Hiring a Home Inspector
You want to know as much as possible about the condition of the home you are buying. One of the best ways to do that is to hire a professional home inspector. The inspector’s job is to perform a comprehensive physical examination of property, including major systems and components. The inspector then gives you an impartial opinion about the current condition of the property, as well as about potential safety concerns and any issues that might warrant further specialized inspection. As you can see, a home inspection is a very important process. You therefore want a well-qualified inspector to perform this examination. How do you find a qualified professional home inspector? And what factors do you look at when choosing one? Consider the following tips:
Finding a Home Inspector
Referrals are an excellent source for finding a professional home inspector. Ask relatives or friends who are homeowners what inspector they used when purchasing their home. If you are working with a real estate agent, you will find that he/she usually has a list of qualified home inspectors in the area. Other sources are your local Yellow Pages and directories on the web sites of professional organizations such as the American Society of Home Inspectors (www.ashi.org), National Association of Home Inspectors (www.nahi.org) or National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (www.nachi.org).
You can also perform an Internet
search to find state
associations and/or certifying
bodies.
Choosing a Home Inspector
Once you have identified a list of candidates, what factors do you consider when making your choice?
- Professional qualifications and experience – You are looking for someone with relevant formal training as well as direct, practical experience and a proven track record in the home inspection business. Find out how many inspections they have performed and whether professional home inspection is their full-time occupation.
- References and reputation – Get the names and contact information for at least three previous customers. Then call each one. Ask how satisfied they were with the inspection and the inspection report. Find out if any problems have surfaced with the property that were overlooked in the inspection. Also consider checking with the Better Business Bureau to see if any complaints have been filed against the company that the inspector is affiliated with.
- Professional memberships and certifications – Is the inspector certified or a member of any professional associations? If yes, determine if the organizations are reputable and recognized and find out what the requirements are for membership and certification.
- Insurance – Errors and omissions insurance provides protection for you if the inspector misses a problem that should have been detected during the inspection. Insurance coverage is one indication that an inspector cares about protecting their customers and plans to be in business for the long haul with a solid reputation.
- Inspection report
– Request a sample report so
that you get a good idea of
the scope of the inspection
and the depth of information
you will receive.
Inspection report formats
vary from simple checklists
to full narrative or
anywhere in between.
You want to receive a
comprehensive report, with
annotated photos, that
details findings.
What about price you ask? Price is a factor for consideration, but don’t let it unduly influence your decision on which inspector to hire. When it comes to something as important as your home inspection, you do not want to be a bargain shopper. Saving a few dollars on an inspection is not worth the risk of overlooked problems that might cost you a lot more in repairs and stress later on. Besides, you will typically find that home inspections by reputable, well-qualified professionals are in a similar price range. You can expect to pay $200 to $500 for a professional home inspection depending on where you live and the size and features of the property to be inspected.
Sound like a lot of work? It does take time to choose a home inspector. But it is time well spent on the front end versus finding yourself the owner of a “money pit” after your deal is closed.
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