Category: Home Inspection

Electrician Career Paths: The Ultimate Guide

Have you ever thought about how essential electricity is to your everyday life? Without it, cities would go dark and everyday tasks like charging cell phones and making coffee wouldn’t be possible. Electricity is crucial to modern life. And, just as important are the men and women who make sure it reaches our homes and offices: electricians

What Does an Electrician Do?

Nearly every building has electrical power, communications, lighting and control systems. Electricians are responsible for installing this equipment during construction and maintaining and repairing it afterward. They apply their trade in an array of settings, including homes, businesses and factories.

Electrician Job Duties

Interpret blueprints of electrical systems.

Install and maintain wiring, control, and lighting systems.

Test and troubleshoot electrical equipment.

Repair and replace faulty parts.

Train and manage the work of other employees.

Adhere to the National Electrical Code and local and state rules

Electrician Work Schedules & Conditions

Many electricians travel for work.

It’s common for electricians to work full-time.

Working on evenings and weekends is necessary for some electricians.

Work schedules may vary during times of inclement weather.

Overtime can be expected during scheduled maintenance or on construction sites

Are There Different Types of Electricians?

There are different types of electricians servicing the various fields where electrical wiring is needed. An electrician’s expertise and specialization can depend on the industry in which he or she works

Residential Electrician

Common Responsibilities: Installing the electrical equipment found in homes and apartments, as well as the outdoor lighting around their landscaping. Residential electricians also perform maintenance and system upgrades.

Work Environments: Homes, apartment buildings, condos and hotels, motels and vacation homes.

Career Requirements: A combination of formal electrician training in the classroom and an apprenticeship of at least 4 years. Passage of rigorous state testing

Electrician’s Guide to Emergency Lighting

The Code of Practice has undergone extensive changes to keep the document aligned with associated national legislation and national and European Standards. The standard responds to the increasing recognition of the application of emergency lighting to assist the safety of occupants who may stay in a building during a mains supply failure.

This guide is essential for all designers of emergency lighting systems, electricians, electrical contractors and their managers, general electrical installation designers, and students in further education and professional training.

The Complete Guide to Hiring an Electrician Service

If you’re a homeowner, it’s safe to assume that you take pride in your home. Your lawn is immaculate, the decor scheme has been carefully crafted, and you take home maintenance very seriously. You spend a lot of time caring for your home, but when was the last time you paid close attention to one of the home’s most important systems: the electrical system? An electrician service can do a lot to make your home safer and more energy-efficient.

If you haven’t worked with an electrician before, you may not know how to find one or even when you need to bring one in. Luckily for you, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know to find the right electrician service.

Signs It’s Time to Bring in an Electrician

Before we get into how you find an electrician, we’re going to spend some time focusing on situations where you absolutely need to bring in professional help. Most people will bring in an electrician when they’re doing serious home improvement projects, but they may not utilize their services when it’s the most important.

It’s important to keep in mind that electrical work can get complicated, and could possibly get dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. Even if you think you can handle some problems on your own, it may be better to bring in a professional.

Fuses Keep Breaking

A tripped circuit breaker and a blown fuse are bound to occur every once in a while. However, if you find yourself constantly having to deal with another trip or break, it’s time to bring in a professional.

Ultimate Guide to Electrician Careers

Ask an electrician what they do for a living and they will probably take pride in their answer. It’s widely regarded as one of the most rewarding of the trades, with great potential for progression. ultimate guide to electrician careers is designed to give you as much detail as possible about the routes into becoming a professional electrician

Whether you’re leaving school, or looking to change careers, Ultimate Guide to Electrician Careers aims to give you the right answers in a step-by-step fashion. The guide covers

What to expect from the job

The risks involved

Where to start

The qualifications you need to become an electrician and how to get them

Electrical Apprenticeships

Progressing your career and further training

How to Hire an Electrician

While the demand for qualified tradespeople, including electricians, is projected to increase at a steady pace to keep up with the needs of a growing population and economy, the talent pool of skilled laborers has, over the years, seen a steady decline. This has made finding electricians with the necessary skills and experience an increasingly challenging task.

