Inspect The Inspector
By Tim Oglesby, Home Check America

Buying a home is the biggest investment most people will make.  Knowing the condition of what you are buying is critical.  However, not all home inspectors are equal.  In Illinois, the home inspection business is unregulated.  Which means that anyone can be a home inspector.  So, how do you find a good inspector?

Home Check America founder Tim Oglesby suggests finding an inspector who “really believes in what they are doing.  Find out why they are a home inspector.  Inspectors with a passion for providing good service are usually the best in the business.”  In 1984, Oglesby bought his first home without having it inspected.  “The home turned out to have lots of problems that a good home inspector probably would have found. Instead of paying the small inspection fee, the problems cost me thousands of dollars and lots of headaches. I now have a passion for helping people not make the same mistake”, explains Oglesby.

What did they do before?
Ask your prospective home inspector what they did before they became a home inspector.  Many home inspectors were firemen, police officers, or insurance salespersons.  Home inspectors who were general contractors usually make the best home inspectors because they have been involved in all the activities of home construction.  General contractors are more familiar with foundations, concrete, framing, structural integrity, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, electric, drywall, trim and much more.  Oglesby adds, “Unlike most home inspection companies out there, Home Check America inspectors have ten years or more construction experience, plus management and customer service experience.”

What about insurance?
Proper certification and insurance is a must in our legal active society.  Ask your prospective inspector what certifications they have and who their insurance company is.  Only choose inspectors who have passed the National Home Inspectors exam.  Inspectors that are members of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) are considered in the upper half of credentialing, but membership is elective.  Not all insurance companies are equal either.  Only choose inspectors who have Errors and Omissions (E&O) insurance that protects you the client, the inspector, and also the referring Realtor. 

What kind of service can I expect?
Ask them what additional services they provide.  Most inspectors provide only the basic services.  Others provide additional services, like radon detection, lead based paint detection, water quality analysis, insect detection, EIFS analysis, and free home maintenance manuals which help the new homeowner properly maintain their home.  Although you may not want these additional services, the inspectors who do offer them are the best-trained inspectors. 

Franchise or not
There are several franchise companies in the home inspection business.  Each inspector who has bought into the franchise owns a region or county.  The franchise company trains their inspectors for one or two weeks.  Some home inspectors have attended more comprehensive twelve-week courses from internationally recognized engineering firms, such as the inspectors with Home Check America in Elgin.  “Experience and training is everything in this business. When you hire a home inspector, you are really hiring an individual person, not a company” says Oglesby.  “The individual person is the one looking at your furnace and giving you an opinion, not a company.” Before making a decision on a home inspector, ask them what kind and how much training they have received.

What about the cost?
Most home inspections cost $225 to $325 depending on the size of the home.
Several home inspection companies offer $25 to $50 off coupons.

Finding a good inspector means doing some inspecting on the inspector.  Don’t accept inspector’s assurances that their franchise trains them well.  Ask to see their credentials.