely. Item 2 asks whether the seller is aware of known defects or malfunctions in the interior and exterior walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows, roof, foundation or slabs, sidewalks, walls and fences, driveways, plumbing, sewers and septics, electrical systems, lighting fixtures and other structural components. Item 4 covers the conditions listed above, from termites and previous fires to lead paint and aluminum wiring, and item 9 asks about “room additions, structural modifications, or other alterations or repairs made without necessary permits or not in compliance with building codes in effect at that time.”
The form also asks whether the house has working smoke detectors installed under Chapter 766 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, and explains that a buyer who is hearing impaired, or whose family member will live in the home and is hearing impaired, may require the seller to install detectors for the hearing impaired by making a written request within 10 days after the effective date. It asks about previous water penetration, flood insurance, floodplain location, homeowners' association fees, lawsuits and notices of violations.
A thorough “no” down the whole form on a 70-year-old house is not reassurance; it is the seller's awareness, and the record and the inspection are how you test it. Sellers of older homes do better answering fully and attaching the repair invoices, because a buyer who finds the invoice after the fact reprices the whole house. The selling page shows where the disclosure sits in the listing timeline.
Sources: Texas Real Estate Commission ↗
Should you buy the older Austin house as it stands or as a project?
Price an older Austin house two ways before you decide: as it stands, and after the changes that would make it work for you. The first budget is the inspection report's deficiencies sorted by consequence, with a structural engineer's number where the foundation opinion calls for one and the follow-up specialists the standards point to. The second adds the project, and in Austin the project carries its own reviews: a building permit for an addition or interior remodel, a tree ordinance review if a trunk of 19 inches or more is in the way, floodplain review if the lot touches a mapped zone, and historic review if the building is designated or 45 years or older and eligible.
Those reviews are fees and calendar, not mysteries. The Austin tree ordinance guide shows how the critical root zone shapes an addition, and the permit search guide shows what past work on the house went through. If the house only works after a project you cannot yet define, say so, and let the offer reflect that uncertainty rather than the finishes.
If you would like the year-built thresholds, the footprint history and the permit record read for one address before the inspection is scheduled, bring the listing to David. He can put together the record and the list of questions, and help you decide which specialists the report actually needs.
Sources: Texas Real Estate Commission ↗ · City of Austin Planning ↗
Common questions
What does a home inspection in Texas include?
A Texas real estate inspection follows the TREC Standards of Practice, which define it as a limited visual survey and basic performance evaluation of a home's systems and components using normal controls, reported on the Property Inspection Report form REI 7-6. It must include a written opinion on the performance of the foundation and cover grading and drainage, electrical, and the other systems in rules 535.227 to 535.233. It is not a comprehensive investigation into the cause of what the inspector finds.
Does an older home in Austin need an energy audit before it is sold?
Under Austin's Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure ordinance, a home within the Austin Energy service area and the Austin city limits that is 10 years old or older must comply before sale, per Austin Energy, either through an audit by a qualified ECAD Energy Professional or by participating in a qualifying efficiency program such as Home Energy Savings, Residential Rebates with three or more improvements or $500 or more in rebates, or Weatherization Assistance. Exemptions and variances are listed on Austin Energy's site.
Do sellers have to disclose lead paint in Texas?
Yes, twice over. The TREC Seller's Disclosure Notice asks whether the seller is aware of lead-based paint, and for most housing built before 1978 the federal EPA rule requires the seller to give the buyer the pamphlet Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home, disclose any known lead-based paint information, provide available records and reports, include a Lead Warning Statement, and allow a 10-day period for a paint inspection or risk assessment.
Are there lead water pipes in Austin?
Austin Water says there is no lead in its source water from Lake Austin and Lake Travis or in its treated drinking water, and that its October 2024 field investigation of all water service lines found no lead service lines in the system. Fewer than 1,000 galvanized lines on the private side of the meter were identified for replacement and their owners notified. Austin Water notes that homes built before 1986 have long been considered most at risk for lead in solder and pipes.
When does an old house in Austin need historic review?
The Historic Landmark Commission reviews proposed exterior changes to Austin's nearly 700 historic landmarks and its 8 local historic districts and 18 National Register districts, and also reviews demolitions and relocations of buildings 45 years or older that are eligible for landmark designation. Designation is address-specific; check the City's Historic Property Viewer map for the property before planning an exterior change.
Take this to your next conversation
- Note the year built and list the rules it triggers: ECAD at 10 years, historic review at 45, lead paint before 1978, lead plumbing before 1986.
- Pull Property Profile's building footprints from 1987 to 2023, the AB+C permit history and the appraisal record, and mark every change that has no permit.
- Give the inspector that list, read the foundation and drainage opinions first, and order the engineer or specialist the report points to inside the option period.
Sources and review date
Sources checked . Planning suggestions are editorial guidance; current property facts and requirements need an address-specific check.
- Texas Real Estate Commission: Real Estate Inspector Standards of Practice, online version (22 TAC 535.227 to 535.233) ↗
- Texas Real Estate Commission: Updates to Texas inspector Standards of Practice and inspection report form (REI 7-6) ↗
- Texas Real Estate Commission: Seller's Disclosure Notice (Form 55-1) ↗
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Real estate disclosures about potential lead hazards ↗
- Austin Water: Lead ↗
- City of Austin: Austin Water confirms no lead pipes in the system (October 9, 2024) ↗
- Austin Energy: ECAD for residential customers ↗
- City of Austin Planning: Historic properties ↗
- City of Austin: Property Profile layers (June 2026) ↗
- City of Austin Open Data: Issued Construction Permits ↗
- Austin Development Services: Certificate of Occupancy ↗
- Travis Central Appraisal District: Home page and property search ↗