In a lot of states, just about anyone can hang a shingle and call themselves a home inspector, so, how do you know you’re actually getting someone who knows a thing or two about houses? If you’re wondering how to find a qualified home inspector, rather than just a hack repair man with a camera and a bag of tools, we’ve got you covered.
If you’re in the market to buy a home. want to find someone who can do more than just give the property a good look over. You need a truly professional inspector, one that doesn’t just poke around and say “that don’t look right”, but can give you a detailed report on more than existing defects. An experienced and qualified inspector can often expose potential defects before they become major issues. It can be quite stressful if you have an unexpected problems arise while owning said property. Some repairs that Builder Bob is more likely to miss can be quite costly. Additionally, it can be valuable to hire a qualified home inspector before you sell a property to identify any issues before accepting an offer. Handling any potential bumps in the road before is much easier than facing them in the middle of escrow.
Finding A Qualified Home Inspector
So, when you’re looking to find a home inspector, how do you know you’re finding a qualified home inspector? Well, because we are a professional & qualified home inspection company, we probably do know a thing or two about what to look for, and we’re happy to share some insight into what to look for. Even if you don’t hire us, we want you to walk away from your home with the peace of mind, that you made a wise choice with the inspector you chose. If you have any questions, you can always contact us. You can also browse through our “Frequently Asked Questions“. Now, back to it. What should you look for?
Check Their Qualifications
A home inspection will only ever be as good as the home inspector. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people calling themselves qualified inspectors that simply aren’t. Even in a licensed state, like Tennessee, you have inspectors that carry no professional credentials. They took an exam and they opened up for business. In other states, there aren’t even bare minimum requirements for home inspectors to meet. Some inspectors just aren’t credible when it comes to their background (be it personal or professional) and their qualifications. To help circumvent these individuals, here are a few credible organizations that can be used as a resource.
The National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) is a credible source. This organization resides in Boulder, CO. The Association requires compliance with both a code of ethics and strict practice standards for its members.
Located in Oak Brook, Illinois, is The American Society of Home Inspectors, Inc. (ASHI). This organization was founded in 1976 to create a resource for home inspections, as well as a quality control atmosphere.
While both of these organizations require continuing education for their members, of these two, only InterNACHI tests it’s members. A Certified Professional Inspector has to take extensive training in Home Inspection, that goes well beyond what is required by the state. So, that’s the organization we went with. And it’s the organization and credential you should look for when hiring a home inspector. You can rest assured that an InterNACHI member has the training necessary to complete an inspection report competently and professionally, while knowing they have strict rules for ethics and morals. The Certified Professional Inspector logo can provide assurance to you during the real estate process. Using a qualified home inspector removes most of the unknown issues sure to arise when buying and/or selling a property.
And, if you do live in a licensed state, such as Tennessee, don’t forget to check and make sure your home inspector is actually licensed, like we are. (We hold license #2967) Just because someone knows a thing or two about plumbing doesn’t mean their qualified to inspect the whole house. A licensed inspector is one who has passed an exam, carries insurance, and is regulated by the state.
Make Sure Your Inspector Is Experienced
Would you trust a surgeon who’s only watched a few episodes of Grey’s Anatomy? Probably not. The same logic applies to your home inspector. Ask your inspector how long they’ve been in the business and what types of properties they’ve inspected. They get bonus points if they’ve worked in your area and know the quirks of local building. A lot of home inspectors have experience working in construction, that’s a good thing. Our inspectors background includes years of work in commercial HVAC and commercial inspection. But there are inspectors out there who have never walked a roof or been in a crawlspace. Those are the types, you should probably be wary of.
But why take the inspectors word for it? Ask around. Asking your realtor, friends, or neighbors can provide some insight. So can reviews. Reviews are like online dating profiles—sometimes glowing, sometimes questionable, but they do give you insight into the kind of inspector you’re dealing with. If the review says the inspector was fast, (only took an hour), you know the inspector wasn’t very thorough. People might complain that their inspector found problems, but that’s what you want – someone that finds problems. Look for patterns. If everyone praises their thoroughness but gripes about their love of dad jokes, you’re probably safe. (Dad jokes might even make the process more entertaining.) One thing you might want to pay attention to is if these reviews are local. Some inspection companies are national and you might not get the same quality inspector you’re reading about, if it’s a place with dozens of inspectors. You want to make sure you know the inspector you’re hiring.
One thing you should check for (or ask for) is a sample report. That can give you a good idea of what to expect. If the report is little more than a checklist, avoid that inspector. A good inspector, like you find at Upchurch Inspection, is going to provide details & photos. They don’t leave you wondering what it is they looked at and what problems they found. If the company doesn’t have any sample reports published, you have to ask yourself why. Maybe their reports aren’t very impressive and are just sparse reports where the inspector didn’t do much more than check the boxes. We aren’t like that. Our average report has hundreds of photos and is over 60 pages long, for good reason. You’re home contains a lot of components. Components you want to make sure get fully inspected. I had one realtor tell me they no longer recommend another inspector in town because he doesn’t even get a ladder out and walk a roof. He just looks at it from the ground. What kind of inspection is that? That’s why sample reports are so helpful, they can give you insight into what the inspector looks at and what he finds.
Finding Your Inspector
Yeah, we basically said you need to inspector your inspector. Make sure they have passed the right exams (The National Home Inspector Exam), carry the right credentials (InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector certification), have the right experience (experience in a related field or years of home inspector work), and write quality reports. If you find someone who checks all the boxes, you’re in good hands.
We do. If you have any additional questions or would like to discuss scheduling a home inspection, you can always contact us via our contact page. As mentioned earlier, you can also visit our “Frequently Asked Questions” page and browse questions there.
