What is this?Scan anything in or around your house: what it does, how long it lasts, what it costs, and how hard it is to replace
Free. Your photo stays on your phone. Or just type what it is.
Snap the shutoff, the panel, anything· A basement utility room
Life spans: InterNACHI; prices: Fixr and Angi; pay: BLS, November 1, 2026. Pictures: artist’s renderings.
The scanner
Snap it or type it.
Reading your photo…
Free. Your photo stays on your phone; nothing is uploaded. The first scan downloads the reader once (about 31 MB, best on Wi-Fi). 112 things in the library, inside and out.
Point your camera at anything in or around the house, or type what it is. You get what it does, how long it lasts, three prices and a Replace Score.
Updated November 1, 2026112 things in the libraryA 30-second scan, plus a 4-minute read
Quick answer
Point your phone at anything in or around your house, from the furnace and the electrical panel to the gutters and the sump pump. The scanner names it and shows what it does, how long it typically lasts, what the part, a pro and a repair cost (one-time), whether stores sell it or only the trades, and a 0 to 10 Replace Score for how hard it is to swap. It knows 112 things. Your photo stays on your phone.1,2
The scanner, in six numbers
2026
Prices one-time, U.S. typical range; pay per hour, May 2025.
The library
Everything it knows.
112 things in 8 groups, inside and out. Tap one to open its card.
Heating and cooling16
Water and plumbing19
Electrical14
Appliances9
Safety6
Outside the house19
Yard and lot13
Inside the house16
Tap one to open its card in the scanner. Years are the typical life from when it was put in.1 Missing something? Type it in the scanner and text me; the library grows.
Replace Score
How hard is it to replace?
Five parts, 0 to 2 points each.
In shortUnder 3: do it yourself this weekend. 6 and up: call a pro, and at 9 or 10, ask about the permit.
Easy DIY
A screwdriver and an hour: a toilet flapper, a smoke alarm, a filter.
Handy DIY
Power tools or half a day, little risk: a faucet, a disposal, a storm door.
Pro recommended
Gas, water, ladders or heavy parts: a water heater, a garage door, gutters.
Pro and permit
Licensed trades, permits and inspections: a furnace, a panel, a roof.
| Part | 0 | 1 | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tools | Basic hand tools | Power tools | Special tools or gauges |
| Time | Under an hour | An hour to half a day | A full day or more |
| Danger | Low | Some care needed (a ladder, water, sharp edges) | Real risk: gas, live wiring, heights or heavy parts |
| Permit or license | None | A permit may be needed | License and permit needed |
| Trades | One person | A helper or a second trade | Several trades |
Five parts, 0 to 2 points each, add up to the score. It rates the job of replacing the item, not fixing it. A permit rule can differ by county; when in doubt, call the county’s permit office.
Example: your electrical panel
Is it outdated? Is it legit?
Five things to check on any breaker panel, with the numbered spots on the drawing.
- The brand. On the label inside the door. Eaton, Square D, Siemens and GE are common. Inspectors flag Federal Pacific (Stab-Lok) and Zinsco.5
- The amps. The number on the main breaker, the big one at the top: 200 is today’s common size; 100 or less is tight for an all-electric home or a car charger.
- The labels. The list on the door should say what every breaker turns off; the electrical code asks for it.6
- Room for more. Empty spaces at the bottom. The label lists the total, for example 42 spaces.
- The energy certificate. The paper the builder posts on or near the panel: its date is about when the house was finished.7 The proof the work was approved is the county’s permit record: an electrical permit with a passed final inspection, and its date.8
A real oneA Northern Virginia home finished in 2024: an Eaton CH panel, a 200-amp main breaker on a 225-amp panel, 26 of 42 spaces in use, and an energy certificate dated September 2024. Up to date, with room to grow. Snap your own panel above and the card walks you through the same five checks.
The prices
So you don’t overpay.
Where every price comes from, and why Northern Virginia runs higher.
Three prices on every card
The part alone: what you pay to do it yourself, where a source lists it. A pro puts in a new one: the installed price, labor and materials. A common repair: the usual fix before replacing. All one-time, all the U.S. typical range from Fixr or Angi cost guides, with the page and its date on the card.2,3
Stores or trade only
In stores: Home Depot, Lowe’s and hardware stores sell it. Trade only: supply houses sell it to licensed pros (a furnace, a heat pump, a boiler), so you buy it through the installer. The utility owns it: the meter is theirs to fix.
| Trade | D.C. area | U.S. | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbers | $36.10per hour | $34.70per hour | +4% |
| Electricians | $38.29per hour | $34.37per hour | +11% |
| HVAC technicians | $35.45per hour | $31.14per hour | +14% |
| Roofers | $29.76per hour | $27.95per hour | +6% |
| Carpenters | $32.11per hour | $31.55per hour | +2% |
Mean hourly wages, May 2025, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area.4 Labor is often half or more of an installed price, so the D.C.-area bill tends to sit in the upper half of a national range.