Create a job post.

Define the skills you need and the minimum qualifications you expect of candidates, as well as the qualities you want your new team member to possess. Essentially, you want to find a licensed electrician who has the technical skills to deliver high-quality work, but who is also a pleasure to work with, interacts well with customers, and will fit in well with your company culture. They should know the local building and electrical codes.

It might take some time to find an electrician who meets your specific needs, especially if you are looking for someone with several years of experience working on commercial buildings and large-scale electrical projects. In general, employers struggle to find qualified electricians with more than ten years of experience.

Once you know what you are looking for in your new employee, ask yourself what the ideal candidate looks for in a job and employer. As the demand for qualified and experienced electricians increases, potential candidates will look for job offers with attractive benefits, including potentially high wages.

The nature of the job exposes electricians to many risks and demands great physical stamina as they are often required to work outdoors, exposing them to extreme temperatures, at great heights, or in cramped spaces. In addition, full-time schedules often require them to work in the evening or on weekends, with overtime being common across the industry. Be sure to clearly define what working conditions applicants can expect and what you offer to make this worth their while, such as comprehensive benefits, paid overtime, a signing bonus, and generous vacation days.

Faced With Uncertainty, Home Buyers Seek Coronavirus Clauses in Contracts

Real estate agents, racing to keep home sales from falling through, are writing special coronavirus clauses into offers and extending contracts as more than 100 million Americans

encompassing the three biggest cities in the U.S. and many of the country’s luxury housing hubs. The rules have seriously disrupted home sales, which often include face time among multiple parties and stakeholders, including buyers, sellers, agents and lawyers.

Many deals are in a state of limbo if appraisers can’t appraise or inspectors can’t inspect ahead of a scheduled closing, or worse, if one of the parties involved in the sale gets sick. To mitigate the overwhelming uncertainty, buyers are now adding clauses that allow them to postpone closings or even back out entirely from deals without penalty should Covid-19 derail the process.

But that presents a dilemma for someone who buys a home they cannot access. “You don’t want to be in a position where you have to pay the carrying costs on a new home, but you can’t move in until this is all sorted,”

Contract law in many states offers some sort of provision for so-called “acts of God” or other unforeseen and totally unpreventable circumstances.

Inspector Not Liable for Later Injuries

An individual (“Owner”) hired a home inspector (“Inspector”) to inspect a house prior to his purchase. The Inspector noted that the flooring on the second story deck (“Deck”) needed to be replaced and so the seller replaced the flooring prior to the sale. The Inspector did not identify any problems with the Deck’s railing. Following his purchase, the Owner had a social gathering at the house and the Deck’s railing collapsed, causing one of the guests (“Guest”) to fall off the Deck and suffer severe injuries. The Guest brought a lawsuit against the Owner, prior owner, contractor, and the Inspector. The trial court entered judgment in favor of the Inspector and the appellate court affirmed. The Guest appealed to the state’s highest court.

The Supreme Court of Tennessee affirmed the lower court, finding that the Inspector did not provide false information to the Owner nor did he assume a duty of care to property visitors. The court first considered the negligence allegations against the Inspector, which was an issue of first impression for the court. The Inspector testified that he had not seen any visual damage to the railing and the railing had seemed secure during his property inspection. However, later testing revealed that improper screws had been used to secure the railing and the screws had rusted, causing the railing’s collapse.

The court found that the Inspector had not assumed a duty of care for later visitors to the property and thus was not negligent. In order to allege negligence, a party must establish that the other party owed a duty of care to them and the other party breached that duty, causing injury. The court found that the Inspector had only agreed in the home inspection agreement to perform a visual inspection of the property and did not ascertain whether the property met building code requirements. He also had not assumed a duty to protect later visitors to the property. Since the Inspector had not assumed these duties, the court ruled that the Inspector was not liable for negligence.

