How to choose a home inspector

Choosing a home inspector

How to Choose

If you’re reading this blog you are already on the right track for choosing a home inspector. Doing your own research is very important as everyone and every inspector is a little different. Just because an inspector is a good match with someone you know, maybe there is an inspector out there that is a better match for you. Realizing what you want out of the inspection is very important as well. If you are in a regulated province/state such as Alberta many inspectors will follow  similar standards of practice which is a bare minimum requirement. So there may be many similarities but many inspectors will go above and beyond that standard of practice. For example, maybe appliances are very important to you and some inspectors will perform a recall check for your appliances while others will not. This is just one example of why learning what services home inspectors offer is very important.

Is your inspector the right fit for your home inspection? Inspecting a 1940’s home compared to a brand new home is a very different process. When inspecting a brand new home, especially if you are having a report prepared for a builder, you are going to want to make sure your home inspector is familiar with local building codes and construction guidelines as many builders will require this prior to making repairs. If you are inspecting an older home having a home inspector who has experience renovating older homes or offers services like sewer scopes or air quality testing may be more of an asset to you.Although many home inspectors have great general knowledge many times they can specialize in one or the other areas.

What types of tools does your inspector use? Being familiar with certain tools that can be used to inspect a home and asking if your inspector uses them is a must. Thermal imaging cameras, moisture meters, sewer camera and gas leak detectors are a few of the tools I would recommend becoming familiar with and asking your inspector if he uses them. Asking your inspector if he walks roofs and if not what tools he uses to complete the roof inspection is also important. Many times walking roofs can be very difficult even impossible during certain weather conditions, knowing what your inspector will use in the event he does not walk the roof is very important. Some inspectors do visuals from ground levels while others carry telescoping poles or drones which gets a far better visual of a roof.

Does the inspector carry a certificate or credentials from an accredited school? Does your area require home inspectors to be licensed? Does your inspector have a license? Does your inspector have any further certificates or credentials? These are all very important questions you should be asking your future inspector. Most inspectors have their inspectors certificate but many have other forms of ongoing education that makes them more knowledgeable in certain fields. Also asking how many years has your future inspector been inspecting?Just because an inspector has been inspecting for 20 plus years doesn’t necessarily mean he is the inspector you are looking for. Ongoing education is key, as an inspector you always have to be staying up to date of current standards. So even though lots of experience is typically a bonus I would definitely recommend asking further questions no matter what. If your inspector has completed 100-200 inspections he/she should be fairly confident with most situations and have the resources to get in touch with the right people in the event something questions his/her knowledge.

What is your future inspectors fee? There is a wide range in price when it comes to fees. Most company’s stay relatively the same within $100. Some inspection companies come in with very low pricing typically newer companies, that try to avoid questions about experience. Many newer companies don’t know the true cost associated with running an inspection business and end up going out of business within the first year. You want to pick an inspection business that you believe will be around for the long haul, so if you need ongoing support down the road it’s there. I would treat mid to high range inspection companies the same in regards to price. Many times you get what you pay for, that’s not always the case with home inspectors. Usually the highest priced inspectors are also the busiest but how did they become the busiest? Because they’re the most knowledgeable? Or because they can inspect a house the fastest? Maybe because they’re awesome human beings and people just like to hang out with them? All of those could be true but not all of those options are always in your best interest when paying someone to inspect your home.

What I believe you should take away from this is you will get what you put into it. If you pick the first inspector someone tells you about or you see online you might get lucky or you may be stuck with someone who isn’t qualified, experienced or educated. Your best bet is to call around, ask some questions and go with the one that makes you feel the most comfortable.