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Choosing a Home Inspector

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It is absolutely imperative that your home inspector meets the requirements of all laws and regulations in your state or province. Most states have regulations requiring home inspectors to be licensed, including passing a certification exam and fulfilling continuing education requirements.

It is wise to ask if the inspector is a member of a professional Home Inspection organization. Especially if your state does not require home inspectors to be licensed, it is important that the home inspector belongs to an association and abides by a set of standard practices and code of ethics that require professionalism. Some notable national home inspector organizations are: the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI), National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI), Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors (CAHPI). There are also similar state-level organizations which require their members to adhere to strict standards of practice and continuing education.

The best home inspectors have proper training and experience.
There are several companies that provide hands-on training. Additionally, many inspectors have been in building trades for several years. They have extensive working knowledge of home construction.

Ideally, the inspectors should be referred by someone other than you.
It is in your best interest to allow your clients to choose their own inspectors. Like all of us, Home Inspectors are human and may make mistakes. If you referred the home inspector, you might lose the trust of your clients (at a minimum) or be held liable (worst-case scenario).

The Actual Home Inspection Report

Quality home inspections include reports that describe the condition of each item inspected. The best reports are those that are created using home inspection software and include pictures and comments specific to your home.

Home inspectors who use this special software can often deliver the report on site. Some inspectors send their reports via email. Such Internet report delivery is often important for out of town clients, instead of messy faxes or costly overnight shipping.

It is a good idea to request a copy of a sample report to ensure that it is detailed and easily understood. If you can\”#8217;t understand the report or if you lose interest reading extra useless information, you may not even read your own report, and you may miss important information.

Look for credentials, experience, and reputation over price

All home inspectors have strong points and areas for improvement. You might choose a cheaper home inspector and think you are saving yourself money. However, saving $50 on your inspection could cost you thousands of dollars later if the inspector misses problems. Typically, the best inspectors are not the cheapest. If you want to save money, possibly thousands, then don\”#8217;t choose the cheapest inspector. Choosing a thorough and experienced home inspector is the best route to take.

Don\”#8217;t be fooled by fancy reports

Your goal is to have a comprehensive document detailing the inspection of your home, not a canned template, bulk report, or information that may not even apply to your home. You can find many sources of general information (e.g. Ortho\”#8217;s Home Encyclopedia) at local home improvement stores. Choose your home inspector based on ability. Substance should be measured in quality of content, not by the weight of the inspection report.

The American Home Inspector Directory offers Home Inspections

Author: Charles | Reply: No Reply | Posted: 2008-03-15 20:21:06 | Previous | Next