Monday, March 2, 2015

5 Things a Good Home Inspector will have


Now that you're buying or selling a home, you'll likely find yourself looking for a home inspector. If you're not too familiar with home inspectors (like most people) then this post is for you. 

Just like no two fingerprints are the same, inspectors aren't either. They vary greatly in experience, knowledge, competency, and integrity. Which makes a home inspection only as good as the inspector.

After 20 years in the industry, we've come to find that most good home inspectors share 5 things in common:


1. Experience

All good home inspectors have verifiable work experience in the area of inspections and years of experience in the construction industry or a closely related field. They not only know what to look for, they also know why they're looking for it.


2. Affiliation

Currently, there are no licensing or education requirements to become a home inspector in the State of California. This means that anyone who pays a private entity money to take a training course can become an inspector. However, there are industry associations, such as ASHI, who set industry guidelines, have Standards of Practice, and require continuing education for home inspectors. 

ASHI is the oldest and largest professional organization for home inspectors in North America. However, there are other good organizations out there, such as CREIA, and InterNACHI. You should always look for an inspector affiliated with any one of these three organizations, or another recognized home inspection organization. 


3. Certification and Training

No matter how much related experience they have, you should still look for an inspector who is actually trained and has received certification as a home inspector (yes, even by a private entity). This shows that they take their profession seriously and are aware of the industry guidelines for home inspections. But as stated above, being certified and trained does not make an inspector good; it only helps compliment their experience.



4. Liability and Errors & Omissions Insurance

Liability Insurance generally covers claims for injury to others or damage to property. Errors & Omissions (E&O) Insurance covers the clients and their agents in case the inspector's negligence has adverse effects on the property.  An inspector who carries General Liability and E&O Insurance will be better able to protect you. Not all inspectors carry E&O, and some inspectors don't carry insurance at all. A good inspector will always be properly insured because they care about you and their business. Make sure you ask them when considering hiring their services.


5. Professional Inspection Reports

An inspection report can be the difference between a sale going through and falling through.  A good inspector will have experience writing reports that are comprehensive in details while still easy-to-read. A good home inspector will be happy to provide you with samples of reports prior to being hired. You should always obtain reports and read them for user friendliness, tone, grammar, and completeness. Although some inspectors only have check boxes that identify yes or no, or good condition or poor condition, good inspectors will often have further details explaining the deficiencies and provide you with recommendations to help you address those issues quickly.



The proactive work in getting to know an inspector before hiring them will help protect your investment.  Although these 5 Things a Good Home Inspector will have are not predictors of the quality of your own inspection, they are top things to keep in mind when starting your search for a home inspector in California.  



Structure Inspections is built on 20 years of experience in the construction inspection industry.  Our main focus is making sure our inspections help our clients move forward by explaining how issues can be taken care of and providing them with the resources to do so.  Our experienced inspectors are certified, trained, and remain current with building practices to provide the best home inspections and commercial inspections in Ventura County, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles. We are just a phone call away from taking care of your next inspection! Call us today at (805) 815-3000.