How to Hire a Home Inspector

This is an informational page provided as a courtesy of Able Home Inspection of SW Florida

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right For most people, the purchase of a home is the largest investment they’ll ever make. Getting an independent, expert opinion on the operability of the structure and its systems is a no-brainer. But not all home inspectors have the same experience, training, or certifications – what’s more is there are currently no federal or state regulations governing home inspectors in Florida. Home inspectors are completely unregulated in Florida. So how do you make sure you’ve hired the right person for the job?

When shopping for a home inspector, it’s vital that you do your homework and interview each inspector based on the checklist below.

Do not price shop. When hiring a home inspector, you’re basically hiring an advocate with your interests in mind to give you their expert opinion on the home’s condition. With that in mind, making sure that you’re hiring an inspector with plenty of knowledge and training means not shopping for one by price alone. Training, certifications, and continuing education don’t come cheap to the inspectors and therefore, their expertise isn’t going to be cheap either. When it comes to home inspections – as with most things – you get what you pay for.
Research their credentials. Since there are no national standards for home inspectors, one of the best things you can do to find out about an inspector’s qualifications is to ask what associations they belong to. Some associations require minimum training, experience, continuing education and also require the inspector pass certain exams. However, not all associations are created equal. Check out the associations’ minimum requirements. The most respected national association by far is ASHI. ASHI standards and the ASHI exam are the only standards that have been adopted by most states that do regulate home inspectors. FABI is an equally repsected association that is for Florida Inspectors only.
Ask for references. An inspector should be happy to provide you with three references from previous clients. Call those clients and ask them about their experience with their inspections.
Make sure they’re insured. A professional inspector should be insured.
Make your own decision. Some states allow real estate agents and other professionals to make recommendations on what home inspector to hire. Besides the obvious conflict of interest issues, a recommendation does not necessarily guarantee that the inspector is the best choice. Make your own decision based on your research.

Ask to see one of their inspection reports. At the conclusion of any inspection, you should receive a report on the inspector’s findings. Again, inspectors are going to vary widely – report styles can range from the minimal checklist to the jargon-filled narrative. Home inspection reports can be difficult to understand, so it’s important that you check out a sample report. Items marked as “fair”, “poor”, or “inadequate” without any further explanation will not help you understand what the problem is or what exactly to repair. Make sure that the inspector always specifies the exact problem and recommended repairs. The inspector should also indicate an estimated cost of any repairs he or she recommends.

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