The Necessity of Building Inspections

Building inspections are a necessary evil when buying a home. We all know the price of an average home can be astronomical for property appraisals, repairs, taxes, and insurance. Fees for a qualified building inspector are really quite small compared to the expense of getting a bad house, misspent construction, or misshapen appliances, and keep in mind with inspections, you usually only receive what you pay for! Here are some tips in choosing your building inspector and how to avoid costly mistakes.

Ensure that you receive a thorough inspection: Your building inspector should conduct a thorough inspection of your proposed home. Many times, the inspection is conducted before the home is offered for sale or before the contractor is paid. Regardless of when the inspection is conducted, it should include a pest inspection. The purpose of a pest inspection is to detect problems that could result in damage or costly remodelling if left unnoticed. Any problems discovered during the building inspection should be reported immediately.

Ask for recommendations: When interviewing potential inspectors, be sure to ask them for their comments regarding their previous inspections. Ask if they detected any problems that could have been easily detected. For example, do they feel that they weren’t thorough in detecting water leaks? Do they feel that they should have detected an improper air ventilation system? Most inspectors will be happy to share their opinions with you if you ask, so make sure you ask questions as well.

Choose a building inspector who is reliable: You must choose an individual who is trustworthy and who has a history of providing honest and accurate information. In having a trustworthy building inspector on your team, it is important to choose someone you can ask questions to who is willing to provide accurate and comprehensive answers. Never choose to work with an inspector who refuses to answer your questions. Also, find out how long the individual has been in their role. A professional building inspector should be in business for at least five years. Still, the longer the individual has been working professionally, the more likely you will receive complete and honest answers to all of your questions.

Ask about specific training and accreditation: Once you’ve chosen a few potential building inspectors, it’s important to learn as much as possible about each of them. Inquire about their particular areas of expertise and about the specific training and certifications they hold. Most states require building inspectors to receive specific training and certifications to practice in that particular state legally. In addition, in some states, there are specific licensing boards for building inspectors. These inspectors will all have licenses in place that specify exactly the services they provide, where they are licensed from, and what they require before being employed by another company.

Ask for their professional orders: When speaking with any individual, it is important to ask whether they would be willing to work in your building in an individual capacity if necessary. For example, would they be willing to inspect a private home or high-rise apartment building to uncover hidden defects? Would they be willing to inspect a gas plant if that plant were to detect serious safety issues? Would they agree to inspect a major commercial building to discover problems resulting in significant business losses? You should make sure the person you contact is willing to do these specialized inspections to meet your needs.

Follow these simple suggestions when choosing a building inspector. Each of these tips will help you make a more informed decision about hiring a building inspector and ensure that you receive a higher level of service from the individual you choose. Real estate agents can help select this important professional, but you must do your homework before contacting one. The more you know ahead of time about the different aspects of their job, the easier it will be for you to find someone who will work well with your particular needs.