Home Inspection Secrets

Be honest: How many of us had the same childhood fantasy of pulling a lever and finding hidden passageways in houses? 

As it turns out, this isn’t just the stuff of childhood imagination. You can find hidden doors in walls, old houses with secret rooms and passages, and secret safe rooms in the real world, too.

As fun as they are, these creative constructions raise a conundrum for inspectors like yourself. We’re sharing stories of inspecting houses with secret rooms and passageways and how to protect yourself in these scenarios.

Stories From the Field

Sometimes a buyer discovers a secret passageway or room right away, sometimes years after purchasing the property. Other times, they find them with a little help from their home inspector.

That’s one of the many ways home inspections help buyers. By finding abnormal structures before clients sign the dotted line, you give them enough time to investigate the modification and any safety issues it could present.

How often does this really happen? Let’s explore these real-life examples of inspecting houses with secret rooms and passageways.

1. It’s “A-Boat” Time for a Mold Test

Michael Harrison of If Walls Could Talk Home Inspection in Georgia was performing a mold inspection when the owner revealed something amazing. 

While navigating the basement, the owner pointed out what looked like a decorative ship’s helm mounted on the wall. The owner enthusiastically lifted the helm, exposing an access panel hidden underneath. It was part of a secret basement door mechanism built to conceal the family’s safe room.

Sadly, inspecting houses with secret rooms and passageways—particularly older ones—comes with more potential for defects. In this case, the hidden safe room wasn’t the only secret Harrison discovered. 

“He had it where it’s all stocked with all the food and supplies and things like that. One of the ironic things was, that room was full of mold, too,” Harrison said. “So even if he was sitting there trying to stay safe, he’d be in there breathing all that unhealthy air.”

2. The Secret Room Behind the Stairs

Secret rooms under stairs and behind stairs aren’t just for Harry Potter. 

In his January 2021 Facebook video, Robert Reynoso of EGA Home Inspection in California shows viewers a seemingly normal staircase. Then, the bottom three steps swivel out to reveal a hidden safe room. Supposedly, neither the sellers nor the buyers knew about it. 

3. The “Time Out” Rooms

Don Kincaid of All Clear Inspections in Texas was inspecting what appeared to be a hallway bookshelf. Except, it wasn’t just a shelf. It was a hidden door in the walls.

In a November 2022 video on Facebook, Kincaid showed himself pushing the door to reveal a children’s playroom. The walls had been painted with images of mermaids and other sea creatures. 

Sadly, the hidden room had one problem: It locked from the outside, not the inside, and only had one exit and entrance. Not exactly the safest “time out” spot for the kids.

4. The Dungeon Inspector

Some creepy hidden rooms are found in houses, too.

Peter Hagicostas of North Star Home Inspections of Long Island, New York told his fellow inspectors he’d discovered a hidden dungeon that the sellers weren’t aware of. (What this entails, exactly, we aren’t sure.)

5. The Houses with Secret Stairwells

In a basement, Ron Passaro of Res-I-Tec in Connecticut found a great set of steel doors leading to an underground tunnel. Rumor says the original owner was a Nazi who built the tunnel as an escape route. Since the story is unconfirmed, Passaro shared the story with his client but omitted it from his report.

4 Tips to Manage Risk 

Here are four tips to prevent claims while inspecting houses with secret rooms and passageways.

1. Stay within your scope.

Inspectors with construction and code backgrounds are often tempted to point out things like code violations. 

You might face this temptation with houses with secret rooms and passageways. These unconventional add-ons may not adhere to current building standards. But you are not a code inspector. Avoid reporting code violations and other defects outside your scope. Doing so can expose you to unnecessary risk, even if you’re 100% correct.

Here’s what we mean. If you identify one code violation, your clients may expect you to point out every violation, even for future inspections. This becomes a problem with properties that have been repeatedly renovated. Furthermore, these homes might’ve been built or renovated when different codes were in effect. Over time, you’re more likely to miss a code violation and face a home inspector E&O insurance claim. 

Instead, focus on what is within your scope. For example, when Harrison found a hidden room in an attic, he noticed that room alone had 15 or 20 outlets. Harrison suspected it was previously used as a grow room. Staying within his scope, he prioritized testing the receptacles and referring to an electrician to protect his clients from electrical problems, like overloaded circuits. 

