Your pre-listing inspection in Marin County
A pre-listing inspection in Marin County puts the findings in your hands before a buyer's inspector writes them up. Michael orders the right reports, reads them with you and turns them into a repair, disclose or price plan. A Terra Linda Eichler and a Larkspur hillside home face different local rules.
Find it first. Decide on your terms.
Once you're in contract, every finding becomes a request on the buyer's clock. Inspect first, and you choose what to fix, what to disclose and what to price in. The leverage stays with you.
One Coordinator, Every Report
General, termite, roof and sewer inspectors all run on one calendar. Michael books them, meets them at the door and keeps every report in one file. You never chase an inspector for a PDF or a missing page.
Local Rules, Mapped Early
Point-of-sale rules change with your address. San Rafael wants a city resale report, and several sanitary districts want a sewer lateral check. Michael flags each requirement before you list, not in escrow. Your closing date never waits on a form.
Certified Negotiation Expert
Michael holds the CNE® designation. When a buyer asks for repairs or a credit, you answer with bids already in hand. A known, priced item is hard to inflate at the table. The talk stays on facts, not fear.
Real Bids, Not Guesses
"Action Jackson" keeps a contractor and a painter on call. Findings get priced by people who do the work, so you can weigh a repair against a credit. You decide with real numbers, and the work can start the same week.
Disclosures Done Right
California sellers must disclose known defects1. Michael helps you turn the reports into a clean disclosure packet that buyers read before they write. Fewer surprises mean fewer reopened deals and fewer late credits.
Marin Housing, Known Well
Michael has sold Marin homes since 2005. From Gerstle Park Victorians to Novato ranch homes, he knows which findings worry buyers and which don't. Old wiring reads differently than a dated kitchen. Settling cracks read differently than active movement.
The rules and costs behind the sale.
Agency rules as published and reviewed October 2026; Angi cost data updated September 2026. Rules and fees change — confirm with each agency, and ask Michael for a current CMA.
Four steps to no surprises.
Plan the inspections
You meet with Michael and walk the home together. You choose which reports your house needs, from roof to sewer lateral. Your address sets the local requirements, so those go on the list first. Age, additions and past permits shape the rest.
Order and schedule
Michael books the inspectors and opens any city or district filings early. San Rafael's resale inspector calls within 7 to 10 working days of the request2. Starting now keeps your launch date safe.
Read the reports together
You get plain-English notes on every finding. Michael separates safety and big-ticket items from cosmetic noise. Then he gathers bids so each item carries a real number. You see the whole picture on one page.
Repair, disclose or price
Fix what pays, disclose what remains and set the price with the facts in view. Whether it's a Sun Valley bungalow or a Black Point retreat, buyers find a home with no hidden chapters. Offers arrive already knowing the story.
What Michael's clients say.
“Michael Jackson did a great job for us. He was professional, attentive to detail and worked very hard. … He found us a great buyer.”
Frequently asked questions.
If I inspect before listing, do I have to disclose the report?
In California, yes. Sellers must disclose known defects, and once you hold an inspection report you need to give buyers a copy1. Forum advice to simply avoid knowing comes from other states and doesn't hold up here.
Early disclosure works in your favor. When disclosures arrive late, buyers get three days to cancel after in-person delivery, or five days after mail or electronic delivery1. A complete packet up front removes that exit.
Won't the buyer just order their own inspection anyway?
Usually, and they should. California law doesn't require you to search for defects or hire an inspector1. A pre-listing report simply means their inspector finds nothing you haven't already seen.
That changes the negotiation. You've had time to get bids, fix what's cheap and price in what isn't. The buyer's report confirms your disclosures instead of rewriting the deal.
What does San Rafael require before I can close?
A Report of Residential Building Record, the city's resale report. It's required whenever a home changes ownership and must be completed before close of escrow2. The inspector checks permit records against the house, including decks, conversions and replaced water heaters.
An inspector contacts you within 7 to 10 working days of your application. The report usually follows within three business days of the visit and stays valid for six months2. Order it alongside your other inspections, not after you accept an offer.
Who handles the sewer lateral, me or the buyer?
It depends on your sanitary district. Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District serves Terra Linda and Santa Venetia7. It requires a lateral inspection when a home is for sale, before close of escrow, and standard review takes 10 business days3.
Ross Valley Sanitary District, which covers Larkspur and Kentfield, lets buyer and seller negotiate who complies. The responsible party has 90 days after closing4. Sanitary District No. 5 exempts laterals installed or replaced within the past 20 years6.
How much does a pre-listing inspection cost?
Angi's September 2026 data puts the national average at $344, with most inspections between $296 and $4255. Size and age drive the price, so a large older home costs more.
Specialized inspections, such as plumbing, foundation or mold, run roughly $125 to $660 each5. Michael helps you order only the reports your home actually needs.
Should I fix everything or offer a credit instead?
No single rule fits every finding. Fix safety items and anything likely to worry a lender or appraiser. Small, cheap repairs are usually worth doing because they read badly on a report.
For big-ticket items such as a roof or foundation, a disclosed bid often beats a rushed repair. Even if you skip repairs, California still requires you to disclose known defects1. Michael lays out the cost of each path before you choose.
Know what's behind the walls before buyers do.
One planning session sorts out which inspections your home needs and which local rules apply. From Peacock Gap to Tiburon, Michael meets you at the house. There is no cost and no obligation.
Michael Wayne Jackson · (415) 483-6009 · michael.jackson@cbrealty.com
Sources & references
- 1. Nolo — Selling a California Home: What Are My Disclosure Obligations? (updated January 2025) — nolo.com
- 2. City of San Rafael — Report of Residential Building Record (RBR) — cityofsanrafael.org
- 3. Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District — Sewer Laterals — lgvsd.org
- 4. Ross Valley Sanitary District — Compliance (Sewer Lateral Certificate of Compliance) — rvsd.org
- 5. Angi — How Much Does a Home Inspection Cost? (updated September 2026) — angi.com
- 6. Sanitary District No. 5 of Marin County — Permits and Sewer Lateral Inspections — sani5.org
- 7. Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District — Our Service Area — lgvsd.org