Fenton Township, Michigan
Looking for a Fenton Township home inspector? We do certified home, commercial, mold and radon inspections in Fenton Township, seven days a week. Home inspection reports come back in 24 hours.
Schedule your inspectionCall 734-331-3269
Services
For buyers, sellers, and homeowners keeping an eye on the place they already own. On new construction we also do pre-drywall inspections and 11-month builder’s warranty inspections. Our certified inspectors walk every major system in your Fenton Township home and tell you plainly what they found — then put it in a photo-rich digital report within 24 hours.
Following the InterNACHI Standards of Practice:
Included free with every home buyer inspection— and none of them require us to sell your information.
SatisfactionIf you are unhappy with your inspector on the day of the inspection, before you have seen your report, tell us and we will make it right — or you owe us nothing.
30-Day WarrantyA free 30-day Guard home warranty trial, negotiated for you with no obligation. Activate it whenever you are ready.
$100 OffThe buyer’s protection guarantee: if the first home we inspect for you does not make it to the closing table, for any reason, we take $100 off any further home buyer inspection within 30 days of the original.
Optional services at an additional cost — not part of a standard inspection. Tap one to see what it covers.
A camera down the main sewer line, watching its condition from the inside — roots, breaks, bellies and blockages no visual inspection can find. More about sewer scope inspections
The wood-destroying organism report VA buyers are typically asked to provide, on the federal NPMA-33 form. Carried out during the same visit. More about Veterans WDO inspections
Up to five air samples sent to an accredited laboratory, added to the same appointment rather than booked as a second visit. More about mold inspection and testing
View a sample report
Offices, retail, multifamily and warehouses in Fenton Township and across Genesee County. Know what condition a building is in before you sign — or stay ahead of problems in the one you already own. Reports in 24 to 72 hours depending on size.
Following the CCPIA commercial standards:
Commonly added to a commercial inspection at additional cost.
Commercial laterals are longer, older and carry more. A camera is the only way to see the condition of the one you are buying. More about sewer scope inspections
Air samples to an accredited laboratory, which matters most in buildings that have sat empty or had a roof or plumbing leak. More about mold inspection and testing
View a sample report
Add either to a Fenton Township home or commercial inspection, or book it on its own. We test and we never remediate, so there is nothing to sell you on the back of a result — the number you get is just the number.
Radon measured in house on a professional continuous monitor; mold samples to an accredited laboratory:
The other things worth testing while somebody is already there.
Carried out after remediation on the treated area and the areas next to it, to confirm what was found. More about mold inspection and testing
A damp basement can have several causes, and the buried sewer line is the one a visual inspection cannot check. A scope rules it in or out. More about sewer scope inspections
View a sample reportFenton Township housing stock
Fenton Township has roughly 6,860 housing units and about 88% of them are single-family detached. Age is the most useful single fact about a house before anyone has seen it. It narrows down what is worth checking first, and it is why two places of much the same size can need quite different inspections.
If the town has a defining decade it is the 2000s, which accounts for 1,698 homes, around 25% of the housing stock.
The median owner-occupied home here is valued at $307,200. 93% are owner-occupied, which is high even for this area. There are around 175 manufactured and mobile homes in Fenton Township. Those are a different inspection — the questions are about the frame, the anchoring and the skirting rather than a basement.
Treat this as a starting list, not a diagnosis. A Fenton Township home inspector checks these things early in a home of this age and then records what is genuinely there, which is often not what the era would suggest.
Housing figures: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2022 five-year estimates.
When Fenton Township was built
91% of homes here run on utility gas, and 9 still heat with oil. If yours is one of them, the tank is the thing to ask about — where it is, and whether it was ever buried. Another 124 use bottled or LP gas.
Local knowledge
Fenton Township draws a line about sewer backups that most municipalities leave vague, and it is worth reading before you buy anything here.
The Township’s position is that if a backup is caused by a blockage in the main gravity sanitary sewer line, the Township pays all expenses incurred. If the backup is due to a blockage in your sewer lead — the pipe running from the Township main to your building — the homeowner is responsible for all costs incurred.
That is about as clear as this gets anywhere, and it puts the buried lead squarely on the owner. It is also the one part of the drainage system that no visual inspection reaches: it runs underground from the building to the street, and nothing you can see from inside the house tells you what condition it is in.
The housing here skews recent. Of about 6,860 units, 1,698 were built in the 2000s and 1,488 in the 1990s, with 749 from the 1970s, 704 from the 1980s and 691 from the 1960s. Around 88% is single-family detached. Even the newest of those leads has been in the ground long enough for mature landscaping to have grown alongside it.
Before you buy
The permit gap
One line in the Township’s building and ordinance FAQ changes what a permit search is worth here: building permits are not required for replacing a roof, windows, or siding. They are required only when the structure itself changes — roof pitch, trusses, or the size of a window or door opening.
That is a legitimate policy and plenty of municipalities take the same view. But it means the permit record cannot answer the questions a buyer most wants answered about the exterior. Was the roof replaced or laid over the old one? How many layers are up there? Was the flashing renewed at the same time, or reused? Who did the work, and when? None of that is in a file that was never opened.
