This page summarizes the City of Richmond Heights Exterior Maintenance Inspection Program sheet and its Building Department page, checked November 11, 2026. It's general information, not legal advice. Confirm anything that affects your sale with the Building Department at (216) 383-6312 (Monday through Friday, 8 AM to noon and 1 to 4 PM; City Hall is at 26789 Highland Road).
Richmond Heights' Transfer Inspection Is Exterior Only
The city's own wording: "The City of Richmond Heights requires an Exterior Home Inspection prior to any Home Transfer." The sheet also says what it is not: "This is not a Point of Sale Inspection. (There is NO interior inspection.)" Key points from the sheet:
- No fee. "There is no fee for this inspection."
- No appointment needed, because inspectors stay outside.
- It produces an Exterior Property Maintenance Report that notifies the seller and, if there is one, the buyer of any current violations.
- The results don't expire at a set time if the house doesn't sell right away.
- Timing: the city suggests arranging it "at the time when one makes the decision to sell a property and before the sale price is established," because the results may affect the price.
Two Ways to Handle the Violations
The city gives sellers two options once the report is out:
| Option | What happens | What it means for an as-is sale |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Seller repairs | The seller makes all required repairs before transfer, and the city issues a statement or email saying there are no violations. | You spend money and time before closing. |
| 2. Buyer takes them on | The seller doesn't repair. The city holds no escrow. The buyer signs a notarized affidavit acknowledging the violations and agreeing to make the repairs by a pre-determined target date. | Closing doesn't wait on repairs. The repairs become the buyer's obligation. |
The sheet sums it up: "Repairs are NOT required to be made before the Title is transferred – the only immediate need is for the buyer to sign the affidavit acknowledging receipt of the inspection results." That's different from cities where unfinished repairs mean money held back from your proceeds. In Richmond Heights, the program sheet says no escrow money is held by the city.
What the Inspector Looks At
The checklist on the city's sheet covers the outside of the property. Walking it yourself first tells you roughly what the report will say:
- Address numbers clearly visible and legible.
- Driveway paving and the apron where it meets the street; sidewalks, porches and patios.
- Masonry: foundation brick or block, porches and steps, face brick, the chimney, and stains or paint smears on masonry.
- Roof: missing or damaged shingles or flashing.
- Wood siding, window, door and roof trim, wood doors, the overhead garage door, windows and glazing.
- Yard, sheds, fences and gates, beds and pools. The sheet says abandoned or obsolete pools must be removed.
- Dead trees and old stumps.
- Gutters, downspouts and how storm water leaves the site.
Houses Built Before 1990: the Sewer Dye Test
One item catches sellers off guard. Per the city's sheet, sanitary and storm sewers "are required to be dye-tested on all homes constructed prior to 1990 and in special cases where problems are suspected." The County Department of Public Works performs the dye test at no cost to the homeowner, and you arrange it by calling the city Building Department.
Check your house's year built on the county's MyPlace property search. If it's before 1990, call about the dye test at the same time you ask for the exterior inspection, so neither one holds up your sale.
A Richmond Heights Seller's Order of Steps
- Look up the year built on MyPlace.
- Call the Building Department at (216) 383-6312 to arrange the exterior inspection and, for a pre-1990 house, the dye test.
- Get the Exterior Property Maintenance Report and read the violations before you set a price or accept an offer.
- Decide Option 1 or Option 2. Repair yourself, or sell with the buyer signing the affidavit.
- Fill out Ohio's disclosure form if it applies. ORC 5302.30 requires a residential property disclosure form for most sales of one- to four-unit homes, with exceptions such as transfers by an executor or trustee administering an estate or trust, and foreclosure sales.
- Close through a title company, which will ask for the city's paperwork.
Repairing First vs. Selling As-Is
If the report lists a roof, a driveway apron and gutters, Option 1 means hiring contractors before you can close. Ask any contractor you hire whether the work needs a city permit; the Building Department page says many improvements, including concrete repair, fences, decks, sheds, reroofing and siding, require one. If you'd rather not manage that, Option 2 lets the buyer take it on.
That's where an as-is sale fits. Our We Buy Houses Cleveland page explains how we buy: in any condition, with no realtors, no fees, no commissions, no repairs and no cleaning, and at a closing date of your choice. It costs you nothing to get our offer, and there's no obligation to accept. Send us the report if you already have it; it helps us see what the city expects.
Situations We Hear About
- An inherited house. Start with our guide to selling an inherited house in the Cleveland area.
- A parent moving to assisted living. If you're signing for them, read selling a parent's house with power of attorney in Ohio.
- Behind on payments. See options when facing foreclosure.
- Selling from out of state. ACC works asynchronously, so you can send details by email or the contact form from any time zone.
Nearby, our Lyndhurst page and South Euclid page cover those cities' different rules.
Frequently asked questions
Does Richmond Heights require a point-of-sale inspection?
Richmond Heights requires an Exterior Home Inspection before any home transfer. The city says it is not a point-of-sale inspection: there is no interior inspection, and it is limited to the exterior of the property.
How much does the Richmond Heights exterior inspection cost?
Nothing. The city's Exterior Maintenance Inspection Program sheet says there is no fee for the inspection, and no appointment is needed because the inspector does not go inside.
Do I have to fix the violations before I sell in Richmond Heights?
No. The seller can make the repairs before transfer, or the buyer can sign a notarized affidavit acknowledging the violations and agreeing to make the repairs by a target date. The city holds no escrow money.
What is the Richmond Heights sewer dye test?
The city requires sanitary and storm sewers to be dye-tested on homes built before 1990, and where problems are suspected. The County Department of Public Works does the test at no cost to the homeowner; call the city Building Department to arrange it.
Can I sell my Richmond Heights house as-is to ACC?
Yes, you can ask for an offer. ACC Solutions buys houses as-is in Cleveland and across Cuyahoga County, including Richmond Heights, with no realtors, fees, commissions, repairs or cleaning, and there is no obligation to accept our offer.
Get a no-obligation cash offer.
Call (216) 238-5999, email support@accmgmtsolutions.com or start at We Buy Houses Cleveland.