Problems With Split Level Homes, Level by Level

The problems with split level homes that buyers ask about usually come back to a few features of the design. A lower level sits partly below the ground. Short stair runs join one floor to the next. A garage can sit at or beside living space. Heating and cooling have to serve every level. None of those features is a defect on its own. A full home inspection looks at each of those places, so read the report level by level.

Read it as one long list and it’s easy to miss a line that matters. A buyer can close on active water at the lower level, a garage door whose safety sensors didn’t work properly, or aluminum branch wiring, with the inspection contingency spent and no repair request made. Level by level, those lines are harder to miss. This is general information for buyers, not engineering, legal or financial advice.

What Is a Split Level House?

A split-level is a house whose floors sit at staggered heights. Short runs of stairs join them. One level, the lower level, sits partly below the ground. A raised ranch, also called a bi-level, is a close relative. Its front door opens between an upper floor and a partly below-ground lower floor.

Those same features put a split-level’s report lines in predictable places. The ground meets the lower level. Stairs run between floors. The garage sits close to living space. The heating and cooling reach every level. So it helps to read the report one level at a time.

What Does the Inspection Check on the Lower Level?

InterNACHI’s Standards of Practice say the inspector inspects “vegetation, surface drainage, retaining walls and grading of the property, where they may adversely affect the structure due to moisture intrusion.” In the structure section, the Standards list “observed indications of active water penetration” among what the inspector reports as in need of correction.

As a general rule, a lower level set partly below the ground has soil against part of its walls. So the grading and drainage lines come first, along with anything the report notes about active water penetration inside. In Bucks County, Montgomery County and Philadelphia, finished basements are common in split-level subdivisions, and finished walls and flooring can keep a lower level’s foundation walls out of view.

If you want the water lines explained in more depth, our post on reading the grading and downspout findings in a report goes further.

Why Do the Short Stair Runs Matter?

A split-level has several short flights instead of one long one. InterNACHI’s Standards say the inspector inspects “stairs, steps, landings, stairways and ramps; railings, guards and handrails.” Under the Standards, the inspector also reports “improper spacing between intermediate balusters, spindles and rails for steps, stairways, guards and railings” as in need of correction.

The Standards define a material defect as an issue “that may have a significant, adverse impact on the value of the property, or that poses an unreasonable risk to people.” Stair and railing lines are about the parts of the house people use every day. So each flight’s line in the report is one to read. If a line asks for a repair, the method and its price are questions for a qualified contractor.

Does the Inspection Check the Garage Door?

A split-level’s garage can sit at the lower level, under or beside living space. InterNACHI’s Standards say the inspector inspects “garage vehicle doors and the operation of garage vehicle door openers, using normal operating controls.” The Standards also have the inspector describe a garage vehicle door as manually operated or installed with a garage door opener.

The same section lists “photo-electric safety sensors that did not operate properly” among what the inspector reports as in need of correction. If the report has that line, the opener’s repair is a question for a qualified contractor. It’s worth asking the seller about it too.

Will the Inspection Show Whether Every Level Heats Evenly?

No. InterNACHI’s Standards say the inspector inspects “the heating system, using normal operating controls” and “the cooling system, using normal operating controls.” The inspector reports “any heating system that did not operate” as in need of correction. But the inspector is not required to “determine the uniformity, temperature, flow, balance, distribution, size, capacity, BTU, or supply adequacy of the heating system.”

The cooling section’s not-required list reads the same way for the cooling system. So if one level feels warmer or cooler than another at a showing, that’s a question to put to the seller. If comfort across levels matters to you, a qualified heating and cooling contractor can answer it. During a home inspection, one of our licensed inspectors performs a visual examination of the structure and all major systems and documents every finding with photographs, so the report shows whether the system ran and what the inspector observed.

What About Aluminum Wiring in a Split-Level?

Homes built or substantially rewired between roughly 1965 and 1974 are the most likely candidates for aluminum branch wiring, and the mid-century split-levels, ranchers and Colonials that fill many of our suburban townships fall squarely in that era. It’s not unusual in these houses, and our post on aluminum wiring covers what a buyer does next.

InterNACHI’s Standards list “the presence of solid conductor aluminum branch-circuit wiring, if readily visible” among what the inspector reports as in need of correction. A visual inspection can report only what’s visible and accessible on the day. If the report carries that line, what to do about it is a question for a qualified electrician.

How to Sort Out Problems With Split Level Homes Before You Close

The Standards call a home inspection “a non-invasive, visual examination of the accessible areas of a residential property,” and they say, “An inspection will not identify concealed or latent defects.” Among the things the inspector isn’t required to determine are the condition of a component or system that isn’t readily accessible, the cause or reason of any condition, and compliance with codes or regulations. So the report tells you what was seen on the day, and it points to a next step.

Put the questions in writing. A written inspection report gives you something specific to bring to the seller or your real estate agent. A few questions keep the review orderly:

• Does the report note grading, drainage or signs of water at the lower level?
• Does it note each stair run’s railings, guards and handrails?
• Did the garage door opener’s safety sensors operate properly?
• Did the heating and cooling run, and has the seller noticed one level feeling different from another?
• Does the report flag aluminum branch wiring?
• What next step does the report recommend for each item, and is there time left in the inspection contingency for a contractor’s visit?

Send what the report flags to the right contractor while the contingency is open. Questions about the agreement of sale and the contingency belong with your real estate agent.

Frequently Asked Questions About Split-Level Homes

Does a split-level get a different home inspection?

No. It’s the same full home inspection, with a written report. The same sections of the Standards apply to the house, and a split-level has more stair runs and a partly below-ground lower level to look at. The report follows the house.

Is a raised ranch the same as a split-level?

They’re close relatives. A raised ranch, or bi-level, has its front door between an upper floor and a partly below-ground lower floor, while a split-level staggers more levels. The inspection approaches both the same way.

Will the inspector check the garage door’s safety sensors?

InterNACHI’s Standards have the inspector inspect garage vehicle doors and the operation of garage vehicle door openers, using normal operating controls. The Standards also list photo-electric safety sensors that did not operate properly among what the inspector reports as in need of correction. If that line shows up, the repair is a question for a qualified contractor.

Can the inspection tell me why the lower level feels damp?

The Standards list observed indications of active water penetration among what the inspector reports, and the report records what the inspector saw, with photographs. Under the Standards, the inspector isn’t required to determine the cause or reason of any condition. So the cause and the fix are questions for a qualified contractor, and the report gives that contractor a specific place to start.

Should problems on one level stop me from buying a split-level?

Not on their own. What the report says it saw on each level, and the next step it recommends, decide what you do. Your real estate agent handles the contract side. Our reports are delivered within 24 hours.

Read Every Level of the Report Before You Sign

Inspection Professionals’ written report documents every finding with photographs and is delivered within 24 hours, so you can see the evidence for each finding rather than a summary.

Knowing what the report says about the lower level, the stair runs, the garage door, the heating and cooling and the wiring tells you where you stand. Knowing what it leaves to a contractor tells you what to ask next. Then you can accept an item, ask for a repair or bring in a contractor before closing.

A full home inspection is the written report to have in hand while you decide.

If a split-level is on your list in Bucks County, Montgomery County, Philadelphia or Delaware County, contact Inspection Professionals about a full home inspection, so any problems with split level homes show up level by level in a written report.