So the roof, the windows and the siding have to be assessed on what they actually show. On the roof that means the covering and its condition, the flashings, the penetrations, the edges and the ventilation, and any evidence of a covering laid over an older one. Inside, it means the attic where it is accessible — staining on sheathing, daylight where there should not be any, insulation that has been wetted and matted, and whether bathroom and kitchen fans terminate outside or simply into the attic.
On windows and siding, the questions are how the openings were flashed and sealed and whether water is getting behind the cladding. A replacement window fitted into an existing opening without proper flashing can look immaculate and still be feeding water into the wall below it.
A buyer’s inspection covers the roof, structure, foundation, drainage, electrical, heating and cooling, plumbing and the accessible interior, and reports what the building shows today rather than what a file records. In a township where three of the most expensive exterior components are exempt from permitting, that distinction matters more than usual.
Sump pumps, downspouts and manholes
The Township’s sewer department FAQ is unusually direct about storm water, and two of its answers describe things we look at on every visit.
Sump pumps may not be connected to the sanitary sewer, and the Township cites Public Act 222 for the prohibition. Downspouts and other storm water may not be connected either. The Township’s stated reasoning is practical: storm water routed into the sanitary system has to be treated at the plant, and it overtaxes the lines themselves, eventually forcing expensive upsizing.
Where a sump pump discharges is something an inspection can and does record. So is where the downspouts go — whether they run to daylight well away from the building, discharge at the foundation where the water simply returns to the footing drains, or disappear into a buried line whose destination nobody can name. On a property where the discharge is buried and unexplained, that is worth raising with the Township before closing rather than after.
Manholes are the other one. The Township allows a manhole in a yard to be covered with wood chips, lightly covered with gravel, or topped with a light flowerpot — but it must remain accessible, and an owner who buries a raised manhole is charged for the crew that has to uncover it. Only authorized Township employees or their contractors may open one, and inflow protectors have been installed in all of them to keep storm water out.
If you cannot find your sewer connection, the Township says its staff will review as-builts to help you locate the lead, and only contractors registered with the Township may install one.
Wells, septic and the new water main
The Township states that the Southern Lakes Water Extension is the first time municipal water has been brought to Fenton Township, and that as of December 2023 Phase I of the project is live, with properties along that portion of the system able to begin the process of connecting.
That is an unusual thing to be able to say in 2026, and it means the first question on any property here is what it is actually connected to. Some properties are on the new main; others are on private wells, as everything here once was.
The waste side has its own timetable. Any property within 250 feet of the Township sewer system must connect. But existing homes are not required to connect when sewer becomes available — only when their existing septic system fails. A connection permit is, at the time of writing, $7,600 for a direct connection and $6,000 for an indirect one, and the Township asks that current figures be confirmed with its office.
For a buyer, that combination is worth understanding rather than discovering. A house on a septic system near an available sewer line carries an obligation that triggers on failure, not on sale — so the age and condition of that septic system is not just a maintenance question, it is the clock on a connection you will eventually pay for.
We do not test water and we do not evaluate septic systems. Both are separate disciplines with their own credentials, and on a private well and septic property you will want the county health department involved alongside a building inspection rather than instead of one. What a building inspection covers is the house and the ground immediately around it — accessible grading, gutters and downspouts and where they discharge, foundation conditions, the basement or crawlspace, and any sump equipment. The Township also notes that a well must be located ten feet from a gravity sanitary sewer lead.
Permits and bonds
Fenton Township attaches a refundable bond to every building permit — $350 for residential new construction and additions, $250 for accessory buildings — released within thirty days of a final approved inspection by the building official. Permits themselves are charged by the square foot, and plan review generally runs five to seven business days.
The bond is a small amount of money doing a useful job: it gives an owner a direct reason to call for the final inspection rather than leave a permit open indefinitely. Open permits that were never finalled are a recurring problem across this region, and a mechanism that discourages them is worth noting.
The Township also now administers plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits and inspections itself, which means the trade records for a property should sit with the same office as the building records — useful when you are trying to reconstruct what was done to a house and when. The Building Department is the place to ask.
Two boundaries are worth knowing. New construction cannot be occupied before a final certificate of occupancy is issued — the Township is explicit that nobody may move in or stay overnight before then. And seawalls, beach work and wetlands are not Township matters at all; those permits are pulled through the state. On a township with this much water in it, that is a distinction worth getting right before you plan anything at the shoreline.
The buried line
Everything above comes back to the same component. The Township pays when the main gravity line is blocked. The homeowner pays all costs when the blockage is in the lead. And the lead is buried.
On a 2000s house that pipe has been in the ground twenty-five years with the landscaping planted alongside it now mature; on a 1960s house it is sixty. Either is long enough for roots to find a joint, for ground movement to displace a section, or for a repair to have been made that nobody now remembers. We will not name a material from a build year, because no authoritative source establishes what Fenton Township leads are generally made of.
A sewer camera inspection records what is actually inside: roots, cracks, displaced joints, bellies or blockages where they exist, and a clear run where they do not. It is added to the same visit rather than booked separately, and on a property where the responsibility for that pipe is stated this plainly, knowing before you own it is worth more than knowing after.
