Marion Township, Michigan
Looking for a Marion Township home inspector? We do certified home, commercial, mold and radon inspections in Marion 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 Marion 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 Marion Township and across Livingston 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 Marion 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 reportMarion Township housing stock
Marion Township has roughly 4,023 housing units and about 92% 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 1,139 homes, around 28% of the housing stock. At 92% 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 $337,400. 95% are owner-occupied, which is high even for this area.
Treat this as a starting list, not a diagnosis. A Marion 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 Marion Township was built
78% of homes here run on utility gas, and 70 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 463 use bottled or LP gas.
Local knowledge
Marion Township’s water and sewer ordinance does something most municipalities never get around to: it says exactly where the water service stops being theirs and starts being yours.
The Township maintains ownership and maintenance responsibility from the water main up to and including the curb stop. From the curb stop to the meter — and from the property line to the meter — the pipe is the owner’s responsibility. The ordinance also makes the property owner responsible for the actual cost of constructing all the line from the main to the premises in the first place.
So the curb stop is the boundary. That small cast-iron cover in the lawn or the verge, the one most people never think about, is where responsibility changes hands.
It is worth reading alongside what other municipalities say about the sewer. In Farmington, for example, the owner is responsible for the sanitary lateral to and including the connection at the main — the whole run. Here, on the water side, the Township carries it to the curb stop. Different utilities, different boundaries, and neither is obvious from looking at a house.
The township is young: of about 4,023 units, 1,139 were built in the 2000s and 764 in the 1990s, with 532 more since 2010 — 42% of the housing built this century. Around 92% is single-family detached.
Before you buy
The curb stop
The Township’s water and sewer ordinance sets the line in two places and they agree with each other: the Township maintains ownership and maintenance responsibility from the main up to and including the curb stop, and the water service pipe from the curb stop — and from the property line — to the meter is the owner’s.
Two practical consequences follow, and both are worth knowing before you own the house.
The first is repair. A leak on the Township side is the Township’s to fix. A leak between the curb stop and the meter is yours, and on a buried line that means excavation across your own ground. Where the curb stop actually is, and how far it sits from the building, is therefore a real question rather than a curiosity — and it is also, as other municipalities in this project point out, the best way to estimate where the buried service runs.
The second is frost. The ordinance requires anyone taking water to keep their service pipe and meter protected from frost at their own expense, and states that where either is damaged by frost the repair is made by a licensed plumber employed by the owner. In Michigan that is not a theoretical clause. A service entering through an unheated crawlspace, a meter in an uninsulated pit or an unheated garage, or a run against an uninsulated foundation wall are all situations where a cold January becomes an expensive one.
That is squarely inspectable. On an inspection we report where the water service enters the building, what the visible supply piping appears to be, whether the meter is in heated space or in a pit, and whether visible piping in unheated areas has any protection. The ordinance also contemplates below-grade meter pits — permitted with Township approval where a sump pump or drain is provided, and required to be brick or concrete to Township specification with the cover opening directly over the meter — so if a property has one, its condition and accessibility are worth noting.
Two governments
Marion is the fourth Livingston County township in this project to run the same arrangement, and it explains it more concretely than any of the others.
The Township’s planning and zoning department issues a land use permit, required for a new structure such as a deck, a pool, an accessory building, or an addition to an existing structure. Applying for it takes three sets of plans — one for the Township and two for Livingston County — and once the land use permit is approved, you go to the Livingston County Building Department for the construction permits.
One set for the Township and two for the County is the tidiest possible illustration of a two-government permit system, and it tells a buyer exactly where to look. The Township holds the land use record: what was approved, where it was allowed to sit, and against which zoning. The County holds the construction record: the building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits and the inspections against them.
A permit search that covers only one of those is half a search. On a township where 42% of the housing has gone up since 2000, most properties will have records in both places.
The Township publishes a substantial planning library alongside the applications: development standards, a schedule of regulations, the zoning ordinance and map, a master plan, a pre-existing private road application, land use affidavits for agricultural and personal buildings, a kennel application, a solar overlay map, a wellhead protection map and a stormwater maintenance agreement.
Two of those are worth flagging for a buyer. A wellhead protection map matters because it describes the ground that supplies drinking water and what may be done on it. A stormwater maintenance agreement is a recorded obligation to maintain a drainage feature — a basin, a swale, a structure — and it runs with the land rather than with the person who signed it. If a property has one, it is worth reading before closing rather than inheriting unread.
Water and sewer service
Marion’s municipal water comes from the joint authority covering Marion, Howell, Oceola and Genoa townships. That authority serves water customers in all four — and sanitary sewer customers in only two of them.
So on any given parcel here, water and sewer are separate questions with separate answers, and neither can be settled from a map or an assumption. The Township publishes its own water connection and sanitary sewer connection applications, a new water service connection manual, a sanitary sewer inspection procedure and even a sewer training video, which tells you these connections are made often enough to warrant the guidance.
