SELECTING YOUR BUILDING INSPECTOR
Assuming that
you are a prudent buyer, you are now in the process of “shopping” for
your inspector and calling around to various firms for information. This
process is one of the most important, yet least understood or prioritized
actions performed by the potential purchaser. It is of utmost importance
that you realize that not all inspectors are created equal! Remember, unlike
selecting a commodity such as a television set, which is identical from one
retailer to the next, varying only in price, the knowledge, experience and
overall professionalism of various inspectors will vary tremendously from
company to company, as will the relative fees charged. Accordingly, basing
your choice of inspector on price alone is a grave and potentially very
costly error that should be avoided at all costs.
To assist you in making
your selection of a professional building inspector I encourage you to print
and use this “Top Twelve” list of interviewing questions.
| Top
Twelve questions to ask while interviewing your inspector |
Michael R. Moore
National 400 Inspections |
Inspector
"X" |
Inspector
"Y" |
Inspector
"Z" |
| Do
you inspect full-time or part-time? |
Full
Time |
|
|
|
| How
many years inspecting, and how many inspection performed? |
14+
years, Over 3,800 inspections performed. |
|
|
|
| Is
the inspector a (full) member of any professional inspection associations?
If so, which ones? |
California Real Estate
Inspection Association- CREIA Master Inspector # 0038
American Society Of Home
Inspectors- ASHI Certified Member # 206919
International Association of
Plumbing and Mechanical Officials- Certified Mechanical Inspector # 090333
International Association of
Plumbing and Mechanical Officials- Certified Plumbing Inspector # 098021
International Association of
Electrical Inspectors- Certified Electrical Inspector # 80014384
International Conference of
Building Officials- Combination Dwelling Inspector # 5039922-55 |
|
|
|
| Has
the inspector served any leadership roles with any professional inspection
associations? |
Past President, CREIA San
Gabriel Valley Chapter
Past President, ASHI Los Angeles Chapter (2 terms) |
|
|
|
| Does
the inspector have actual experience building and remodeling homes? |
Yes,
over 16 years. |
|
|
|
| Does
the inspector hold any contractor’s licenses? Active or inactive? |
State
of California, Licensed General Building Contractor # B551548- Inactive |
|
|
|
| Does the inspector provide consultant, litigation and legal support services? |
Yes, qualified and accepted as an expert witness by the State of California Court System. |
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| Is the inspector an “Accredited Member” of the local Better Business Bureau? |
Yes, with a company Better Business Bureau rating of A+, the highest rating attainable. |
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| Is the inspector available for questions after performing the inspection? |
Yes,
encouraged and indefinitely. |
|
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| How
long will the inspector be on site? |
At
least 4-5 hours, sometimes much longer with larger properties. |
|
|
|
| Is
the final written inspection report delivered on site, during the
inspection? |
Yes,
in triplicate. |
|
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|
| Will
the inspector provide past client references and testimonials? |
Yes,
gladly upon request. |
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