Home inspection in Cottage Grove.

What we see in Cottage Grove homes.

Cottage Grove was founded in 1843 as a rural township known for the state's first creameries and wheat, and platted in 1871. It covers 37.53 square miles, with 3.88 of that water, and has more land adjacent to the Mississippi River than any other city in Minnesota. Growth was steady: 13,419 residents in 1970, 30,582 in 2000 and 38,839 in 2020, with 13,445 housing units. That gives it a wide range of housing, from postwar and 1970s homes to larger subdivisions of recent decades. 3M has operated a plant here since 1947.

Homes from the 1970s and 1980s get a check of the original roof, windows, furnace, water heater and electrical panel, since many are at the end of their expected life. Subdivision homes from the 1990s and later get grading, attic ventilation, deck and window flashing and builder-grade finish checks. Level sites and river-terrace ground make us look at how water leaves the lot and whether the sump discharges well. Washington County is EPA Radon Zone 1, and MDH recommends every Minnesota home be tested.

Local facts checked September 2026 against: Wikipedia, Minnesota Department of Health.