Home inspection in Union.

That it holds water. Union is in Hardin County, on the transitional ground where the long, low-relief Iowan Surface meets the younger Des Moines Lobe till to the northwest — flat country, and till like that drains slowly. In practice that means grading, downspout discharge and sump performance carry more weight in the report than they would on a sloping southern-Iowa lot, because there is nowhere for the water to go except down against the wall. Staining, efflorescence and rust lines in the basement or crawlspace record past water, and a working sump pump with a discharge that carries water away from the house rather than back into the footing drain is the thing to confirm. Footings on newer work should sit below the frost depth the local building department requires.

Plan on two to three hours for an average home; larger, older or multi-unit properties run longer because there is simply more to document.