Room-by-room record
- Item
- Room and use
- What to write down
- Name, size and what it is used for
- Example entry
- Family room, about 14 by 20, TV and guest bed
- Item
- Flooring
- What to write down
- Top layer, what is under it, and whether you have seen the slab
- Example entry
- Carpet and pad over old square tile, slab not seen
- Item
- Wall surface
- What to write down
- Drywall, paneling, plaster, painted masonry
- Example entry
- Drywall on three walls, paneling on the stair wall
- Item
- Behind the wall
- What to write down
- Furring, stud wall, insulation type, gap to foundation
- Example entry
- Stud wall with fiberglass, unknown gap
- Item
- Ceiling
- What to write down
- Drywall, drop ceiling, exposed joists
- Example entry
- Drop ceiling with access to pipes
- Item
- Plumbing in or above
- What to write down
- Supply lines, drains, fixtures, water heater, washer
- Example entry
- Kitchen drain runs overhead along north wall
- Item
- Electrical
- What to write down
- Outlets near the floor, baseboard heaters, subpanel
- Example entry
- Two outlets on the outside wall, one baseboard heater
- Item
- Openings
- What to write down
- Windows, wells, exterior door, floor drain location
- Example entry
- One egress window with metal well
- Item
- Remodel history
- What to write down
- Year finished, by whom, permitted or not
- Example entry
- Finished around 2005 by previous owner, permit unknown
Copy this table for each basement room. Leave a column blank if you do not know; that is useful information too.
Whole-basement items to locate and label
- Main water shutoff, with a tag showing which way closes it.
- Shutoffs for the water heater, washer, basement bathroom and any wet bar.
- Breaker panel, with basement circuits clearly labeled.
- Floor drain and any sewer cleanout cap.
- Sump pit or ejector pit, the pump model, and its outlet.
- Gas shutoff at the meter and at each appliance.
- Access panels for tubs, showers or plumbing behind walls.
How this saves time and materials later
In older Wash Park houses, nobody living there may know what the previous owner put behind the drywall. When water reaches a wall, the restorer has to find out by taking readings and opening test holes. If you already know that a wall is a stud frame with fiberglass against a brick foundation, or that there is old tile under the carpet, the first visit can focus on the right questions, and suspect materials can be sampled before anything is pulled up.
The worksheet also helps with insurance. A dated record of what the basement contained and how it was finished supports what an adjuster sees after a loss, especially for features like built-in shelving, a wet bar or upgraded flooring that might otherwise be estimated at a lower level.
General information for Washington Park, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.