Frequently Asked Questions

If you are selling a residential property in Shaker Heights, you are required to obtain a Point of Sale inspection prior to entering into a contract with a buyer. Prior to transfer, either all violations identified during that inspection must be corrected, or funds equal to 150 percent of the estimated cost of repairs must be placed in an escrow account held by the City. Please view Point of Sale Procedure for more information.

If you are selling a residential property in Shaker Heights, you are required to obtain a Point of Sale inspection prior to entering into a contract with a buyer. The Point of Sale inspection is an interior and exterior inspection of your property conducted by a inspector employed by the City. Please view Point of Sale Procedure for more information.

On an average size and condition single-family home, the inspection should take between 1½ and 2 hours. The owner, realtor or another adult must be present the entire time the inspector is on the premises. The only exception would be if a house is vacant and there is no furniture or personal items. If there is a lock box and the code is provided, the inspector can enter the dwelling and conduct the inspection.

If no violations identified at Initial Inspection:

A Certificate of Compliance will be issued and will be valid for the purposes of transfer for 24 months.  

If violations identified at Initial Inspection:

A Certificate of Inspection will be issued and will be valid for the purposes of transfer for 24 months.  Please note that violations must be corrected within ninety (90) days unless, for good cause, an extension of time is approved by the Building and Housing Department.  

If violations identified, and are subsequently corrected by the seller prior to transfer:

Once all violations are corrected, the City will issue a Certificate of Compliance.  However, irrespective of the Certificate of Compliance issuance date, the Certificate will still only be valid for transfer for 24 months from the date of the original inspection. 

Yes. View current fees on the Point of Sale Procedure page.

Sellers are advised to allow at least two weeks from the date of application for the Point of Sale inspection and three to four weeks during the busy spring real estate season. All inspection reports are typically issued within 10 business days.. 

In order to allow for sufficient time for the inspection process and to ensure adequate time to correct any violations, property owners are encouraged to obtain a Point of Sale inspection prior to placing their home on the market.

Please call the Building and Housing staff at 216-491-1471 and request to be placed on our cancellation list. Provide your phone number and we will call you if there is an opening before your scheduled date.

Yes, however an escrow account must be established with the City and funds equal to 150 percent of the estimated cost of repairs must be held on deposit.  The repair estimate must be provided by a contractor licensed to do business in Shaker Heights and submitted for review. The person establishing the escrow account must apply online at www.citizenserve.com/shaker

An escrow account must be established for all Point of Sale violations existing at the time of transfer and funds equal to 150 percent of the estimated cost of repairs must be deposited. The City will issue a transfer authorization when an escrow account has been approved.

Yes. Once the City has made an inspection and identified code violations, those items must be corrected.

Please use our online form to request an extension. Extensions are usually based on progress made. Therefore, a reinspection may be required before addressing the extension request. The Assistant Director will review your situation and respond back to you in writing.

All inspectors wear photo Identification (I.D.) badges on their outer clothing and drive marked City cars. They are required to come to your door and announce their visit before commencing the inspection.

No, Point of Sale inspections are only required for residential properties on which structures are located.

Only if there is a note on the report stating an area is unable to be inspected and will be inspected at a later date. An example would be snow cover during the winter months that prevents the inspection of roofs, driveways, etc. Once the snow melts, the area can be inspected and if violations are found, they will be added to the inspection report as supplemental items. Another example is if stored items prevent an inspection of a room.   If there are no notes on the inspection report indicating an item or area will be inspected at a later date, then violations cannot be added to the inspection report.

Yes, within 30 days of transfer you must apply for a Point of Sale and obtain a Certificate of Inspection.  However, an escrow account will not be required.