Pre-inspection surveys

HUD Inspection Services for NSPIRE, REAC and HQS

Know your score before HUD does. We survey the property against the standard that actually applies to it, rank every finding by what it costs you, and stay with you through inspection day.

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Which protocol applies

Three inspection regimes, and the differences matter

Properties get inspected under different frameworks depending on the programme funding them, and the frameworks do not score the same things the same way. Preparing for the wrong one is a common and expensive mistake.

NSPIRE is the current model. It replaced UPCS and HQS, weights the dwelling unit most heavily, and treats severity rather than volume as the main driver of deductions. NSPIRE inspection services work to those published standards.

Legacy REAC inspection scoring still governs how many properties talk about their results, and the scoring bands and appeal routes behind it are worth understanding. HQS inspection applies to Housing Choice Voucher units, though the regulation behind it changed in 2024 and now points back at the NSPIRE standards.

We also run inspector shadowing for people entering the field. Whichever survey you need, findings feed straight into our repair services, and the strategy around them into consulting services.

Choose a service

All our inspection services

If you are not sure which framework your property falls under, that is the first thing a call will settle.

NSPIRE Inspection

A full survey scored the way NSPIRE scores: item by item against its published standard, weighted by severity and by inspectable location. You finish with a deficiency list ranked by deduction rather than by trade, which is what a repair plan should be built from.

NSPIRE inspection

REAC Inspection

Pre-REAC survey, inspector escort on the day, and appeal support afterwards. Choose this when a REAC score is what you are defending, or when a previous result needs challenging on the evidence.

REAC inspection

HQS Inspection

Initial, annual, special and re-inspection visits for Housing Choice Voucher units, for owners and for the authorities administering the programme. Fast turnaround matters here, because assistance payments depend on the unit passing.

HQS inspection

Trainee shadowing an experienced property inspector

Inspector Shadowing

Field experience alongside working inspectors, for people entering the profession or for in-house maintenance staff who need to see how findings are actually recorded. Structured observation rather than a classroom course.

Inspector shadowing

How a survey runs

What happens when we inspect

Confirm the framework

First we establish which standard your property is measured against, and under which programme. Everything downstream depends on getting that right.

Survey as an inspector would

Same sampling, same sequence, same standards. We record each deficiency with its severity and inspectable location, not as a generic maintenance note.

Rank by deduction

Findings come back ordered by what they cost your score, so the repair budget goes to the items that move the number rather than the ones that are most visible.

Stay through the result

Escort on inspection day, documentation on request, and a written appeal where the evidence shows a finding was recorded against the wrong standard or location.

Property manager reviewing an inspection report

Why pre-inspect

The cheapest inspection is the one you run yourself

A HUD inspection is a snapshot with consequences. A pre-inspection is the same snapshot with time to act on it, which is the entire difference between a finding and a deduction.

It also changes what you spend. Without a ranked list, repair money goes to whatever is most obvious. With one, it goes to the severe items first. The final standards notice sets that weighting, and it rarely matches intuition.

Scored against the standard that applies to your programme
Severity and inspectable location recorded for every finding
Ranked by deduction, so the budget follows the points
Photographic record you can use on the day or in an appeal

Coverage

All 50 states, booked in 24 hours

Surveys are usually scheduled within a day of your call, because inspection dates do not move to suit availability. Scattered-site portfolios are routed geographically rather than treated as separate jobs.

Multi-state portfolios run as one engagement with one schedule and consolidated reporting, so you are comparing like with like across regions instead of collating reports from four different vendors.

Inspectable areas

What a survey covers

The areas HUD assesses, from the unit outwards. Weighting follows the published standards for each item and location.

Dwelling units, sampled as HUD samples them

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

Electrical panels, outlets and wet-area protection

Kitchens, food preparation areas and appliances

Bathrooms, sanitary fittings and ventilation

Heating and cooling performance under load

Water heaters, plumbing, leaks and sewage

Egress routes, doors, windows and locks

Common areas, corridors, stairs and laundry

Handrails, guardrails and trip hazards

Building exterior, roof, walls and drainage

Site lighting, walkways, parking and signage

Inspection date approaching? Survey first, repair second.

Call Us Today to Schedule: 610-200-2833

Questions

Inspection services FAQs

Which inspection framework applies to my property?

It depends on the programme funding it. Most HUD-assisted and public housing is now assessed under NSPIRE. Housing Choice Voucher units fall under HQS, which since 2024 defers to the same underlying standards. If you hold a legacy REAC score, that framework still shapes how the result is discussed. One call settles it, and getting it right is the point of asking.

How soon can you survey?

Usually within 24 hours. Crews are available across all 50 states specifically so that a short-notice date does not become a waiting list, and a survey is typically completed in one visit.

Do you repair what you find?

Yes. Our repair services work from our own findings, specified against the standard for each item. That removes the handoff between whoever found the deficiency and whoever fixes it, which is where corrections usually go wrong.

Can you attend the official inspection with us?

Yes, escort is standard on our REAC and NSPIRE engagements. Having someone present who knows the framework resolves ambiguous findings while the inspector is still on site, which is far cheaper than arguing the same point in writing weeks later.

What if we have already been inspected and scored badly?

Then we start from your report rather than a fresh survey. We separate findings that are accurate from those recorded against the wrong standard or location, prioritise the corrections, and file an appeal where the evidence supports one.