Next, the court considered the negligent misrepresentation allegations. As part of a negligent misrepresentation claim, a party must show that the other party negligently provided false information. Here, the Guest failed to plead this, as the Inspector never represented that the Deck’s railing was safe; instead, the Inspector simply failed to visually notice any problems with the railing. Because the Guest had failed to allege a negligent misrepresentation by the Inspector, the court affirmed judgment in favor of the Inspector.

Lawsuit over Disclosure of Bats in Attic Proceeds

appellate court has considered whether a trial court had properly allowed to proceed to the jury a buyer’s lawsuit involving the presence of a seasonal bat colony in the attic.

During this visit, he inspected the attic of the house due to a stain he noticed on the outside of the house. While in the attic, he noticed the smell of animal excrement and urine. When he asked about these smells, he was allegedly told that the smell was from the Sellers’ pets. The next time he visited the house, he noticed animal droppings in the attic as well as evidence of “sweeping” around the droppings; he was allegedly told that these droppings were bird droppings. Photographs were taken of the droppings.

Following these visits to the property, the Buyer then submitted a list of 23 questions to the Sellers about the property. None of the Buyer’s questions addressed the condition of the attic. The Sellers answered the Buyer’s questions, and the Buyer made an offer to purchase the property, contingent upon an engineer’s inspection of the property. The Buyer and the inspector (“Inspector”) visited the property, and the Buyer once again noticed a mothball smell in the attic. The Buyer asked the Broker for an explanation of the earlier presence of animal feces in the attic, and the Broker allegedly told the Buyer that a bird was entering the attic through a broken pipe and that this would be repaired prior to the closing

The Buyer moved onto the property two months before the closing. He claims he was told not to store anything in the attic prior to the closing, but he claimed that the smell of urine returned to the attic prior to closing. The closing took place in January 1994. Following his purchase, the Buyer discovered that the attic was home to a seasonal bat colony

The Buyer eventually filed a lawsuit against the Sellers, the Broker, the Brokerage, and the Inspector, claiming that they had failed to disclose the presence of a seasonal bat colony on the premises and fraudulently tried to conceal the evidence of infestation by claiming that it was birds in the attic. All of the defendants filed a motion with the trial court seeking judgment in their favor and the trial court denied this motion, sending the case to a jury for resolution. The defendants appealed.

Salesperson Liable for Incomplete Well Testing

One of the contingencies in the purchase contract was a “satisfactory test of the well system to be performed by a competent well inspector”. An unsatisfactory report would allow the Buyers to cancel the purchase agreement. During a visit to the property, the Salesperson observed the dug well on the property but did not examine the well in any other way.

the Salesperson hired a home inspector who tested the potability of the well water but did not physically inspect the well. The potability test did not reveal any problems with the well water, and no other inspections of the well and its water were performed.

The transaction closed. Following the closing, the Buyers learned that animals were able to access the well and contaminate the water. As a result, the Buyers had to drill a new well on the property. The Buyers brought a lawsuit against the Salesperson and the Brokerage

alleging negligence, breach of the state’s consumer protection act, and breach of contract. A jury returned a verdict in favor of the Buyers on all allegations, and the Salesperson and Brokerage filed a motion with the court asking the judge to set aside the verdict.

rejected the challenge to the jury’s verdict. First, the court considered whether the Salesperson had a duty to contract for a physical inspection of the well, rather than a simple water test. A negligence claim requires a showing that one party owed the other a duty. The court found that the Buyers had relied upon the Salesperson to contract for a complete and competent inspection of the well.

How Home Inspectors Can Protect Themselves from Viruses

There is currently no vaccine to prevent the coronavirus (COVID-19). The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. For more information about the coronavirus

The virus is thought to spread mainly from person to person:

between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet); and

through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby, or possibly inhaled into the lungs. Ideally, a home inspection would be performed at an unoccupied or vacant house. Usually, home inspectors are doing their work along with their clients, real estate agents, and occupants.

