4 Things You Need to Know Before Hiring a Home Inspector

1. The States of Kansas and Missouri do not license Home Inspectors. Kansas dismantled their licensing board on July 1st, 2013. Anyone claiming to have a license is not truthful. You must inspect the inspector to get a good one!
2. Know the Inspector’s Qualifications – You need to know how they acquired their skills in the industry and how they stay current.
3. Know what level of Customer service you can expect – You need to know if any complaints were made about the inspector , how they will handle your complaints, and what kind of insurance do they have?.
4. Their Professionalism – Look for an over-achiever.

The industry minimum includes:

• A Website
• Professional membership
• Annual Continuing Education
• Liability Insurance
• Errors & Omissions Insurance
• Formal Home Inspection Training
• Passing the National Home Inspection Examination

Don’t Ask These Questions…

• Are you familiar with this type of home? The answer from any inspector is inevitably “yes” because all homes have a roof, structure, electrical, plumbing and heating and cooling. Homes come in a variety of styles and a specialist in any one type just does not exist. A better question is that my home has a stone foundation, what do you know about them? How did you learn about them?
• Do you specialize in residential or commercial property? This question tries to get at the inspector’s specialty and knowledge by asking what is their niche. While a niche is a marketing focus, a niche does not translate to expertise. A better question is what types of properties do you inspect? What makes you qualified to inspect them?
• Can I be present during the home inspection? The answer to this question is always “yes”. Your presences limits liability because you will see the conditions the inspector is working under and what they were able to see or not see. A better questions is can I follow you around and ask a million questions? Will you take the time to explain to me what you know in a language I can understand?

Ask These Questions…

• What do you know about my type of property?
• How did you learn about inspecting my type of property?
• What do you do to stay current in your field? What is required (Ask both)?
• What types of properties do you inspect? What makes you qualified to inspect them?
• Can I follow you around during the inspection and ask a million questions? Will you take the time to explain to me what you know in a language I can understand?
• What makes you marketable as an inspector? How do you market?
• Do you have E&O insurance?