Q : Are your prices high?
Why would you shop around for something so important as a home inspection? A much better option is looking at the inspector’s qualifications. You are basing a huge investment on expertise and experience.
But, to answer your question, our prices are in the low mid-range. We’re lower priced than most local inspection services. We have over 30 years of experience, plus we have the expertise— licensed contractor, and degreed engineer. We know what keeps your home safe.
Q : How soon can I schedule an inspection?
As soon as you enter your order online. We don’t process inspection requests through texts or email or messaging or phone calls. Everything goes through our website to keep things organized. Right here on Inspect.net, click on the link that says order or order form. Fill out the request as soon as possible, as orders are scheduled in the order they come in.
Q : How long does it take to get the report?
It currently takes two business days. As a one-person service, I type my own reports. I do my own inspections. I do everything for quality.
Sometimes in this very busy market, I get behind typing reports. Check with me about my schedule. If you are in a real rush, and you can’t wait two business days for your inspection report, then definitely see who is available that can assist sooner.
Q : Are home inspection reports public record?
No. Inspection reports are confidential documents prepared just for the parties that pay. I have what’s called a fiduciary responsibility to my client. Whoever gives me money, I work for them and them alone. It’s confidential.
The confidentiality is like a client-attorney confidentiality agreement, I can’t release this information to anyone. If you authorize the release, I can release it to your realtor or someone else. But if someone calls and asks about a home inspection, and it’s not the client, I simply say, I’m sorry I can’t really send you information. Contact me via email at jeff@inspect.net and let me know it’s okay to release the report, and I’m glad to discuss it with third parties.
Q : Are home inspection reports confidential?
Yes. Inspection reports are confidential documents prepared just for the parties that pay.
But, if you’re a buyer, and you get an inspection, and you want to use that to make requests to the seller for repairs, you’re obligated to give them a copy of the inspection so that they can see it. Then they can see that the inspector says, yes indeed there are things wrong. Otherwise you could just say I got an inspection and this and this and this and this is wrong, make it all up and tell the seller that you want it fixed.
If you’re going to use the report for negotiation purposes, you’re obligated to disclose. It no longer becomes confidential.
If you’re a seller, and you want to use it as a an enticement to encourage buyers to write an offer. That can help speed up the process, giving them the information to let them know the good condition of the home. Then it’s not confidential because you’re going to be releasing it to potential buyers.
So the report is confidential until the client chooses to release that report to other parties. At that point, it becomes a marker because at that point you can’t control who has it.
Q : Are home inspection costs tax-deductible?
Generally home inspection costs are not tax-deductible. Check with your accountant to see how the cost applies to your personal situation. For example, an inspection for a commercial property or rental property may be. The decision is up to your tax professional.
Q : Can a home inspection detect mold?
Yes it can possibly, but it is not guaranteed or required. The first pass at a home inspection provides the opportunity to visually look for mold. A home inspector is NOT required to look for mold (it is not within the scope of a home inspection) but can sometimes detect possible signs of mold in the wet areas like bathrooms, kitchens, garages, and wet bars.
With a home inspection, you start with the general. If you see mold, then consider if you want to drill down into more detailed analysis of the mold so you can see what kind it is. But your home inspector is not responsible for mold and it’s not within the scope of what home inspectors look for typically.
There are so many types of molds and mildew and that look the same. It’s hard to identify until you put it under a microscope and look at the spores.
When it comes to actual analysis of the mold, that is something that you would contract separately. Have a mold specialist do a detailed mold inspection. Then send those samples to a lab for analysis. The lab can tell you exactly what kind of mold there is. Stachybotrys chartarum is considered toxic mold. There may be other nuisance molds which are not necessarily toxic.
Q : Can a home inspection be done in the rain?
If your home inspector won’t go out in the rain, find another home inspector, simple, the rain, the wind, the sun it’s a things like that that actually kind of cause harm to the house is, you have to go out there, you have to look at these things in fact sometimes when it’s raining.