Wash your hands often.

Wash your hands frequently using soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Put distance between yourself and other people if COVID-19 is spreading in your community. This is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting sick, such as the elderly, and people with underlying health issues. Ask your clients if they’re willing to consider not showing up at the inspection.

There are many home inspectors who will video-record the inspection for absent clients. Their clients can then play the inspection video from the comfort and safety of their own homes.

Home inspectors can use live video chat or FaceTime with their absent clients during the inspection. Facebook Messenger, iPhone FaceTime, and Google Duo are options.

Mold Remediation – A Helpful Guide To Remediating Mold

Black Mold is toxic mold. It can cause health problems and is dangerous to have in your home. Black mold is a challenge that many people will run from, and for good reason.

Unfortunately, not everyone can run from black mold and this fact forces them to search for other solutions, and mold remediation is one of them. This article will provide you with insight into the mold removal process for black mold, and will hopefully help you to better understand how to deal with your mold infestation.

Mold And Black Mold Remediation

Apartment tenants have had to move out because they saw the black substance creeping up their walls. It is a toxic compound and prolonged mold exposure to black mold can be quite dangerous. It is not a problem that should be taken lightly, so mold remediation might be a valuable option to addressing this problem.

DOES MOLD REMEDIATION REALLY WORK?

To answer this question, it is best to understand the basics of the black mold remediation process. For instance, the sight of mold means that you don’t have to have pretesting done.

You only need to pre-test if you suspect mold but can’t see it. Why even mention pre-testing at this point then? It is to illustrate how urgent a black mold situation is.

Things You Need to Know About Mold

For many years now, mold has been a hot topic.  Barely a week goes by that you can’t find something in the media about water damage or mold.  Trying to find out more information can be a daunting task, with many half-truths, biased stories and outright lies propagating on the internet. 

Mold is everywhere and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing!

From pharmaceuticals to beer, wine and cheese, we use and benefit from molds every day.  There are literally over 100,000 different types of mold known today.  Some are harmless, some bring great benefit, but some also bring problems.  Even the “problem” molds can be no big deal in a normal environment.  Mold levels fluctuate constantly indoors and outdoors and are influenced by factors such as seasonal variation and weather effects

How does mold growth develop?

Molds reproduce by creating tiny spores that usually cannot be seen without a microscope. Mold spores continually float through the indoor and outdoor air and are not usually a problem unless the spores land on a damp spot and begin to grow. When excessive moisture or water accumulates indoors, mold growth will often occur, particularly if the moisture problem remains uncorrected. While it is impossible to eliminate all molds and mold spores, controlling moisture can control indoor mold growth.

What is “black” or “toxic” mold?

I am sure you have all seen and heard the media reports about “black mold” or “toxic mold.”  The mold that the media outlets are referring to is Stachybotrys chartarum (Stachybotrys).  Stachybotrys is black in color, typically indicates a long-term problem and can cause severe health implications, particularly in the elderly, children or immune-compromised people.  It’s a particularly nasty mold, but not the only one to be concerned about

If you think you have a problem, what should you do?

Some of you may have seen the Mold Test Kits available at many home improvement stores and are asking yourself if that is a viable solution.  The simple answer: No.  The test kits allow the user to test the air in a building and require you to send your sample to a laboratory for analysis to tell you what the sample contained.  So where is the problem with that?  As we mentioned earlier, mold is found everywhere, even in a normal environment, so what does that lab report tell you?  Nothing useful if relied upon alone.

Mold Inspection Services

mold inspection and mold testing services leverage our extensive knowledge of mold and mildew (black mold, black toxic mold, Stachybotrys, and other molds) and the conditions conducive to mold growth as well as building construction, air flows, building materials, and heating ventilation and air-conditioning systems.

