How long does the inspection take?

About forty minutes on a typical car. Longer on a truck, on anything with an unusual history, or where the road test turns up something worth a second look. You're welcome to stay for all of it, and most people do — the point of doing it this way is that you hear the findings as they happen.

Does it cost anything?

No. There is no fee, no deposit and no obligation at the end of it. You can hear the full findings, take the written condition report, decline the offer and leave. That happens regularly and nobody will chase you about it.

Is this a pre-purchase inspection?

No, and it's worth being clear about. This is a seller-side inspection that exists to value a vehicle we're considering buying. If you want a car checked before you buy it from someone else, an independent shop is the right place. We'd rather say so than take your afternoon.

What if you find something I didn't know about?

You'll hear about it while the car is still on the lift, and you'll get it in writing whether or not you sell. Finding something isn't a trap — it's the point of doing the inspection properly. What we won't do is find it, say nothing, and quietly reduce the number.

Should I fix things before bringing it in?

Almost never. You'd pay retail for the repair and receive wholesale credit for it in the offer, so most of the money doesn't come back. The exceptions are cheap fixes that clear a warning light or make the car driveable. If you're unsure, ask before you authorize the work and we'll tell you whether it moves our number.

Can I get the inspection without selling?

Yes. Plenty of people come through the Caine Road buying center to find out what they're sitting on and go home with a condition report and their keys. It's the same inspection either way, and it costs the same as everything else here: nothing.

We come to you
same inspection, your driveway

The full inspection and a real offer at your home or your work. Free, and there's one limitation we'll tell you about up front.

Get my offer Call (614) 321-1356

We travel to you
Same checks, same report
Free, no obligation
Licensed Ohio dealer

Getting a car across town to be looked at is a small thing that stops a lot of people, especially when the car is the reason you'd need a lift home. So we bring the inspection to you. Everything on this page is the same work described on the multi-point inspection page, done in your driveway instead of our bay — with one honest exception, which is the third section down.

Where we come

Anywhere in the Columbus metro, and the definition is generous. If you're not sure whether you're inside it, ask rather than assume.

Beyond the metro it becomes a scheduling question rather than a no. Tell us where the car is and we'll give you a straight answer.

Your home. The most common by a distance. Driveway, kerbside, apartment lot — all fine.
Your workplace. Popular for people who'd rather not spend a weekend on this. We work around your break.
Wherever the car actually is. A relative's garage, a storage unit, the shop that just gave you a repair quote.
Columbus, Dublin, Westerville, Worthington, Powell, Hilliard, Upper Arlington, Gahanna, Grove City, Delaware, New Albany, Lewis Center and Marysville.
Non-running vehicles. Tell us at booking so the right people come. A car that won't start is not a wasted trip.

What happens when we arrive

One person, marked vehicle, about forty minutes. You don't need to do anything to prepare beyond being there with the keys.

The sequence is the same as in-center: paperwork and VIN, history report read with you, cold start, diagnostic scan, exterior walk, tires and brakes, interior and electronics, underbody as far as conditions allow, and a road test if the car is driveable.

Then the same conversation. You hear what was found before you hear a number, and you get the written condition report whether or not you sell.

If you accept, we can complete the purchase on the spot in most cases. Your signature on the Ohio title assignment has to be notarized in person, which is the one step that needs planning — we'll tell you how to handle it for your situation.

The one thing a driveway can't do

There is no lift at your house, and we're not going to pretend that doesn't matter in this state.

The underbody is where the largest adjustment on an Ohio vehicle usually comes from. Road salt works on frame rails, brake lines and fuel lines, and a car can look completely sound from standing height while being badly compromised underneath. On a lift we can see all of it. On your drive we're working with ramps, a light and a creeper, which is enough on most vehicles and genuinely not enough on a corroded one.

So here's how we handle it rather than guessing. On a newer car, or one where what we can see is clean, the mobile inspection is conclusive and the number is the number. On an older vehicle, or one where the accessible areas show real corrosion, we'll tell you the offer is subject to a look on the lift — and we'll say that to your face at the time, not revise it by email afterwards.

The alternative would be to assume the worst and quote low to protect ourselves. Plenty of buyers do exactly that. We'd rather name the limitation.

When to come to us instead

Sometimes the buying center is the better call, and it's a short list.

The car is older or you know there's rust. The lift settles it in one visit rather than two.
You want the highest possible number on a clean underbody. If your car is genuinely solid underneath, that's worth real money here — and it's easier to prove on a lift than to argue for on a driveway.
You're ready to sell today. Everything including notarization is in one building.
You're bringing a written offer to beat. Doable either way, but faster here.

At-home appraisal and mobile inspection are the same thing

You may have seen both names on our site and on our Google listing. They describe one service: we come to where the car is, inspect it properly, and give you a number.

The inspection and the appraisal aren't separable in practice. Nobody can value a vehicle they haven't looked at, and we're not going to look at your car and then decline to tell you what it's worth.

So whichever term you searched, this is the page, and there's nothing else to book.

What to have ready

Nothing here is required. Missing something is a reason to mention it, not to reschedule.

Both keys. The single most common avoidable deduction.
Your driver's license. Needed if you decide to sell on the spot.
The title, if you hold it. If there's a lien the lender has it, which is normal — we handle the payoff.
Service records. Worth more than people expect, and they're usually in a drawer in the house rather than in the car.
Somewhere we can see the car properly. Level ground and enough space to open all four doors is plenty.
Any written offer you already have. Dated within seven days. We beat it or hand you $250, terms apply.

Common questions

Does the mobile inspection cost anything?

No. There is no call-out fee, no travel charge and nothing deducted from your offer for the trip. If the number works for both of us we make the drive, and if it doesn't you've lost nothing but the forty minutes.

Is the offer as good as it would be at your buying center?

On most vehicles, yes — it's the same inspection and the same pricing. The exception is an older or visibly corroded car, where we can't see the whole underbody without a lift. In that case we'll tell you the number is subject to a look on the lift rather than quietly quoting low to cover ourselves.

How far do you travel?

Throughout the Columbus metro as standard, including Dublin, Westerville, Worthington, Powell, Hilliard, Upper Arlington, Gahanna, Grove City, Delaware, New Albany, Lewis Center and Marysville. Beyond that it becomes a scheduling question rather than a no — tell us where the car is and we'll give you a straight answer.

Can you buy the car on the spot?

In most cases, yes. The one step that needs planning is the title: Ohio requires the seller's signature on the title assignment to be notarized in person, so that can't simply happen in your kitchen. We'll tell you how to handle it for your situation before we come out.

What if my car doesn't run?

Still fine, and we do it often. Tell us at booking so the right people and equipment come out. A non-running car is worth less than a running one but it isn't worth nothing, and transport is free either way.

Is this the same as the at-home vehicle appraisal?

Yes. They're two names for one service — we come to where the car is, inspect it, and give you a number. The inspection and the appraisal aren't separable in practice, so whichever term you searched, this is the right page.

Have us come to you

Send the year, make, model, mileage and where the car is. We'll come back within 24 hours to arrange a time.

Get my offer

Or call (614) 321-1356 · 6780 Caine Rd, Columbus, OH 43235

Related services

The parts of the process people usually look at next.

Or see everything we handle when you sell us your car.