Choosing a Home Inspection Company
Credentials of Home Inspectors
It is absolutely imperative that your home inspector meets the
requirements of all laws and regulations in your state or
province. Click on Current
Requirements to see current laws and regulations for your
state. 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'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't choose
the cheapest inspector. Choosing a thorough and experienced home
inspector is the best route to take.
Don'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'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.