Moisture Detection

Where we find mold, find moisture. By locating the source of moisture and identifying hidden water intrusion sources can focus our mold investigation in the right areas. Where there is water damage from a flood, leak, or natural event can inspect and asses the water damage along with identifying the presence of mold and make recommendations on the best ways to return the home or office to a healthy state.

Infrared Technology

use FLIR infrared camera technology to enhance our inspection services. This advanced, non-invasive technology allows inspectors to zero in and identify potential sources of moisture to more accurately determine testing and sampling investigations. This, in turn, will allow us to make conclusions and recommendations for action during the inspection.

Certified Mold Inspectors

value certification, education, and experience. Performing quality mold inspections requires all three. Each of our inspectors, consultants, and project managers is a Certified Mold Inspector (ACAC and/or MICRO). To protect your liability, property, and health, it’s important to engage the services of a professional and certified mold inspector.

No Conflict of Interest

don’t perform mold remediation, repair, or construction. have no interest in the outcome of inspections other than to ensure you have the information needed to return your home or office to a healthy state

BUYING A HOUSE AFTER MOLD REMEDIATION

You think you’ve finally found “the one” – the house that might become the home that you’ve been dreaming of. How exciting! But there are so many things to think about during the home purchasing process, especially if you’re considering buying a house after mold remediation has been done by the previous homeowner. Hopefully the sellers disclosed the mold-related issues that they dealt with and you’re not discovering evidence of previous mold remediation that you weren’t aware of when you bought. If that’s the case, then you might be stuck with whatever mold-related issues are still lingering. But if you haven’t closed yet, here are some key things to consider. Every home purchase involves risk, of course, but by thinking about these important factors, you can follow through on your negotiation and closing – or walk away – with a greater degree of confidence in your decision.

If mold remediation has been disclosed, ask the sellers: “How long ago did it happen?”

Mold issues that are older could signal that the home is now in good shape if the mold remediation was done properly and the sellers have continued to maintain a clean and dry indoor environment to minimize the risk of mold returning to the structure. But by the same token, older issues might also mean that there’s been plenty of time for more mold to creep back in. On the flip side, if mold remediation was done recently, then this could mean that the home has been rid of the mold and it’s now good to go. Or, once again, it could mean that the issues are just starting to develop and more could be just over the horizon after you get the keys. So how can you know what’s the real deal?

Ask the sellers, “Who did your mold remediation?”

If they assure you that their cousin Frank, who is the family’s resident mold expert, thoroughly cleaned out all of the mold, then maybe you should exercise some more caution. Is Frank certified by the National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors (NORMI)? Does he have the latest mold inspection and mold testing technology, and has he been trained in the best techniques for removing and remediating black mold and other types of harmful spores? So depending on both the timeline and the mold mitigation service provider, you can make a more informed decision about the possible condition of the home.

Review your home inspection report thoroughly.

Ideally, you were able to walk with your home inspector as she or he went through every nook and cranny of the home you’re thinking about buying. But if you weren’t present for the inspection itself, then review the written report which should include pictures of all deficiencies which the inspector found in the home. Even previous mold remediation services might be evident to the inspector based on the condition and appearance of certain surfaces. If the inspector found current mold damage but didn’t make specific recommendations in the report on how to go about remediating the mold, then contact him or her to ask for further details about the nature of the mold infestation and any thoughts on how serious the problem might be (and how extensive and costly a mitigation service might be). This information can give you leverage in the negotiation process with the sellers – or, if the issues are bad enough and your gut is telling you to bail, then you might have just saved yourself from discovering the issues later and wondering why you bought the place at all.

What if you need additional mold remediation?

If you’ve already bought the house and you’re stuck with a mold-related problem, try not to panic. If the issues weren’t disclosed or caught on your home inspection, you might have recourse to hold the sellers liable. Although this may be difficult to accomplish legally, an attorney can give you sound advice on what your options are for getting the sellers to do the right thing. Maybe the mold won’t require litigation, but regardless it will require mitigation. (We couldn’t resist the rhyme on that one.) In all seriousness, mold is nothing to mess around with, and if you’re going to have it removed, then you need to have it done the right way the first time.

