How To Hire a Home Inspector You Can Trust

When it comes to buying or selling a home, a quality home inspector is an absolute must. Professional home inspectors near you specialize in searching homes for potential hazards, defects, and damage, helping buyers and sellers stay informed. Most states require home inspectors to pass a certified home inspector training course and/or pass a state-required exam in order to be certified. But how do you find the right inspector for you? Learn how to find a reputable home inspector with this guide.  

What Does a Home Inspector Do?

A home inspector examines and assesses your home for existing or potential issues. They evaluate all major elements of your home, such as the electrical wiring, plumbing, HVAC systems, roof, and foundation to make sure everything is installed correctly and working properly. 

While they don’t make repairs themselves, their reports can help you figure out what kinds of repairs are needed. Home inspectors are often called in when someone is buying a home to make sure they’re getting what they bargained for or when someone is selling a home to make sure they can fix any issues before putting the house on the market.

Tips for Hiring a Home Inspector

Preparation is essential to make the most out of your home inspection. Research any potential inspectors thoroughly, and give them a call ahead of time to discuss pricing and to ask any pertinent home inspection questions. Also, ask what the inspection process entails. A real pro will physically crawl into the attic and crawl space instead of just taking a quick look around from the opening or doorway. Here are a few other prep steps to help you:

1. Know What Kind of Home Inspection You Need

Determine whether you’ll need a pre-listing inspection as a seller, a pre-purchase inspection as a buyer, a new construction inspection, or specialized inspection services (e.g., lead inspection, asbestos inspection, pest inspection, etc.). Different home inspection types might vary in cost and length, so you’ll need to have this info on hand.

2. Check Your Home Inspector’s Qualifications and References

Be sure to double-check that any potential inspectors are certified and qualified to perform home inspections in your state. Look at their references and reviews to make sure their past clients have been happy with their work. 

3. Interview Multiple Home Inspectors

Don’t just go with the first person you find. Shop around to make sure you’re hiring the right person to fit your needs. Like with any job interview, compare their experience and certifications and get a sense of their working style. If you have specific needs or concerns—say the home in question is a historic building or a house that’s been flipped—make sure your inspector has relevant experience.

4. Ask for a Background Check

A background check, like a resume of experience, can give you peace of mind about the person you’re hiring. Buying a home is a major investment, so make sure the person inspecting it for potential money pits is trustworthy.

5. Get Details in Writing

As with any major transaction, get all the details in writing. In the case of a home inspection, this means what’s called a pre-inspection agreement, which outlines in writing the scope of work, exclusions, fees, and other details, such as the address of the building and the date of the inspection. This protects both you and the inspector by providing clear expectations. 

6. Home Inspector Red Flags To Watch Out For

Most home inspectors do good work, but you should still be on the lookout for a few common red flags to avoid when choosing an inspector. These include:

• Missing Certification: Always ask for certifications before going ahead with an inspector, and steer clear of anyone who refuses to share theirs.

• No Insurance: If there’s any room to believe that a home inspector did an inaccurate or incomplete report, it can lead to big legal and financial hassles later on.

• Rock Bottom Pricing: Cheap inspections often indicate an inexperienced inspector, who might miss important problems during the course of their inspection.

• Boilerplate Inspection Reports: Avoid inspectors who give out verbal, vague, incomplete, or unspecific inspection reports.

• Overly Quick Inspections: Choose an inspector who’s known for taking their time and being thorough. 

• Lack of Experience: Experience helps inspectors know what to look for and where to find potential issues, saving you time, money, and trouble later on. 

Questions to Ask Your Home Inspector

One key prep step is to write up a few questions to ask during your home inspection, as well as beforehand. Here are a few to keep in mind as you prepare for your home inspection.

• Ask How Many Inspections They’ve Conducted: ASHI requires at least 250 inspections for membership, but that’s just the bare minimum of experience necessary to conduct a quality inspection. For maximum peace of mind, find someone who's performed at least 1,000 inspections and has at least three to five years of full-time experience in the field. 

• Ask About Insurance and Licensure: Ask to see proof of licensing if your state requires it, and inquire about proof of general liability insurance as well as errors and omissions (E&O) insurance. Even the most seasoned pros make mistakes, and E&O insurance protects both the inspector and the homeowner in these cases. 

• Ask About Technology: While a major part of your home inspection relies on the inspector and their expertise, these experts use specialty tools to help them make a well-informed inspection report. During your interviews with potential inspectors, you should ask them about what kind of technology they plan to use during the inspection. Some technologies that home inspectors may use include thermal imaging, moisture meters, electrical circuit monitors, video scopes, leak detectors for pools, home inspection software, and drones.

• Ask for a Sample Report: Once your home inspection is complete, you’ll receive a written home inspection report that details any issues or red flags found during the inspection. To ensure a potential inspector will produce a well-organized and thorough report, you can request a sample report. If the potential home inspector provides a sample report that only includes a series of checked boxes, you may want to reconsider. However, if the sample report offers explanations, graphics, and useful references, that’s reassurance that they’ll provide the same kind of report for you.

• Ask About Costs: An average home inspection costs between $200 and $500, but it’s advised that you get this number in writing before hiring anyone. The costs depend on the age of a home, its size, and other factors, so be sure to have that information ready to go as you make inquiries. Take a little time getting a number of quotes from professionals in your area. You might be able to save a few hundred dollars while still getting a thorough, quality inspection.

Finding the Right Home Inspector

Finding the right home inspector to meet your needs ensures that you get an accurate and helpful report and that you feel good about it. You can find a home inspector by starting close to home: ask your friends and family if they have any local recommendations. Getting a firsthand account can give you insight you wouldn’t otherwise have. 

You can also ask people in the construction and real estate industries if they have recommendations. Home inspectors are sometimes brought in by contractors to provide a third-party assessment and they often work with real estate agents as they prepare a home for the market. 

With any home inspector you’re considering, read reviews, verify certifications, conduct interviews, request sample reports, and follow our other tips above to ensure you hire the best home inspector for the job.

After Your Pro Finishes

A home inspection report reveals problems that need fixing and other points of interest to homeowners or potential buyers. In other words, once the inspection finishes, you still have a few things to do.

Read the Report Thoroughly

Many inspectors provide their reports on the same day of the inspection. Take some time to read the report thoroughly and internalize the findings. The best home inspection reports are easy to understand, precise, and feature multiple pictures and diagrams. 

If you can't make heads or tails out of the information, you can look at a guide on how to read and decipher your home inspection report or contact your pro and ask them to explain it with more straightforward terminology.  

Store the Report Somewhere Safe

Once you have the report in your hands, store it somewhere safe with other necessary documents. Also, make a few copies for safety's sake, and use a scanner to create a digital version. You never know when you'll need the home inspection report, especially if you're in the midst of buying or selling your home. 

Call With Any Lingering Questions 

Disagree with any of the findings? Call your inspector for further discussion and elaboration. Home inspectors are human, after all, and make mistakes, so you could potentially get an item reversed, providing you have the proof. Even if you agree with the assessment, it’s helpful to follow up with your pro to go over the findings one last time.

Make Changes and Repairs

The inspector likely noted repair and maintenance issues throughout your home. If you're selling your house, get on those as soon as possible to keep your asking price competitive. If you're buying, follow up with homeowners about the status of the needed repair, and consider using the report to help you negotiate the home price after the inspection. If you aren't selling anytime soon, make a list of items in order of importance and conduct repairs accordingly.