What does an inspector examine at a sump pit during a general inspection?

At a sump pit the general inspection is a functional test bounded by what can be observed. The inspector looks at the pit and its cover, checks that the pump is present and connected to a dedicated receptacle that is appropriately protected, operates the pump — typically by lifting the float or adding water — and confirms it runs, moves water and shuts off, then verifies the discharge is unobstructed and terminates away from the foundation. What is not part of the exercise is anything requiring measurement or excavation: the site's water table, the pump's rated capacity against calculated inflow, and the condition of the buried drain tile all sit outside a visual inspection. Reporting a functional test with its limits stated is what the client can rely on; the excluded items are worth naming so the client knows they were not assessed.

The general inspection confirms the pump operates, moves water and shuts off, and that the discharge is clear and directed away from the foundation. That is a functional test within what can be observed.

Home inspections operate systems using normal controls and report on readily observable conditions. Sump pump inspection covers presence, operation, discharge and electrical supply; buried drainage, sizing calculations and hydrology are excluded.

Does It Run and Does the Water Leave? Those two questions are the inspection. Everything about capacity and what is buried is somebody else's job.

Check the receptacle serving the pump. A pump on an extension cord, or one sharing a circuit it should not, is a common companion defect.

• •Attempting to judge whether the pump is correctly sized
• •Confirming the pump runs without following the discharge
• •Overlooking the electrical supply serving the pump