Home inspector in Clovis, New Mexico

What's different about Clovis homes

The soil moves

Clovis sits on caliche and expansive clay. The ground swells after a hard rain and shrinks through the long dry spells, and foundations ride along. Nearly every house here over 20 years old shows some movement. I look at crack patterns and door and window alignment to tell old, stable settling from movement that is still going.

Roofs take a beating

This is hail country. Every few years a storm sends half the city to its insurance company, and the replacement roofs vary in quality. I use a drone where a roof can't be walked and look for layered shingles, poor flashing at cooler penetrations and hail bruising that was never claimed.

Swamp coolers and conversions

Many older homes still cool with an evaporative cooler. A neglected one leaks into the attic and rots the framing. Homes converted to refrigerated air often got undersized ducts and electrical that was never upgraded. I check both.

Sewer lines older than you'd think

Much of Clovis was built from the 1940s to the 1970s, and many of those homes still have the original clay or cast iron sewer line. A sewer scope costs a fraction of a replacement.

Owner-done electrical

Unpermitted electrical work is one of the most common safety issues I find: open splices in attics, undersized wire and missing GFCI protection. I open the panel and compare breaker sizes with wire gauge.

Flat lots, few gutters

Most lots are nearly flat and most homes have no gutters. Roof runoff lands at the foundation. Gutters are among the best-value upgrades for a home here.

Moving here for the base? See inspections for Cannon AFB buyers.