If you are planning to hire someone to do a home inspection for you, one thing that you want to do is to ask them some questions before hiring them. Below are the questions that you should ask them to get a better idea of who you will be doing business with.
1. Can you do repairs as well as an inspection?
Sometimes a homeowner will get advice from general contractors instead of inspectors, but that’s a big mistake. An inspector will give their expertise from another viewpoint. The inspector will generally check the appliances or roof if they’re in the house. General contractors come from the standpoint of repairs and they can quote for the repairs that are needed. The disadvantage to this is that it’s not easy to see whether the repairs are necessary or optional.
Once you have had your home inspected, a general contractor might be a good person to contact to get an idea of the prices of necessary and optional upgrades.
2. Are you insured and bonded?
Anyone that you hire needs to be insured and bonded. There are some inspectors who aren’t insured. The reason for the insurance is if something should happen while they are doing the inspection, like they slip or fall while they are inspecting the roof. If they don’t have insurance, they might end up suing you. So it’s a good idea to make sure that they are insured.
3. What will it cover?
Your inspector needs to make sure that the inspection and report are going to meet all of the state’s requirements if it’s applicable, and that it complies with an ethical standard. It should be fine that you request the items before the inspection and look them over, so that you have time to ask the questions you might have. If there’s any areas you want to ensure are inspected, make sure you tell the inspector in the beginning.
4. How long have you been doing this and what is the number you’ve completed?
You should be able to get a history from your home inspector. You also should ask for some referrals. Even though someone is new in the business, don’t discount them. They often are more than qualified and a lot of them will have someone inspecting them with the inspection.
5. Do you have a lot of experience with residential inspection?
It’s helpful if they have related experience when it comes to engineering or construction. However, it’s also essential that they have been trained and have experience with residential home inspection.
6. What’s the length of time the inspection will take?
On average, on-site inspections will take 2-3 hours when it’s one inspector inspecting a single-family home. If the home is especially large, other inspectors might come in. But 2-3 hours is average.
7. What’s the cost?
The cost is going to dramatically vary, based on the size, age, and region of your home. Things like the scope of the service and other factors will affect the price. The typical range is anywhere from $300 to $500.
8. What kind of report will I get and how long will it take to get it ?
Ask if you can view samples and figure out if you are able to understand the reporting style of the inspector. You also want to make sure their time parameters will fulfill your personal needs. The majority of inspectors will give you their complete report no later than 24 hours after the inspection.
9. Can I come to the inspection?
Attending your inspection is very educational and the refusal of an inspector to let you attend is going to be a huge red flag. They should have no trouble at all letting you come with them while they do their work. If they do, go to someone else to have the inspection done.
These are some of the questions that you should ask when you are looking for a home inspector. They will give you a good idea of what to expect and let you know whether the person you are interviewing is the right one for you.
About Crown Home Inspection
Our mission at Crown Home Inspection is to provide our clients with confidence and the knowledge knowing they are making a solid investment. We will provide excellent, quick, and competitively priced service while keeping the highest levels of professionalism and customer courtesy. Crown Home Inspection, will allow inspections to be scheduled at a time that is convenient for our customers, and ensure 24 Hr delivery of our inspection reports.