Frequently Asked Mold Questions

Do I literally have to clean everything in my house (i.e. plastic storage containers, books, toiletries, candles, knickknacks, canned food etc) or just the major things like clothing and furniture?

Yes, everything.

Is it possible to clean electronic devices that may have mold spores inside of them, seeing as I have no way to clean the inside of these devices (i.e., DVD players, computers)? Is it good enough to simply clean the outside of them?

Clean the outside and vacuum the openings

Do pictures and documents have to be scanned/copied or can the originals be kept?

Photos can be washed. Porous frames are trash. Documents need to be copied.

What about books, journal? How do you clean them? Or do they have to be thrown out?

Books are difficult. If the books are on a shelf and not opened, HEPA vacuum each one. Opened books are trash.

Do I need to use a new cloth for every item that I clean (one clean cloth per moldy item) or can I use the same cloth for several items?

One cloth can be reused. You will be vacuuming, then wiping and vacuuming again anyway

How to Choose a Home Inspection Company

When a house is bought or sold, a home inspection is a necessary procedure that alerts both homeowners and buyers to the condition of the property in question. If you are selling a home, it is important to have an inspection conducted so that you will be aware of any potential issues with the home you are selling. If you are buying a home, you should have a separate inspection conducted to be sure there are no hidden issues, and to negotiate the contract with potential repairs or problems in mind.

Be prepared for the cost. The average fee for a home inspection is between $350-$500, but the information received from an inspector is priceless. It could be the turning point between a sale and a buyer going back to searching for the perfect home

Understand the actual inspection. Home inspectors enter a home and analyze all of the major components that make up a house purchase. Home inspection companies document the safety and overall condition of a home at the time of the inspection. Home inspections usually take about 3 hours for a minimal inspection, and 5 or 6 hours in order to arrive at a thorough, proper assessment. Depending on how old or large a house is, it may take longer or less time to complete

Be prepared for bad news. It is a home inspector’s job to find any existing or potential problems with a house. They can lose their license if they fail to report issues, so although it might feel like they’re purposely giving bad news, be thankful for the information

Find out what company the other party is using. If you are buying a house, ask the seller what company they used to inspect the home, to ensure that you choose a different one

Tips to Find the Best Home Inspector

Before you buy a home, it’s always a good idea to get a professional home inspection. In most cases, you can make your purchase contract contingent on a satisfactory inspection. That means if you don’t like the inspection results, you can cancel the contract, get your deposit back and walk away from the deal. Or you can negotiate with the seller to cut the price or make repairs to problem areas uncovered during the inspection.

Even if the results of the inspection mean you agree to accept the house as-is at the contract price, a good home inspection can give you valuable insights into the property you’re buying and help you plan for future maintenance and repairs.

“One thing the inspector won’t tell you is whether you should buy the house or not,” says Reuben Saltzman, co-owner and president of Structure Tech Home Inspections in Minneapolis. But a good inspection should give you enough information that you can make an educated decision on your own

Choose an inspector who wants you around during the entire inspection. “We recommend bringing the clients there during the inspection every single time from start to finish,” Saltzman says, rather than just showing up for the report at the end. “I don’t think the clients get as much out of the inspection if they do it that way.”

Ask for a sample report. “Any great home inspector should have their home inspection reports displayed on a website,” Saltzman says. See if the reports are clearly written and how they are formatted. Saltzman says a good report should identify the defect, explain why it matters and suggest what should be done to fix it. All good reports also include photos.

How to Choose a Home Inspector

Would you call a retail store and ask “How much do you charge for a TV?” Probably not. You’d have to do research and decide what you want to buy before asking for prices

Home buyers often ask me this because they’re trying to find the inspector that offers the best deal. When buyers are only concerned with the price of a home inspection, they have already made an assumption that all home inspectors offer the same thing, and they assume they’re comparing apples to apples. This just isn’t true.

