Inspection day can be one of the most exciting yet stressful moments of the buying process because it’s likely the first chance you’ll have to go inside the property since you made your offer. It’s also usually the last chance you’ll have until a final walk-through. More importantly, this is your opportunity to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into when it comes to the condition.

    The inspections we provide for you can be reassuring, educational, fun, and exhausting all at the same time.

    Our inspections don’t just provide you with a list of problems you want to negotiate with the seller to fix or something catastrophic that makes you back out of the deal altogether. We will provide you with a detailed report that is something of a “new owner’s manual”. It will include illustrations, photos, detailed descriptions, maintenance tips, and schedules you should follow.

    When you hire us to conduct your home or commercial property inspection; rest assured that you are hiring a licensed, professional inspector. We have a long list of reviews from buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants, agents, lenders and other home pros for you to read below. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Yelp. We are rated as an A+ business with the Better Business Bureau, and are alumni of various professional affiliations such as CREIA (California Real Estate Inspectors Association), and ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors). As you will see in our sample reports that we are thorough, detailed, and easy to read. Click Here. 

    Your agent probably has suggestions on who to use as an inspection company, but you don’t need to use them. Finding your own inspection company assures you as the buyer, that the agent didn’t just refer a soft inspector to you to push the deal along.

Inspection Prices

    Our residential and commercial inspection, and environmental testing prices are listed on our inspection pricing page along with what is and is not included in our inspection pricing. For instance; we also offer asbestos, mold, radon, and lead paint testing. The price you will pay for the inspection is probably the least of your concerns when it comes to unexpected repairs. Most inspectors are in a similar range of $300-$500 anyway and a small fluctuation in the price is to pay for what you will get, compared to the unwanted extremely high cost of qualified contractor repairs. 

So, start early in the buying process to schedule your inspection with us as we get extremely busy during certain times of the year and want to accommodate everyone. To be sure you can get an inspection scheduled within your contract timeline; call us now at 1(877) 247-3732.

On Inspection Day

    You should plan on being at the inspection with your agent the entire time. Chances are the seller’s agent will be there as well to answer any questions your inspector might need. Be sure to block off the entire morning or afternoon as inspections take time and you don’t want to rush through it. Be sure to wear appropriate clothing to walk around and possible crawl during the informative walk through presentation. During this time it’s very important to follow along as much as you can. We will likely overload you with information about operation of the properties systems and condition. The defects we find, and tips and tricks along the way will be clearly documented by the inspector using the latest software and technology available. You don’t have to follow the inspector into the crawlspace, unless you really want to, even though we’ll  bring along extra protective clothing just in case. In conclusion, we recommend going anyplace the inspector does, that’s reasonably accessible.

    In our eyes, you aren’t being a pest. (that’s a different inspection altogether). Wood destroying organisms and pest reports are typically prepared for the seller, because the process requires invasive and destructive evaluation and probing.  If you have any reason for concern, we recommend consulting an additional pest inspection. During the course of the inspection, your inspector will explain the systems of the property to you, how to operate them, and give you maintenance tips. These will also be in the final report, along with pictures, illustrations, and narrative descriptions of problems we find. Remember, there is no substitute for hearing and seeing it in person. The day of inspection will probably feel like a whirlwind of activity. You may be a little nervous about what the inspector will find. It will help if you prepare yourself.

Buyers Inspection Checklist

    You should start preparing for a professional inspection when you initially tour the property you’re purchasing, or are about to make an offer on. This will give you an idea if there are any areas you want the inspector to pay special attention to. Your inspector will address these issues in the report you pay for. 

    For your convenience we have compiled a checklist to help figure out what to look for ahead of time and in the final report. If any of these items aren’t covered in our inspection report, ask us why not.

Foundation: Look at the base of the walls and the ceilings in each room. Are there obvious cracks or apparent shifts in the foundation? Do the same around the outside. Are there any trees encroaching on the foundation?

Lot: Does the drainage appear to be away from the house? Are there any obvious soggy areas?

Roof: What is the overall condition? When was it last replaced?

Exterior: Does the house look like it will need repairs or repainting soon? Are gutters and downspouts firmly attached? Are there loose boards or dangling wires? Is there asbestos in the exterior material, which would require added costs if it needed to be repaired or replaced?

Attic: How does the interior of the roof structure look? Are there any signs of leaks?

Interior evidence of leaks: Check under sinks, behind toilets, ceilings, and around windows in each room for stains.

Basement: Is there dampness? Adequate insulation? (If there’s a crawlspace instead of a basement, you might want to leave this for the professional home inspection.)

Electrical: Do the switches work? Are there any obvious malfunctions? Have the outlets been grounded? Is the panel updated and expandable for additional appliances or a potential remodel?

Plumbing: Any unusual noises or malfunctions? Has the sewer line been scoped to check for potential cracks?

Appliances: If these are included, what is the age and condition of the stove, dishwasher or refrigerator?

Heating/cooling system: Does it seem to do the job? How old is the furnace? If the system has been converted, are the old systems or tanks still in place?

Odor: Does the home smell? Can you detect what it might be and whether it could be fixed? Beware of musty odors which could signal a wet basement.

Full disclosure

In addition to your own eyes, ears and nose, you should get a seller’s disclosure statement before your contracting us for the inspection. Use this document to help alert yourself to anything you want your inspector to look at. If they disclosed that they had a leaky toilet replaced or repaired, make sure that gets some extra attention from your inspector.

Disclosure requirements vary by state and sometimes local jurisdictions, so ask your real estate agent if you have any questions about what is included. Disclosure typically comes in the form of boilerplate documents with a series of yes/no questions for the seller to detail their property and their experience there.

One thing to look for is whether any un-permitted work has been done. If so, you could be on the hook for bringing the house up to code should you ever remodel. Even if that’s not even remotely on your radar, un-permitted work needs to be carefully inspected, particularly electrical and plumbing work.

People are not perfect

What happens if your inspection comes back clean or you find problems after you move in that were not addressed during the inspection? It depends. First, the inspection that we perform for buyers is non-invasive or destructive, and visual; meaning that it will only cover things can be seen or tested using normal operating controls. We aren’t tearing out walls and don’t have x-ray vision so problems that are truly hidden can be frustrating for everyone. 

Thankfully, your protected with our money back guarantee.

If our inspectors missed what should have been obvious signs of potential hidden problems or things that we should have caught during the inspection and all access was permitted; then we will pay for the repairs or refund your inspection fees.