Here's what home inspectors conducting a basic search aren't eyeballing, and what you can do if you want to make sure your prospective new home checks out on all counts.

Roof Home inspectors will gamely climb onto your roof and check for missing or warped shingles and make sure flashing and gutters are in good shape.

You can hire a specialized roof inspector for $500 to $750 to examine roofs that a regular inspector will avoid.

Fireplace and chimney Home inspectors will typically open and shut dampers to make sure they’re working, and shine a flashlight up the chimney to check for big obstructions like a bird nest. But that's typically where their inspection ends. Ground beneath your home While home inspectors will thoroughly check the home, the ground beneath it might go largely ignored.

Swimming pool Basic home inspectors will turn on pool pumps and heaters to make sure they’re working.

Well and septic system If your inspector works in areas where wells and septic systems are common, for an extra fee ($150) he might test your well water and check that your septic system is running correctly.

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