How it works
Your photo, your phone.
What the scanner does, and what it can’t.
What happens to my photo?
Nothing leaves your phone. A small picture model runs inside your browser, compares the photo with the 112 things in the library and offers its best 3. The answer itself always comes from the library, with sources, never from the model.9
The first scan downloads the model once, about 31 MB; after that it is quick and works on a weak signal.
How good is it?
On 30 test photos it named the item first 25 times and had it in its top 3 for 29. It does best when the item fills the frame. It can mix up look-alikes (a pressure tank and a water softener, an outlet and a GFCI), so check the name and tap the right one, or type it.
It reads what something is, not its condition: a pro still has to say whether yours is working well.
Buying, selling, investing
Why it matters.
The big systems are the big bills.
Buying
At a showing, scan the furnace, the water heater, the panel and the roof. Ages and Replace Scores tell you which big bills are coming in the first five years, before you write the offer.
Selling or investing
Know what each system costs to replace before a buyer’s inspector asks, and check a contractor’s quote against the range before you sign.
Questions
What people ask about the parts of a house.
How does the home scanner know what my item is?
A small picture model runs on your phone and compares your photo with the photo descriptions of 112 home items. It offers its top 3; you tap the right one or type it. Everything on the card (life, prices, score) comes from the library and its sources.
Does my photo get uploaded?
No. The photo is read inside your browser on your phone and is not sent or saved. The reader downloads once, about 31 MB, the first time you scan.
Where do the prices come from?
Fixr and Angi cost guides: the U.S. typical range people paid, one-time. Each card links the exact page and its date. D.C.-area trade pay runs 2% to 14% above the U.S. average (BLS, May 2025), so prices here tend to be in the upper half of the range.
What is the Replace Score?
A 0 to 10 rating of how hard an item is to replace: tools, time, danger, permit or license, and how many trades it takes, 0 to 2 points each. 0 to 2 is easy DIY, 3 to 5 handy DIY, 6 to 8 pro recommended, 9 to 10 pro and permit.
How do I know if my electrical panel is outdated?
Check the brand (inspectors flag Federal Pacific Stab-Lok and Zinsco), the amps on the main breaker (200 is today's common size; 60 or fuses is outdated), whether every breaker is labeled, and the county permit record for any replacement. Scan your panel and the card walks you through it.
How do I check if work on my house had a county permit?
Search the address in the county's permit records: Fairfax County PLUS, Loudoun County LandMARC, Prince William County SelfService or Permit Arlington. A permit with a passed final inspection, and its date, means the work was checked.
What if my item is not in the library?
Type it in the scanner: when nothing matches, you can text Ahmed to add it. The library grows from what people look for.
Your next step
Want a second set of eyes?
Send me your scans or photos of the big systems. I will tell you what they mean for your offer, your sale or your budget, with real numbers, in English or Arabic.
اقرأ دليل شمال فرجينيا بالعربية ←
وكيلك العقاري الموثوق في شمال فرجينيا.
Keep exploring
Your next pages.
How old is this?
Snap the label: the year it was made.
ToolShowing kit
What to check at a showing.
GuideWhat to fix before selling
What pays back, and what to leave.
GuideHardware stores and home fixes
The nearest store, and what to do first.
ToolWill my furniture fit?
Another phone tool: a true-size sofa in your room.
Try a free tool
See all 37 free tools →- Just saw a house? Quick factsType the address of a house you just saw: size, value range, community sales, schools, noise, flood zone and sun on one screen.
- How loud is my street?Type an address, see its road, rail and plane noise in decibels.
- Phone noise meterAt a showing, measure the noise in the yard and each room with your phone, next to the noise map.
Keep reading
- ToolHow old is this? Water heater, furnace, ACSnap the label on a water heater, furnace, AC or heat pump: the month and year it was made, how long it typically lasts, and what a new one costs.
- Showing kitShowing kit: one house, every checkGoing to see a house? Type the address once: every check in showing order, a walk-through checklist and notes on your phone.
- CheckWhat to fix before sellingTap what your house has: see what to fix, what to make shine and what to skip. Staging, pre-listing inspections and selling as is.
- ToolHardware stores near youType an address: hardware stores within 3 to 5 miles, then the first 2 weeks in a new home by the year it was built, and DIY vs. a pro.