Questions to ask when hiring a home inspector
Congratulations, you have found the perfect home to buy! Right now, you’re probably overloaded with information and looking for resources to get everything ready. One of the most important steps you need to take after getting that lease ratified is to have the home inspected. Like most things on the internet, there is a ton of information about home inspections and how to hire them. However, one source that is vastly underrepresented is probably the best there is: home inspectors themselves. No, I’m not just referring to reading their websites, since anyone can post whatever they want. Instead, we went to a group of well-respected home inspectors and asked them this question: If you were hiring a home inspector to inspect a home for your out-of-state family member, what questions would you ask them?
1. What are your certifications?
If you’re in one of the many states where home inspectors are licensed, that’s just a minimum level to get the job done. As a group, we will look for a home inspector who has taken the time to obtain additional certifications above the minimum. There are multiple home inspection organizations (both national and local) that offer inspector certifications. The two main organizations are the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) and the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). Both offer multiple levels of certifications based on both experience and continuing education. InterNACHI holds the Certified Professional Inspector and Certified Master Inspector certifications. ASHI holds the ASHI Associate, Inspector and Certified Inspector certifications.
In states where there is no licensing program for home inspectors, it is even more important to make sure the inspector is certified, since virtually anyone can call themselves a home inspector. In these cases, it can be tempting to hire someone like a general contractor to just walk around the house with you. But, as Andrew Jolley of JODA Home Inspections in Stansbury Park, Utah, said, “Unlike contractors, home inspectors have a system that they follow so that all systems are evaluated and nothing is left out of inspection.” Additionally, a certified home inspector has been trained on all of the systems in a home, as well as how to inspect them and view the entire home as a system.
2. What kind of report do you provide and when will I receive it?
Hopefully, any legitimate inspector will provide you with a written report that you can use in your home purchase evaluation. That said, the reports differ in both style and level of detail. An inspection report should include digital images of the defects as well as narrative statements about the systems and defects found. Some reports will also include things like videos, glossaries, and summaries. If there is a summary, be sure to read the full report!
The response time for a report must also be determined. As inspectors, we understand the tight deadlines your real estate agent has put you on, so we will always send you the report as quickly as possible. Remember that sometimes a little more investigation is required, so don’t expect to get the report at the end of the inspection. Most inspectors should have the report within 24 hours of the end of the inspection.
3. Walk me through your typical inspection, what are the most important things?
Norm Tyler of Sage Inspections in St. Louis, MO says, “I would ask this for a couple of reasons. It would help me decide if your approach would be similar to mine. Every inspector is a little different, some will detail 500 small issues, while I I’m more of a ‘disregard the petty cosmetic stuff so I can focus on finding $1000 problems.’
4. Are you available after submitting the report for questions and/or clarifications?
This was one of the most popular questions I received from the inspectors I spoke with. We all strive to write a report that explains all issues as clearly as possible, but sometimes things may not make sense to you. Being able to call or email your inspector with questions after the inspection is critical, especially if you are unable to attend the inspection.
Along with this, you should probably ask the inspector about their policy for follow-up inspections. Once you’ve negotiated repairs with the seller, be sure to re-inspect those repairs. I have done many re-inspections and have yet to find that all the repairs have been made. Sometimes I get receipts for repairs that clearly weren’t even attempted. You should expect to pay for this reinspection, so find out how much it will cost ahead of time so there are no surprises.
5. What is your home inspection experience?
You will find that home inspectors come from many different backgrounds. Some may have been in the construction trades, and some may be doing it as a second career. The important thing to look for is an inspector who has experience performing home inspections. David Sharman of the Peterborough County, Ontario Home Inspectorate mentioned being asked how many inspections they had done in the last 12 months. This number may vary by market, but should be a reasonable number. Look for someone who does at least a few inspections a week, but watch out for those with very high numbers (unless they have multiple inspectors in their company). This may be a sign that someone is doing the bare minimum to get through the next inspection of several that day.
6. How many inspections do you carry out in a day?
Hopefully the answer is just one or two. Most inspectors will do one inspection in the morning and one in the afternoon. Some will add a night inspection. If you get past three, start worrying about how long they’ll spend on your inspection. Most inspections will take 2-3 hours for an average sized home. Smaller homes don’t really cut down on time, but larger homes can significantly increase the amount of time it takes to inspect.
7. What extra services can you offer?
Michael Conrad II, of Diligent, LLC in Nashville, TN, says you should check with the inspector to see if they offer other inspection services, such as thermal imaging, termite, radon, and mold inspections. This can help him in many ways as he not only gets all the inspections he needs from one company, but it allows his inspector to see the whole house as a system and provide the best evaluation of the house. Some areas require separate licenses for these additional inspections, so make sure they have those licenses as well if needed. If a license is not required, make sure they have third party certification.
8. Can I accompany you on the inspection?
The inspection is your time to get to know the house. The inspection will most likely be the most time you’ll spend in the house until you have it, so make the most of it. Your inspector should encourage you to ask questions as the inspection proceeds. After all, it’s much easier to explain (and understand) a problem that’s in front of you. If you wait until a day or two later, now the inspector has to explain it to you over the phone, and since then more houses have been inspected. Charles Buell of Charles Buell Inspections, Inc in Shoreline, WA says he wants the customer to be there all the time. This is your time to learn about the house. Also, Jim Holl of 5 Star Home Inspections LLC in Hillsborough, NC says: A professional home inspector wants you, the prospective occupant, to attend the inspection so you can ask questions and see most of what the inspector sees. Since you will be living there and will be able to maintain it, for safety, health, and financial reasons, this is your chance to learn all about your new castle. If the inspector doesn’t want you to look, go to the next inspector you want to interview.
9. Who will do the inspection?
This is primarily for multi-inspector firms, but Ian Mayer of IM Home Inspections in Woodland Hills, CA warns to be careful with bait and switch. The business owner may have really great certifications, but he sends the guy who just got certified last week to do his inspection.
10. What guarantees/guarantees are included with the inspection?
A home inspection is, by definition, a snapshot in time. It shows the condition of the house on the day of the inspection. None of us have a crystal ball to predict the future of a home, and sometimes sellers intentionally hide known flaws. Some home inspectors offer various warranties and guarantees with their inspection. Be sure to read the fine print on everything that’s offered to make sure you understand what you’re getting and what the limitations are. Frank Rotte of Certified Inspection Services, LLC of San Diego points out that many repairs are actually below the deductible, so the buyer ends up paying for the repair anyway.
11. How much does the inspection cost?
This is the last question you should ask, and it’s really just so you know how much to pay on the check. In other words, don’t shop around and don’t shop around for the cheapest inspector. (Again, how much are you paying for that house?) James Braun of Braun Inspection Consultations in Jefferson City, MO rightly says that “a good inspector isn’t cheap, and a cheap inspector isn’t good.” You are making what may be the biggest purchase of your life, do you really want the cheapest inspector you can find to do your inspection?
Thank you for sticking with me for so long, and I hope it was informative for you. The best home inspectors are those who work for you and inspect each home as if they, or their favorite relative, were buying it. These home inspectors have nothing to gain except to give you the best possible inspection, allowing you to make an extremely important decision. Now go out and hire the best home inspector you can find.