It’s the best time to find a problem with little subtle things that appear when it actually rains. I’m neutral to the rain. It doesn’t bother me. But I carry a raincoat, rain pants, rain jacket. For my inspection to pop in and out at little windows when the rain stops.
Yes, a home inspection can be done in the rain. A good competent home inspector will do it. He won’t call you to reschedule because it’s raining.
Q : How long does a home inspection take?
It’s based on the size of the house. A good home inspection might take an hour and a half to two hours. But it’s also relative.
I’ve done this for 30 years. I started with just paper checklists and just taking notes. Then I moved to a tablet computer. a pen computer and paper. I’m currently using a voice recorder.
I can get through a house up to 2000 square feet in an hour and a half. There’s a process that the inspector needs to go through to collect that data to accurately prepare a report.
Q : What does a home inspector look for?
Look at it like a general inspection of the property. It’s like your physical with your doctor. He’s going over your whole body—eyes to blood pressure to get in general assessment of your body.
A home inspector does the same thing, but for a home. We look at:
- the plumbing,
- the electric,
- the water heater,
- the heating,
- the foundation,
- the crawlspace,
- the attic,
- the roof,
- air conditioning, that water heater,
- floors,
- Doors,
- Windows,
- kitchens,
- appliances
We look inside and outside at everything.
A good home inspection actually covers the home, physically. I start at the front door. Turn to the right and work my way around the house, covering everything. I scan the wall up and down as I go. As I see defects, I record them immediately.My process is efficient.
So I just look at everything is and operate everything. I ask one basic question of everything attached— Are you doing what you’re supposed to be doing safely? For example, a faucet or an outlet or a toilet.
If it’s doing what it’s supposed to do and it’s doing it safely, then that’s okay. Anything else gets recorded.
Basically, home inspectors look for anything that’s a safety issue. A lot of that comes with years of experience.
Q : What does a home inspection report look like?
There’s a standard in the industry. Take a look at our sample report. We prepare a full narrative report. It reads like a book with descriptive sentences and very simple lists. We color codes items. Findings that are unsafe are color coded red and things that are comments are color coded green.
There’s a summary in front of the report, so that you can quickly get through things. Or your realtor can assist you in making sense out of things quickly. The ideal home inspection report has a table of contents, followed by a summary. Then it has all the sections—structure, roof, exterior, electrical, etc.—laid out individually. At the back, is a collection of photos illustrating the findings. It’s like a photo album, where people can go to the photo album and then zoom in on the pictures, download them, or take a really good look.
We prepare a full narrative report with photos and a photo album and a summary of the findings, color coded noted at the inspection.
Q : What happens when a home inspection reveals problems?
Who has the perfect house? The perfect person. Right. Doesn’t exist. There are always things wrong. The process is to get in front of the clients—buyer, seller, or homeowner, or realtors—to see the information so that they’re aware of the condition. Then they can choose how they wish to address it.
The idea is to make sure that if a person is living in the home, it’s safe. The inspection brings awareness to items that are not safe, so the client can take action.
So, when a home inspector reveals problems, his primary purpose is to make the occupant aware. The intent of inspections is not about buyers and sellers; it’s about whoever’s in the home is safe. When an inspection reveals problems, the proper course is to talk to your realtor and get guidance. Determine, based on current market conditions and your specific offer details, how you’re going to proceed. For example a buyer could write a lowball offer or maybe take the house as is. As a buyer with a really high price offer, maybe you ask for repairs. That also factors into the market conditions especially if the markets are really strong.
The first thing about what a home inspection reveals is it brings you awareness of the condition. And then you can do the math. Decide if it’s worth taking on the defects based on the price and the offer that you’re out. Ir you are a seller, fix the small items. They go off the table at negotiations.
Get the information. Make a decision. Take action. That’s how a home inspection helps.
