Choosing a home inspector…

It’s a wonder to me that people, who have spent weeks or months searching for the right new home and who are about to make the single biggest purchase (up to that time anyway) of their lives, will give such little thought and attention to choosing a home inspector to give it the inspection before actually buying it. Most of that, I suspect is driven by a lack of knowledge on how to pick an inspector and the fact that there are no real standards or licensing requirement (at least for now in Michigan) for home inspectors.

Now, before every home inspector who reads this sends me an email to complain, I know that there are national associations – ASHI, NACHI, MAHI (Michigan Association of Home Inspectors) and others. My experience has been that both the good and bad inspectors that I’ve watched do inspections belong to one of these associations, if for no other reason that to have its association logo to put on their cards and in advertising. Belonging to one of those associations does not guarantee a good inspection – only the inspector's experience and a commitment to thoroughness do that.

Since home inspectors are not currently licensed in Michigan, there is little state oversight of the trade at all. The only remedy available to the home buyer for a bad job or a missed issue that later causes damage or cost is the refund of the inspection cost by the inspector. It's probably of little comfort to get your $300 back because a bad inspector missed the $3,000 furnace replacement warning signs. That is scheduled to change with new laws coming that will not only require licensing, but also require inspectors to carry liability insurance to cover blown or missed inspection items. Likely, that will also drive up the cost of inspections, but it is long overdue.

So, how is the buyer to know whether an inspector is going to do a good job? Most of the time, the buyer just gets a name or list of names from his/her Realtor® or they may already know someone who is an inspector. Realtors are not really supposed to make specific recommendations for an inspector, but rather may provide a list of home inspectors from which the buyer may choose - it's a liability issue. Sometimes buyers make the serious mistake of having “someone in the building industry” that they know do the inspection. That’s a really, really bad idea! A friend who is a carpenter or a plumber or even a builder is not gong to know how to really inspect all of the areas of a resale house, especially the things that are not their specialty. Right now there are lots of "builders" running around passing themselves off as home inspectors, because they need the work. Many do really bad inspection jobs.

Here are some questions that you might want to ask a potential home inspector.

How do you inspect the roof? It’s tough right now, with snow covering most roofs. But the inspector should still get up at least on a ladder and look at critical roof elements – shingle and drip molding installation, flashing in valleys and around chimneys, chimney tops, and gutters and downspouts. For non-snow-covered roofs, the inspector should be up there and should walk around the whole roof.

What do you look for on the exterior? The inspector should tell you that he walks the perimeter of the house, looking for any loose siding or rotted wood and making note of any gutter downspout issues. He should also look at the landscaping around the house and advise the buyers on any trimming that might need to be done. If they are visible ( a bit tough with the snow cover right now) he will inspect the walks, patios, decks and driveway for any issues. He will check all exterior electrical plugs and any hose bibs.

How do you inspect the attic spaces? This is the underside of the roof, the trusses and insulation and anything else, such as powered bathroom vents, that can only be properly inspected by getting up into that space. Standing on a ladder and peering in through the scuttle opening with a flashlight is not a thorough inspection technique.

Do you include the appliances that are staying in your inspection? Some “inspectors” don’t even look at the dishwasher, the stove and oven(s) and other appliances that are staying with the home. I don’t understand that, but I’ve heard some of them spout off something about liability as they dismissed this request from the buyers. Find a different inspector. You want to know if the appliances that you are getting work.

How do you inspect the plumbing? A good inspector will flush every toilet, run every faucet, fill and drain every sink and tub and be constantly looking for leaks and slow drains. If the house has a water softener the inspector will cycle it to make sure that it works (or at least manually run it through the cycles to see if it actually works). Obviously if the house in on a well the inspector will run out enough water to make the well pump kick on, too, to make sure it works OK. The whole issue of inspecting the plumbing is very difficult in the winter with foreclosed homes that have been winterized. Ask you inspector is he can de-winterize and re-winterize the house properly and how he does it. If he doesn't mention bringing an air compressor to blow out the lines, maybe you should look elsewhere.

How about the mechanicals, how do you inspect those? A good inspector will obviously cycle the furnace and check for gas leaks on the lines leading to the furnace and the hot water heater and check the furnace for carbon monoxide leaks in the heat exchanger, In warm months he would also cycle the air conditioning unit (it might damage it to try that in the cold weather, so they won’t test the central air in winter; however, they should open the air conditioner breaker box out at the condenser and check for properly sized fuses in there). While they are looking at the mechanicals they should be showing the buyers how to change the furnace filter and how to use and service the humidifier and how to relight the hot water heater, if it is not electric ignition.
What about windows and doors and other areas of the house? A good inspector will attempt to open and close every window, while noting its condition (foggy windows mean a broken seal), and open and close every door and note whether the locks are up to code (deadbolt locks that require a key inside are not code compliant these days and the inspector should note that).

How about the basement? What do you look for there? A good inspector will walk the perimeter of the basement looking both high and low for any water intrusion evidence and for cracks. Some cracks in poured concrete walls and floors are inevitable, just due to settling; however, cracks wider than 1/3 inch and especially wall cracks that run at and angle across the wall are causes for concern and should be pointed out and explained. A good inspector will be able to advise the buyers on how repairs might be made to any cracks that are found. The inspector should also attempt to cycle the sump pump, if it is one that can be manually cycled. He may even put some water into the sump well to cycle the pump. He will also listen for water continuously running into the sump well, which could indicate a drainage problem. If there isn't a basement, but just a crawl space; the inspector should crawl around under the house, to check the foundation and all of the plumbing that can only be seen from that space.

How about the electrical system, what do you inspect there? A good inspector will check all wall plugs for the correct wiring polarity and will test all plugs in the kitchen, baths and garage for GFI protection. He will also open the electrical panel by taking the front cover off, so that he can inspect the wiring job and look for any doubled up circuit breakers.

Do you also do Radon and Mold testing? While having a Radon test done costs extra, as does getting a lab test run on mold samples to see what type it is; it is less hassle if you can find an inspector who can do all of these things, rather than having to contract with several people. Not having the training and equipment to do those things doesn’t make that person a bad home inspector, just a less convenient one.

If this list seems lengthy to you; just ask yourself, which of these things am I willing to not know anything about, before I buy this house? That's what the inspection is all about - making sure that you know what you are buying. Remember that the inspection is one of your "outs" - normally a point in the home buying process where you can walk away from the purchase contract, if you are not satisfied. It will do you no good to come back months later and complain that you didn't know that the sump pump didn't work or that there was mold in the attic. You had your chance at the inspection to discover those things and get them fixed before you bought.
Some of the worst home inspectors that I have hit over time were also some of the most expensive, especially those who consider themselves to be local celebrities. If you talk to an inspector who starts out by telling you that, “I don’t do appliances and I don’t climb up on the roof and, no, I will not be crawling around in the attic,” go get another inspector. You will not get a thorough inspection from that clown, no matter how famous he may be. Many home inspectors have a little contract that they ask you to sign before the inspection starts. Read it over to see what they say they are going to do and if you don't see all of the things listed above, ask them about the ones that are missing. Those are things that you will be taking a risk on, if you buy the house.