Buying a Baltimore Rowhome: What to Check Before You Offer and During the Inspection (2026 Checklist)

These take a few minutes each and use only the address. Do them before you write an offer, because what they turn up can change the price you offer or whether you offer at all.

A home inspection is your choice in Maryland, and home inspectors must hold a Maryland license, which you can check on the Maryland Department of Labor's license search. Rowhomes share walls and roofs with their neighbors, so a few items deserve extra attention. Ask your inspector to note anything they could not reach or see.

• Party walls: cracks, moisture stains, or gaps in the shared walls, especially where they meet the roof and the front and rear walls, and any openings between your home and the neighbor's.
• Roof and flashing: many rowhomes have low-slope roofs. Ask whether the inspector walked the roof, the condition of the roof covering, and the flashing where your roof meets the neighbors' roofs, chimneys, and skylights. Ask about drains, gutters, and downspouts.
• Basement water: stains, efflorescence (white mineral deposits), active leaks, sump pumps, and where downspouts and yard grading send water.
• Electrical: the panel, the type of wiring (older homes can still have outdated types such as knob-and-tube), grounding, and any work that looks unpermitted. If the inspector flags wiring, ask a licensed electrician to evaluate it, and ask your insurance agent whether the wiring type affects coverage before your contingency ends.
• Plumbing: the material of the water service line where it enters the basement, supply and drain pipes, the water heater, and signs of past leaks. A camera inspection of the sewer line is an optional specialist test.
• Additions and changes: rear additions, finished basements, removed walls, and roof decks. Match them to the permit search from Step 1.
• Heating and cooling, windows, and chimneys: age, condition, and any signs of water getting in.

For homes built before 1978, federal rules require the seller to give you the EPA lead pamphlet and disclose any known lead-based paint and reports before you sign, and to give you a 10-day period to have a lead paint inspection or risk assessment done, unless you agree in writing to change or waive it. If you plan to rent the home out, Maryland requires pre-1978 rental units to be registered with the Maryland Department of the Environment within 30 days of buying and to pass a lead inspection before each new tenant moves in.

• Baltimore City rental licenses no longer transfer to a buyer since January 1, 2026. A buyer must apply for a new license within 60 days.
• Pre-1978 units must be registered with MDE and pass a lead inspection before each new tenant, as above.
• See our Baltimore City landlord guide for the full rental license and inspection rules.

A general home inspection is a visual check. If the inspector recommends further evaluation, bring in the right specialist before your inspection contingency ends: a structural engineer for party wall, foundation, or framing concerns; a roofer for the roof and flashing; a licensed electrician for wiring; and a plumber for the service line or a sewer camera inspection. Ask each for a written estimate so you can negotiate with real numbers.

This is general information, not legal, tax, or inspection advice, and it does not recommend any inspector or contractor. Public records can be incomplete or out of date; confirm anything important with the City, SDAT, your title company, and your inspector.