Ten Questions to Ask a Home Inspector
February 22, 2010 · Written by Brock Dunda · Filed under Helpful Tips

When trying to determine whether or not you should buy a house you’ve been looking at, you will come across a point where you will need to have it inspected. The following will hopefully help you ask the questions that are important, and relative to what you need.

1. What are your qualifications? Are you a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors or National Association of Home Inspectors? It is very important to establish whether or not the inspector has credibility. The safest bet is to go with a inspector who is a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors or the National Association of Home Inspectors.
2. Do you have a current Washington State Home Inspector Licencse? While this may seem like an obvious question, when it comes to an accurate inspection, it is still worthwhile to ask.
3. How many inspections of properties such as this do you do each year? If they are not familiar with the type of home that you would like them to inspect, it may be better to look for an inspector who has experience with your type of home.
4. Do you have a list of past clients I can contact? Before you hire someone to inspect your home, always make sure they have a happy client base. Listening to what others have said about an inspector is often a good gage of how well they perform their job.
5. Do you carry professional errors and omission insurance? May I have a copy of the policy? If the inspector isn’t covered with insurance, then it would be difficult to hold them accountable for any mistakes made during inspection. It’s always a good idea to make sure that whoever you hire is licensed and bonded.
6. Do you provide any guarantees on your work? If an inspector can’t guarantee their work, it may be difficult to trust them to do the job right.
7. What specifically will the inspection cover? Always know what will be covered and inspected. Not knowing what is not the best way to ensure a quality inspection.
8. What type of report will I receive after the inspection? There would be little point to an inspection if there wasn’t documentation to define and outline what was inspected, as well as an explanation of the results. Don’t accept a sticky note that says “good to go” on it. Get the facts.
9. How long will the inspection take and how long will it take to recieve the report? Your time is important. Ensure that the process will be done efficiently, and with awareness of your time needs.
10. How much will the inspection cost? Agree upon cost before-hand.

There’s a good deal that you will need to ask the inspector, and hopefully, all these important questions will be answered to your satisfaction. Following the above questions will hopefully help you obtain a quality, efficiently done inspection, and will help you move forward on your potential new home.