What's the difference between a home inspection and the city's code inspections in Woodbury?

They serve different purposes, and buyers often confuse them. The City of Woodbury and Washington County perform code inspections during construction or remodeling to confirm the work meets minimum building, electrical, and plumbing standards before issuing permits and a certificate of occupancy. Those inspections protect public safety and code compliance, not your interests as a buyer, and they happen at specific milestones, not when you're purchasing an existing home. A private home inspection, by contrast, is hired by you and evaluates the home's actual condition, including wear, deferred maintenance, defects, and safety concerns across all major systems, regardless of whether the original work was permitted. This matters in Woodbury because finished basements, decks, and other improvements are sometimes added without permits. A home inspector may flag a finished basement bedroom lacking a proper egress window, prompting you to check permit history. The two complement each other but don't substitute. To schedule your own independent inspection, build a free instant quote online in minutes.