Q : When to do a home inspection on new construction?
Do two if you can. First is the rough final, and then the final.
Do the rough final when all the major infrastructure work is done: plumbing, foundation, roof, HVAC, electrical, right before you go to the building department. Take a timeout. We want to come look at all this before you put the sheetrock on. Because once the sheet rock is on, we can’t see anything. That is the perfect time to do a home inspection at new construction. The rough final comes right before a demand from your builder, it can’t force you to not do this.
If the builder is on the property, they can make it difficult for you. But technically they cannot deny you a right to do an inspection. If you really want to do that, you have to be adamant because they’re going to try to convince you not to do it.
Then you do a second inspection, the final, right when you’re taking the keys and getting delivery. At the final inspection, the inspector will come through and check all the outlets, toilets, sinks, tubs, stalls, appliances. None of that will be installed at the rough. All that gets checked at the final inspection.
Q : When to do a home inspection on new construction?
Do two if you can. First is the rough final, and then the final.
Do the rough final when all the major infrastructure work is done: plumbing, foundation, roof, HVAC, electrical, right before you go to the building department. Take a timeout. We want to come look at all this before you put the sheetrock on. Because once the sheet rock is on, we can’t see anything. That is the perfect time to do a home inspection at new construction. The rough final comes right before a demand from your builder, it can’t force you to not do this.
If the builder is on the property, they can make it difficult for you. But technically they cannot deny you a right to do an inspection. If you really want to do that, you have to be adamant because they’re going to try to convince you not to do it.
Then you do a second inspection, the final, right when you’re taking the keys and getting delivery. At the final inspection, the inspector will come through and check all the outlets, toilets, sinks, tubs, stalls, appliances. None of that will be installed at the rough. All that gets checked at the final inspection.
Q : Who should attend a home inspection?
You! It’s like not showing up at your doctor’s appointment. The home inspection is for you. It’s for your benefit. It’s for your knowledge.
Engage. Your home inspector is an educator. They will teach you things. The only way to do that is to be there. So you should be there.
Your Realtor can be there, that’s great. If the seller needs to be there then. It’s okay as a lot of people have a problem with how to work right through it.
My job is to stay focused on the home, and deliver proper information to you. That’s what I do. But you, you really should be there. If you need to, take a little time off work to work with your inspector there. It’s a couple hours. You’ll walk away from this call and feel like you’re learned a lot. It’s invaluable information you can use every single day to make sure you and your family are safe.
Q : Who should attend a home inspection?
You! It’s like not showing up at your doctor’s appointment. The home inspection is for you. It’s for your benefit. It’s for your knowledge.
Engage. Your home inspector is an educator. They will teach you things. The only way to do that is to be there. So you should be there.
Your Realtor can be there, that’s great. If the seller needs to be there then. It’s okay as a lot of people have a problem with how to work right through it.
My job is to stay focused on the home, and deliver proper information to you. That’s what I do. But you, you really should be there. If you need to, take a little time off work to work with your inspector there. It’s a couple hours. You’ll walk away from this call and feel like you’re learned a lot. It’s invaluable information you can use every single day to make sure you and your family are safe.
Q : Why do a home inspection?
You’re spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on something that is permanent. You’re making a major purchase. So first one.
Even more important, though, is you want to sleep in a safe place. You need a house for your family, where you don’t have to worry about someone getting injured or harmed because the space that they’re living inside isn’t safe.
The primary why is personal safety. The second reason is for knowledge and information from disclosure, to make an informed purchase or selling decision.
And third is just because it’s good information that you can use to help preserve your home. Your home deserves it. Your home is a basic shelter, like food, water, and shelter. Your home deserves it. Having a home is part of being human. So, why, because your house deserves it. And, you and your loved ones want a safe and sound home.
Q : Will a home inspection find termites?
Maybe, maybe not, it’s not your inspector’s job. Your inspector may see evidence of termites, but you need to get a structural pest inspection and a roof inspection as part of the three inspections you get whenever you purchase a property—roof, termite, home.
