Garden City, Michigan
Looking for a Garden City home inspector? We do certified home, commercial, mold and radon inspections in Garden City, 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 Garden City 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 Garden City and across Wayne 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 Garden City 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 reportGarden City housing stock
Garden City has roughly 11,324 housing units and about 90% 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 1950s, which accounts for 6,279 homes, around 55% of the housing stock. At 90% single-family it is almost entirely detached houses, so the inspection is nearly always of a whole building rather than one unit inside one.
The median owner-occupied home here is valued at $152,800.
Treat this as a starting list, not a diagnosis. A Garden City 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 Garden City was built
91% of homes here run on utility gas, and 10 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 103 use bottled or LP gas.
Local knowledge
More than half of this city went up in a single decade. That one fact is more useful than calling Garden City an older community, and it changes what an inspection is really for.
Of roughly 11,324 housing units, 6,279 — 55.4% — were built between 1950 and 1959. Another 12.9% followed in the 1960s and 10.6% in the 1970s. Since 1980, everything built together comes to under 7%. The median build year is 1956 and 90% of units are single-family detached. Concentration like that is unusual even in a region full of postwar suburbs.
Those are not just our numbers. The City’s 2026 Housing Readiness Master Plan Amendment draft reproduces the same 2022 census table unit for unit, and says that “consistent with post-World War II suburban growth throughout the United States, Garden City experienced its largest boom of housing construction between 1950 and 1959”, with construction dropping off significantly since.
Here is why that matters on an inspection. When most of a town was built within a few years of itself, the age of a house tells you almost nothing your neighbor’s house would not. What separates one 1956 Garden City house from the next is roughly seventy years of decisions about what to replace and when. That is the question worth answering — and it is worth remembering that about 45% of the city was not built in the 1950s at all.
Before you buy
Two inspections, two purposes
This one catches people out, so it is worth knowing early in the process rather than late.
The City’s Building Department issues Certificates of Occupancy “for new construction, as well as for the sale or rental of residential and commercial properties”. Its guidance on resale is unambiguous: anytime a property is going to be sold or has been sold, a certificate of occupancy is required before the new owner occupies it — and, in the City’s words, you cannot close your deal without one.
The practical details are worth planning around. A certificate is good for one year from the date it is issued. A fee is due when you book the inspection. Inspections run Monday to Thursday, morning or afternoon. And the department cautions that most home sales happen in spring and summer, when it is not uncommon for a seller to wait three to six weeks — so a certificate arranged in a quiet month is ready for an immediate closing date. The residential packet sits on the City’s Building Documents page.
What it is not is a substitute for your own inspection, and the reverse is equally true. The certificate is a municipal process, usually the seller’s, confirming the property meets the City’s requirements so that a new owner can occupy it. A buyer’s inspection is a different job done for a different person: the condition of the roof, structure, foundation, drainage, electrical, heating and cooling, plumbing and accessible interior — what is failing now, what is close to the end of its service life, and what you should be planning for. Both happen before the same closing, and neither one does the other’s job.
Seventy years of decisions
In a city this uniform, the build year is close to useless as a distinguishing fact. What separates two 1956 houses on the same street is everything that has happened to them since.
The City’s permit guidance reads almost like a checklist of that. Building permits cover roof, windows, exterior doors, siding and gutters, and bathroom and kitchen remodels. Mechanical covers water tank, furnace, air conditioner and generators. Electrical covers service panels, circuits, fixtures and hard-wired smoke detectors. Plumbing covers sewer repairs, water tank, sinks, toilets and showers. Every item on that list is something a seventy-year-old house has either had done or has not.
What we will not do is guess which. A 1956 build year does not establish that a house still has its original service panel, its original supply plumbing or an unlined chimney. Some do. Some were updated thirty years ago. Some were updated last spring. The only way to know is to look at the house, and that is what the inspection is.
The City’s draft housing amendment makes the same point from the other side: it notes that construction has dropped off significantly since the 1970s, that housing in Garden City is aging and requires more frequent repairs, and that connecting residents to resources for repairing and upgrading their homes is a goal worth considering.
Permit records help fill in the history, with the usual caution attached: a permit is not evidence that work is in good condition today, and nothing on file is not evidence that work was done badly.
The buried line
Garden City describes the split between its system and yours more plainly than most municipalities manage.
Its public services guidance says that when a homeowner experiences flooding in the basement or a sewer backup, the city will send someone out to check the main sewer and make sure the city lines are not plugged — and that if the City lines are open, the homeowner will be advised to contact a plumber. The Department of Public Works maintains the streets, water distribution system and both sanitary and storm sewers.
Read that for what it is. It is a response procedure, and a clear description of where the municipal system ends and a property’s own plumbing begins. It is not evidence that basement backups are common in Garden City, and we found nothing establishing a general pattern here, so we are not going to suggest one.
Two things we also will not tell you. We will not name a lateral material from a build year: there is no authoritative source establishing what Garden City laterals are generally made of, and 1956 settles nothing when the City’s own permit list includes sewer repairs — evidence that lines here do get worked on. And we will not state the exact legal boundary of private lateral responsibility; the City’s procedure makes the practical split clear, but we did not find current City language defining that boundary, and Public Works is the place to confirm it for one address.
Condition, though, can be answered directly. A sewer camera inspection records what is actually in the line — roots, cracks, displaced joints, bellies or blockages where they exist, and a clear run where they do not. It goes on the same visit.
Water service
Garden City publishes real help here, and the way to use it is narrower than it first looks.