2. Get your agreements signed.

Your client should be familiar with your home inspection scope, too. 

Use your pre-inspection agreement to outline your SOP so your clients know your limitations. Otherwise, they might expect you to determine safety and effectiveness while inspecting houses with secret rooms and passageways.

And, don’t forget; your clients must sign your agreement before every inspection, every time. This crucial step secures your agreement’s full protection. For helpful tips to getting signatures, review this advice from 200 home inspectors.

3. Say something. But don’t make determinations.

If you identify atypical modifications, such as a renovated hidden room in the attic or secret underground rooms in houses, it’s important not to ignore them. 

Make note of them. Don’t be too vague. But when it comes to inspecting houses with secret rooms and passageways, don’t determine the structure’s integrity or appropriateness, either.

At InspectorPro, we’ve seen several instances where inspectors have identified a structural modification, like a renovated secret room in an attic, secret rooms under stairs, or secret passageways in old houses. In doing so, they’ll write something like, “This appears to be structurally sound.” 

But, as we mentioned earlier, wearing your inspector hat means you are not wearing your structural engineer or contractor hat. As responsible as you feel or as capable as you may be, when you’re the inspector, this is not your call to make. Making the wrong call can have detrimental consequences. 

4. Refer out-of-scope concerns to a structural
specialist and the sellers. 

Once you’ve mentioned the hidden passageways in houses or other structural modifications, direct the buyer to the sellers and to a structural specialist. 

For example, you can encourage them to ask the sellers if they’re aware of any unusual rooms in the house. 

“Even with the buyers, I had to go: ‘This is a very unusual installation. I just want to make you aware that this is here.’ You might want to inquire with those sellers, too, or have their agent inquire with sellers to ask, ‘Did you put this room here? And what was it for?’” Harrison suggested.

Here’s something you might say about houses with hidden rooms and secret passageways:

“Modifications identified in the space
are inconsistent with similar properties
in the general area. Recommend inquiring with the seller and potentially utilizing a contractor or other professional
to determine the nature and extent
of modifications.”

When inspecting houses with secret rooms and passageways, don’t exaggerate or scare.

Even if you find scary secret rooms in houses, it’s important not to scare your buyers, Passaro said. 

In other words, don’t identify the modifications as good or bad, appropriate or inappropriate, safe or unsafe. Leave that to the specialists. Instead, whether it’s a hidden door to the basement or a secret tunnel in the house, describe what you saw. And, as you would with any deficiency, exercise diplomacy. 

Let InspectorPro be your escape hatch.

Houses with secret rooms are often good fun for homeowners and inspectors alike.

But you know what isn’t a secret? You could have 10 years of experience, a perfect track record, and great risk management. But no matter how careful an inspector is, you’re still likely to face a claim at some point in your career.

Don’t let hidden passageways in houses catch you off guard. Be proactive and utilize exclusive savings and resources with InspectorPro with the ASHI Advantage. Our insured inspectors have used our pre-claims assistance program to shut down conflicts early—before they turned into claims. Paired with our state-specific pre-inspection agreements, deductible discounts, and premier customer service, the InspectorPro difference goes above and beyond to make coverage easy.

We’re ready to exceed your expectations. Apply for a free quote to get in touch with our team.

Note: The Managing Risk column with InspectorPro Insurance provides home inspectors with tips to protect their businesses against insurance claims

Alyssa Cink is the Marketing Content Editor for InspectorPro Insurance, which offers ASHI members exclusive benefits through its program: InspectorPro with the ASHI Advantage. Through risk management articles in the ASHI Reporter and on the InspectorPro website, InspectorPro helps inspectors protect their livelihood and avoid unnecessary risk. Get peace of mind and better protection with InspectorPro’s pre-claims assistance and straightforward coverage. Learn more at inspectorproinsurance.com/ashi-advantage.

Opinions or statements of authors are solely their own and do not necessarily represent the opinions or positions of ASHI, its agents, or editors. Always check with your local governmental agency and independently verify for accuracy, completeness, and reliability.