Congratulations
on purchasing a home, I’d like to thank you for considering me in your search for a home inspector. As
you compare your home inspector options here are some important points you should consider beside simply price:
1. Anyone with no prior construction experience or inspection experience can easily obtain a home
inspectors license by simply filling out an application, paying a small fee, and passing a test after taking a two day course
where you review all of the questions and answers on the test. Unfortunately, people are granted a “license
to learn” practicing on numerous unsuspecting home buyers. Over 66% of inspectors who have entered
the profession in NC and even more in SC have gotten their license this way. Your odds of
ending up with a novice, untrained inspector are greater than 50%. I
have worked in the construction field since the early 1980’s, am a licensed commercial and residential general contractor
as well as a home inspector and I have personally performed over 2,500 inspections since moving back to the Carolinas in 2003.
2. The state standards of practice are minimum standards that do little to ensure you that your
house will be carefully, professionally, and thoroughly inspected. For example, we are only required to
test one electrical receptacle per room and one window per room. We are not required to point out code
defects. The only tools we are required to carry are a flashlight, screwdriver, electrical receptacle tester,
and a 4 foot ladder. Also we are allowed to disclaim anything we want. This
opens the door for an inspector to rush through your home inspection. Many cheap inspectors earn a good
living by rushing through 4-5 inspections per day. Also many newer inspectors try to get their business
started by being cheap. I have over $10,000.00 of tools and
instruments to help me uncover a much as possible during my home inspections. I test everything I can possibly
get to. I apply my experience, knowledge, professionalism, tools, and desire to satisfy my customer into
every inspection. I never rush an inspection, do not do more than 2 inspections per day and have at times
had single homes take 2 or more days to inspect.
3. Many
inspectors exaggerate, or flat out lie, when stating their experience or qualifications. The licensing
board does not have the time, energy, or people power to review the inspector’s claims. I know several
inspectors who have gone so far as to claim to be engineers, why would an engineer settle for an inspectors earnings?
I post all of my licenses on my web site and make it very easy for you to third party verify everything I claim.
You only get one chance to hire
an inspector who can help you know as much as possible about the home you are buying. Making that decision
based on price is wound to cost you much more down the line. I’m not the cheapest inspector; I’m
not the most expensive. I am however the inspector more realtors, construction industry professionals,
attorneys, engineers, call when they need their own house inspected. When the local news investigative
reporters want to run a story about a contractor or builder that took advantage of a client, they turn to me for the correct
information and the truth. There are several factors that go into figuring out an accurate price for your home, here’s
what I need to know when you call me to give you a true quote:
· The
approximate total square feet of the home (heated an unheated-garage-basement). I inspect the entire home
not just the heated living area.
·
The type of foundation (slab, basement, crawlspace).
· The approximate age of the home.
· The
condition of the home (occupied, vacant, “short sale”, foreclosure).
· Any optional inspection requirements (radon test, thermal infrared scan, stucco inspection, pool inspection, mold
inspection, termite inspection, etc).
·
Date you need the inspection completed by.