It’s usually good coverage on a general level that if you need to then drill down. But I know what they look like after 30 years of inspection. Dry wood and subterranean termites.But other things can also cause damage—damp wood, beetles bees. I see more carpenter ants. I’m not an expert but one of my good friends is a 30-year termite inspector. It blows my mind how much more he knows about termites than I do. He’s he’s an expert. I know much more than him about heating, plumbing and electrical.
So if you want a first pass and want to take a risk, have your home inspector look for evidence of wood-destroying insects. Then if you decide later to do a termite inspection based on what the home inspector finds, be aware that that is not always a good process, because he might miss things. It’s not his fault. That’s not his area of expertise. You’re asking them to do something that he’s not professionally trained to do. A professional termite inspection should look for wood-destroying creatures.
Q : What is the difference between an appraisal and a home inspection?
An appraiser is most concerned about the value of the building. And, that appraisal is not for you. It’s for the lender. The appraiser is there to make sure that if you walk away from that home and there’s a foreclosure, that the lender can turn around and sell that house back and get the money that they lent to you to buy the house.
So the appraisal has really nothing to do with protecting you. It has to do with protecting the lender and making sure, on a financial level, the value of the home is consistent with your purchase contract prices.
A home Inspection is for you. The home inspector looks at the building, the physical building itself, and makes sure that it’s safe. He doesn’t care about the value. He cares about the physical integrity of the building. A realtor will tell you to buy location, location, location. A great home inspector will tell you to buy quality, quality, quality. Buy quality home and quality location. That’s it.
The difference between a home inspection and appraisal: appraisers are free, they work for the bank and they operate on money. The home inspector works for you. And he looks at the physical condition of the building itself over it’s value.
Q : What are some home inspection foundation issues?
When it comes to foundations, first of all make sure your inspector is qualified. Is he an engineer, architect, or at least general contractor? if he’s not one of those, take with a grain of salt what they’re offering about the foundation. They’re not technically qualified. If they know things like cracks and settlement, it can definitely be valuable information. But when it comes to foundations and houses it is general. If the information’s not good, that’s bad.
There’s very little gray area when it comes to foundations. If something’s going wrong with the foundation the important thing is the effect it will have on the house. You have to find the root cause.
Most of the time, foundation problems deal with drainage and moisture and poor soil conditions. When you have a foundation problem, look at your drainage and your soil conditions. Figure out what is happening with the soil that the foundation is resting on and depending on for support. If it’s not doing the job, the building will settle into the ground. so
Foundation issues almost always deal with building settlement. And that almost always has to do with soil moisture. For example, if you have a root canal, you need to do a better job brushing your teeth. For the foundation, It’s the day in, day out, management of roof runoff, drainage, and grading. That makes sure that your foundation avoids problems. You tackle this fundamental level from a drainage perspective.
Q : Is a mobile home inspection the same as a home inspection?
A mobile home inspection is a thorough home inspection. In fact, for a mobile home, the safety issues are more stringent than they are for a regular home. Mobile homes, also called manufactured homes, are made in a factory and then transported to the permanent site.
Because of these factory and moving constraints, a mobile home inspection requires a keen eye for safety for both systems and structure. California is the leader in safety laws for mobile homes. Mobile homes are tightly regulated under the U.S. Government Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidelines outlined in Title 24. These guidelines originated in the State of California’s Title 25 guidelines. For example, in California, every mobile home must be certified that there are no health or safety defects.
Since no one knows what “safety” is, a home inspection is a necessary component of a manufactured home sale to determine the safe condition of the home
We’ve inspected thousands of mobile homes to make sure they comply with safety regulations. We look for the special safety conditions that can arise in mobile homes to make sure the home complies with safety standards.
If we do find issues, we’ll give you guidance about correcting them and the right way to go about remediation or repair.