A home indoor air quality inspection form gives the visit a fixed order: hear what the occupants are noticing, look at how the house breathes, check anything that burns fuel, measure humidity and moisture where trouble usually starts, and log any samples that go to a lab. This one is built for home inspectors and indoor air consultants doing a screening visit in a house, and it ends with recommendations that name who should act on each one.
Start with the complaint, not the meter
Almost every air quality call begins with someone feeling unwell at home or smelling something they cannot place. Write down what they report, who is affected, when it is worse and what changed recently — a leak, a renovation, a new carpet, a new gas appliance. That account decides where your meters go first.
You are not diagnosing anybody. The form records symptoms as the occupants describe them and, where health concerns are real, its recommendation list has a line for their doctor.
Moisture is the thread that ties most findings together
Damp materials feed microbial growth, dust mites and the musty smell people notice first, and high indoor humidity usually points back to a missing or failed exhaust fan, a wet crawlspace or a plumbing leak. That is why the readings here are a list by room — relative humidity, temperature and a material reading — rather than a single number for the whole house.
Take an outdoor humidity reading on arrival as your reference, note which meter you used and on what scale, and photograph the display at any reading that worries you.
Combustion and carbon monoxide come before comfort
A furnace, boiler, water heater, range or fireplace that spills its exhaust into the house is the most dangerous thing an air quality visit can find. The combustion section asks for working CO alarms, an ambient CO reading in the living areas, and any sign of spillage at a draft hood or flue. Any of those answers that point to a hazard goes straight to the top of the report as a safety finding.
Samples, the lab and the word "pending"
If you collect air, surface or dust samples, the log records each sample number, type, location and time, the lab, and the chain-of-custody number. Indoor air samples are only meaningful next to an outdoor control taken the same way at about the same time, so the sample types include one.
Results usually arrive days after the visit. The report says results are pending rather than waiting, and you can add the lab summary later. What you saw is a finding today; what the lab finds is a finding when it comes back.
Common questions
What does a home indoor air quality inspection include?
Occupant concerns, ventilation (bathroom and kitchen exhaust, dryer vent, fresh air supply, HVAC filter), fuel-burning appliances and carbon monoxide, humidity and moisture readings, any suspected microbial growth, odors, chemical sources such as solvents or new furnishings, samples sent to a lab, and recommendations.
Is an indoor air quality inspection the same as a mold inspection?
No. A mold inspection focuses on moisture and fungal growth. An air quality screening is wider — combustion gases, ventilation, humidity, chemical sources and odors as well as mold. This form covers suspected growth behind one question, so you can use it either way.
Do I have to take samples?
Not always. Many screenings end with a clear moisture source and a recommendation to fix it, with no lab work needed. Sample when you suspect hidden growth, when a client needs documentation, or when the visible evidence does not explain the complaint. If you sample, take an outdoor control.
What readings should I record?
At minimum relative humidity and temperature in each room you check, a material moisture reading anywhere you suspect water, and an ambient carbon monoxide reading in the living areas. A carbon dioxide reading is a useful hint about ventilation, and particle or VOC meters can be added if you carry them.
Can a home inspector tell a client the air is safe?
No one can promise that from a single visit. The report describes what was seen and measured on the day, under the conditions recorded, and recommends next steps. Conditions change with weather, season and how the house is used.