The City tells water customers that if they would like their interior meter main-side service line inspected to determine whether it contains lead, they can contact Garden City Public Works, and it points to Great Lakes Water Authority guidance on how to determine the pipe material used in a service line.
What that establishes is that the City is actively helping identify service-line material. It does not establish that a 1950s Garden City house has a lead service line — the City offers identification precisely because the answer is property-specific. A home inspection does not determine service-line material either, and we will not imply otherwise; the City’s process is the route to that answer.
What an inspection does cover is the condition of what is in front of it, photographed and written up with how urgent each finding is. 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 either a residential or a commercial appointment.
Local information from City of Garden City — Building Department · City of Garden City — Building Documents and C of O packet · City of Garden City — frequently asked questions · City of Garden City — Department of Public Works · City of Garden City — 2026 Housing Readiness Master Plan Amendment (draft). Municipal requirements change — verify current details with the municipality.
Radon in Wayne County
Zone 3 is the lowest of the three EPA categories — the predicted average indoor level across the county is below 2 pCi/L. So on the state’s map Garden City sits well away from the worst of it, and we are not going to dress that up into something it is not. What a zone cannot tell you is anything about one house: 17% of tests actually run in Wayne County still came back at or above the EPA’s 4 pCi/L action level, which is about one in six. Zones are drawn around counties, not around addresses, which is why the only number that settles the question is the one from the house itself.
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 · Wayne County radon and inspection coverage
Zone from the EPA Map of Radon Zones. Elevated-result share from the Michigan Indoor Radon Program.
Why choose us
Five reasons people here pick us as their Garden City 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
Justin with Trademark Inspection services did a fantastic job with the mold inspection in my house. They did a very thorough job, answered all of my questions and were very personal and professional. Afterwards, a comprehensive report was sent which was very helpful. I would highly recommend Trademark Inspection services for any type of inspection needs.
Stacy HayesGarden City, MIOra from Trademark did an incredible job with the inspection and sewer scope of the home I am in the process of buying. He was very thorough, explained everything to me from the start, and made it all super easy to understand which definitely helped to put me at ease a bit more. Highly recommend this company!
Mariah HartmanWestland, MIJim was prompt and thorough during the mold testing. Clearly gave us an explanation about mold and testing process he was going to conduct. Testing was followed by a written report. I would recommend everyone use a third party to test mold, independent from the company conducting remediation work. I would hire Trademark again and strongly recommend them.
Alberto PicconeNorthville, MIWhat happens
Questions
Because that is when the city was built. Census figures put 6,279 of roughly 11,324 housing units — 55.4% — in the 1950s, with a median build year of 1956. The City’s own 2026 Housing Readiness Master Plan Amendment draft reproduces the same table and explains it: consistent with post-World War II suburban growth across the United States, Garden City experienced its largest boom of housing construction between 1950 and 1959, and construction has dropped off significantly since. Worth noting the other side of it too — roughly 45% of the city was built in some other decade.
Yes. The City’s Building Department issues Certificates of Occupancy for new construction and for the sale or rental of residential and commercial properties, and its guidance states that anytime a property is going to be sold or has been sold, a certificate of occupancy is required before the new owner occupies it. The City is direct that a deal cannot close without one. A certificate is good for one year from issue, a fee is due when the inspection is booked, and the residential packet is on the City’s Building Documents page. Arrange it early — the department warns that in spring and summer it is not uncommon to wait three to six weeks.
Yes, because they are doing different jobs for different people. The Certificate of Occupancy is a municipal process, usually handled by the seller, confirming the property meets the City’s requirements so a new owner can occupy it. An independent home inspection is commissioned by the buyer and reports on condition — the roof, structure, foundation, drainage, electrical, heating and cooling, plumbing and accessible interior, what is failing, what is near the end of its service life and what to plan for. Neither one substitutes for the other, and both happen before the same closing.
What has been replaced, and what has not. When most of the city is the same age, the build year stops distinguishing one house from another — seventy years of maintenance decisions do that instead. The City’s permit list is a good guide to the items in question: roofs, windows, exterior doors, siding and gutters, kitchen and bathroom remodels, water tanks, furnaces, air conditioners, service panels, circuits, hard-wired smoke detectors and sewer repairs. An inspection establishes which of those are original, which were updated and what condition each is in now. We would not infer any of it from the year the house was built.
It is worth considering. The City’s own guidance draws the line clearly: on a basement flood or sewer backup it checks the main sewer first, and if the city lines are open the homeowner is advised to contact a plumber — which means the line from the house is the property’s own problem to understand. Housing age does not establish what that line is made of or what condition it is in, and we are not aware of any source establishing what Garden City laterals are generally made of. Putting a camera down the line documents its accessible interior directly, and is added to the same appointment.
That has to be determined property by property, and the City provides the route to do it. Garden City water customers can contact Public Works to have the interior meter main-side service line inspected to determine whether it contains lead, and the City points to Great Lakes Water Authority guidance on identifying service-line pipe material. Note what that does and does not mean: it establishes that the City is actively helping identify service-line material, not that any particular house has a lead line. The age of the house does not answer it, and neither does a home inspection — the City’s process does.
Yes. You can book a Garden City home inspector with us seven days a week, and we cover the rest of Wayne County too.
A home inspection report reaches you within 24 hours. Commercial buildings are 24 to 72 hours depending on size, a radon result comes at the end of the 48-hour test, and mold samples come back from the lab in one to three business days.
More on cost, timing and what is included on the FAQ page.
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