The Township’s water and sewer page also carries the practical numbers: a water emergency line staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day, a sewer emergency number for weekday business hours with 911 out of hours, and a single instruction for anyone buying a house — call the authority to have billing changed into your name and to arrange final billing on the outgoing account.
Do that rather than assuming it happens automatically. Utility accounts have a habit of attaching to properties rather than people, and a final reading is far easier to arrange before the keys change hands than to unpick afterwards.
And one blunt instruction the Township repeats, which we would echo on every page in this project: wipes are not flushable, whatever the packaging claims. On a system with pumps in it, they are the single most common avoidable cause of a failure.
On a property served by a private well and septic system rather than the municipal services, the wellhead, pressure tank, pump and electrical supply are equipment you take on, and the tank and drainfield belong to a county health department evaluation. We do not take or analyze water samples and we do not evaluate septic systems — both are separate disciplines with their own credentials.
The buried line
Whichever side of the curb stop a water problem falls on, the sanitary lateral is a different pipe entirely — and it is the one component no visual inspection reaches.
People assume a house built in 2003 is too new for this to matter. On that house the lateral has been in the ground twenty-five years, and the trees planted when the subdivision went in have had exactly the same twenty-five years to reach it. That is precisely the age at which root systems get large enough to start looking for water at a joint. On one of the 191 units here predating 1940, it is closer to a century.
We will not name a material from a build year, because no authoritative source establishes what Marion Township laterals are generally made of. On a property with a septic system, the question is a different one and belongs to the county health department — though the run between the house and the tank is still the owner’s, and still worth looking inside.
A sewer camera inspection records what is actually inside the line: 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. 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. Get in touch to talk through a particular property.
Local information from Marion Township — planning and zoning, land use permits and the county split · Marion Township — water and sewer department · Marion Township — water and sewer ordinance. Municipal requirements change — verify current details with the municipality.
Radon in Livingston 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 · Livingston County radon and inspection coverage
Zone from the EPA Map of Radon Zones.
Why choose us
Five reasons people here pick us as their Marion 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
I 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, MIWe had Mitch inspect our prospective house and he was amazing. He was thorough, patient to answer my questions and provide feedback on what areas he would recommend having a follow up expert and why. The office was responsive and I was able to book multiple services to be done in the same visit (inspection, radon test, sewer scope).
Chris PlaweckiOak Park, MIThis is one of the finest companies I have come across - that means serious customer service and professionalism. Justin was the inspector and he was very thorough yet very kind to answers all the questions that came in my mind during inspection. He took enough time, no rush, and a very detailed inspection was conducted. Extremely competitive pricing and timing from the company. 100% recommend to anyone looking for any kind of property inspection!!
Chirag R MiyaniMichiganWhat happens
Questions
It splits at the curb stop. Marion Township’s ordinance states that the Township maintains ownership and maintenance responsibility from the water main up to and including the curb stop, and that the water service pipe from the curb stop — and from the property line — to the meter is the owner’s responsibility. The owner is also responsible for the actual cost of constructing the line from the main to the premises in the first place.
It is your bill. The ordinance requires anyone taking water to keep their service pipe and meter protected from frost at their own expense, and states that where either is damaged by frost the repair is made by a licensed plumber employed by the owner. On an inspection we report where the service enters the building, whether the meter is in heated space or in a pit, and whether visible piping in unheated areas has any protection.
Livingston County. The Township issues a land use permit first — required for a new deck, pool, accessory building or addition — and applying takes three sets of plans, one for the Township and two for the County. Once the land use permit is approved you go to the Livingston County Building Department for the construction permits.
Both places. The Township holds the land use record — what was approved, where it was allowed to sit, and against which zoning. The County holds the building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits and the inspection records. A search covering only one is half a search, and on a township where 42% of the housing has gone up since 2000, most properties will appear in both.
They are separate questions here. The four-township authority serving this area provides water in all four townships but sanitary sewer in only two of them, so a parcel can have one without the other. The Township publishes its own water and sanitary sewer connection applications and is the right office to ask about a specific address.
A recorded obligation to maintain a drainage feature on a property — a basin, a swale, a structure. The Township publishes one among its planning documents. The important point for a buyer is that it runs with the land rather than with the person who signed it, so if a property has one, read it before closing rather than inheriting it unread.
Young. Of about 4,023 housing units, 1,139 were built in the 2000s and 764 in the 1990s, with 532 more since 2010 — 42% of the housing built this century — and 645 from the 1970s. Around 92% is single-family detached. On the 1990s and 2000s stock the recurring theme is first-generation components reaching the end of their service lives together.
Yes, and newer houses are exactly where people skip it. On a 2003 house the lateral has been in the ground twenty-five years, and the subdivision trees planted at construction have had the same twenty-five years to reach 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.
More on cost, timing and what is included on the FAQ page.
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From the blog
October 22, 2024
July 2, 2020
Your local Marion Township home inspector, seven days a week. Home inspection reports in 24 hours.