When reviewing a sample report, there is much more to look for than just photos and illustrations. Watch out for useless report writing that is designed to cover the home inspector’s butt, not yours. A bad report would contain a lot of phrases like “This was observed, recommend further evaluation and correction by a licensed blah blah blah”.  With this type of writing, you could easily have an inspection report that recommends a dozen additional inspections.   If further inspections are needed, that’s fine, but these recommendations should never be made lightly, because additional inspections require more time and money.

When I first started inspecting, I was told by a home inspection instructor that this was the best way to write a report. As I’ve written more and more reports over the years, I’ve come to realize that home inspection schools teach this style only to protect the inspector. This doesn’t provide a service for the client.  A good home inspection report will clearly state the problem, explain the significance of the problem if it’s not obvious, and will give a recommended course of action.

When picking out a home inspector, spend some time researching inspectors, even if you receive three different names of inspectors from your real estate agent. Many agents give out three names because they don’t want to assume liability if their client isn’t happy with the inspection, not because they have three companies that do great work

Choosing the Right Home Inspector

Buying a home? It’s probably the most expensive purchase you’ll ever make. This is no time to shop for a cheap inspection. The cost of a home inspection is very small relative to the value of the home being inspected. The additional cost of hiring an InterNACHI-Certified Professional Inspector® is almost insignificant.

You have recently been crunching the numbers, negotiating offers, adding up closing costs, shopping for mortgages, and trying to get the best deals. Don’t stop now. Don’t let your real estate agent, a “patty-cake” inspector, or anyone else talk you into skimping here.  InterNACHI-certified inspectors  perform the best inspections by far

InterNACHI-certified inspectors earn their fees many times over. They do more, they deserve more, and — yes — they generally charge a little more. Do yourself a favor… and pay a little more for the quality inspection you deserve.

The licensing of home inspectors only sets a minimum standard. Much like being up to code, any less would be illegal.  Imaginary people, children, psychics (who claim to “sense” if a house is OK) and even pets can theoretically be home inspectors.  InterNACHI, the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, front-ends its membership requirements.

InterNACHI inspectors:

have to pass InterNACHI’s Online Inspector Examination, and re-take and pass it every three years (it’s free and open to everyone, and free to re-take);

have to complete InterNACHI’s online Code of Ethics Course (free to take after joining, and self-paced);

have to take InterNACHI’s online Standards of Practice Course (free to take after joining, and self-paced);

must submit a signed Membership Affidavit;

substantially adhere to InterNACHI’s Standards of Practice;

abide by InterNACHI’s Code of Ethics;

have to submit four mock inspection reports to InterNACHI’s Report Review Committee (for free) before performing their first paid home inspection for a client if the candidate has never performed a fee-paid home inspection previously

How to select an inspector for a home you’re buying

A professional home inspection helps home buyers learn about the condition of a property before making a purchase. But not all home inspectors are created equal.

We asked Kathleen Kuhn, president and CEO of HouseMaster, a home inspection company, to share her insights into how consumers can pick a home inspector who will do the best job.

“Consumers often only ask for information about the fees; however price should not be the deciding factor,” Kuhn wrote in an email. “Saving a few dollars on a home inspection could cost you thousands down the road. Consumers should inspect the inspector when shopping for a home inspector.”

“These requirements are a good place to start, but there is no guarantee that the inspector is competent or is staying current,” wrote Kuhn. “Consumers should make sure that a home inspector has access to ongoing technical support and is tested every year — not just during initial licensing — to ensure they stay up-to-date on inspecting conditions in a home.”

Home inspectors provide a report to buyers after the inspection. The report quality and features within it are also crucial to a good inspection, wrote Kuhn. Buyers can request sample reports from inspectors before they hire them to see the level of detail they can expect