Alongside it, commercial building inspections follow the CCPIA standard for offices, retail, multifamily and warehouse property, and radon testing or mold inspection and testing can be added to a residential or commercial visit. Read what clients say about how the reports read.
Local information from Fenton Township — sewer department frequently asked questions · Fenton Township — building and ordinance frequently asked questions · Fenton Township — Building Department information. Municipal requirements change — verify current details with the municipality.
Radon in Genesee County
Zone 2 is the middle EPA category — the predicted average indoor level across the county sits between 2 and 4 pCi/L.
We place a continuous monitor for 48 hours and read the result on site — no mail-in kit, no lab wait. How radon testing works · Genesee County radon and inspection coverage
Zone from the EPA Map of Radon Zones.
Why choose us
Five reasons people here pick us as their Fenton Township home inspector.
Family owned since 2009, more than 16,000 inspections completed and over 2,000 five-star reviews across Michigan. We also handle home buyer inspections, commercial building inspections, mold testing and radon testing.
We do not sell mold remediation or radon mitigation, so there is nothing to gain from a result that comes back bad. The number you get is just the number.
Radon, mold, sewer scope and wood-destroying organism inspections go on the same appointment as the home inspection rather than costing you a second morning.
Most people do, and it is the most useful hour of the whole purchase. Ask anything while we are standing in front of it.
InterNACHI and CCPIA certified, with four Certified Master Inspectors and National Home Inspector Examination passes on the team — none of which Michigan requires. The standards we inspect to are published and you can hold the work against them.
Including weekends, because inspection windows sit on closing dates and closing dates do not care what day it is.
Reviews
Outstanding precision and attention to detail! Helps being able to make a truly informed decision about a home! Also, they are very veteran-friendly! No complaints here!
Desmond SheppardFlint, MINoah Scott was very thorough and explaining things to us, especially in regard to a possible mold problem.
Claudette GranvilleFlint, MII recently hired Trademark for a full home inspection on a new purchase, including sewer scope and radon testing. It was a phenomenal experience from beginning to end. Our inspector, Mitch, did a fantastic job explaining all the findings, and the digital report with photos and videos was superb. Would definitely recommend without hesitation.
Salina HamiltonOak Park, MIWhat happens
Questions
It depends where the blockage is, and Fenton Township states the split clearly. If the main gravity sanitary sewer line is blocked and the Township is responsible, the Township pays all expenses incurred. If the blockage is in your sewer lead, the homeowner is responsible for all costs incurred. The Township also asks that you stop running water immediately and call the office, or the emergency number outside business hours.
No. The Township states that building permits are not required for replacing a roof, windows or siding — only when the structure itself changes, such as roof pitch, trusses, or the size of a window or door opening. The practical consequence for a buyer is that a permit search cannot tell you whether the roof was replaced, how many layers are up there, or whether the flashing was renewed. That has to be assessed on the building itself.
Possibly, and the trigger is worth understanding. Any property within 250 feet of the Township sewer system must connect. Existing homes, however, are not required to connect when sewer becomes available — only when their existing septic system fails. So the condition and age of that septic system is effectively the clock on a connection you will eventually pay for. The Township publishes its connection permit fees and its office can confirm current figures and whether service is available to a given property.
No. The Township states that sump pumps may not be connected to the sanitary sewer, citing Public Act 222, and that storm water may not be connected either. Its reasoning is that storm water routed into the sanitary system must be treated at the plant and overtaxes the lines. Where a sump pump and the downspouts actually discharge is something we record on the inspection, along with whether that discharge sends water away from the building or straight back to the footings.
Ask, because both exist here. The Township states that the Southern Lakes Water Extension is the first time municipal water has been brought to Fenton Township, with Phase I live as of December 2023 and properties along that portion able to begin connecting. Everything else is on private wells. We do not take or analyze water samples — that is a separate discipline with its own credentials — but establishing which supply a property is on is the first question.
Only lightly. The Township allows a manhole to be covered with wood chips, lightly covered with gravel, or topped with a light flowerpot, but it must remain accessible, and an owner who buries a raised manhole is charged for the crew that has to uncover it. Only authorized Township employees or their contractors may open one.
Mostly recent. Of about 6,860 housing units, 1,698 were built in the 2000s and 1,488 in the 1990s, with 749 from the 1970s, 704 from the 1980s and 691 from the 1960s. Around 88% is single-family detached. A house from the early 2000s is now at the point where its first roof, furnace and water heater are all reaching the end of a typical service life at roughly the same time.
On a property connected to the Township system, yes — more so than in most places, because the Township states plainly that a blockage in your lead is the homeowner’s cost in full. The lead is buried and nothing visual reaches it. We will not guess a material from a build year. Putting a camera down the line documents roots, cracks, displaced joints, bellies or blockages where they exist, and is added to the same appointment. Get in touch to talk through a particular property.
More on cost, timing and what is included on the FAQ page.
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From the blog
February 24, 2026
November 23, 2017
Your local Fenton Township home inspector, seven days a week. Home inspection reports in 24 hours.
