Beware the ‘Newbie’ Home Inspector

Nothing Can Take The Place of Experience

It seems like there is a new home inspection company popping up every week. With the slow down in the job market, many people have decided to go out on their own. While you have to appreciate their entrepreneurial spirit, there are some things you need to know before you hire a brand new inspector.newbie inspector Just like any professional, some things are only learned from experience. So the first thing to know is that regardless of their ‘certification’, the new inspector won’t have the field experience of an inspector who has been in the profession for a number of years. You just don’t learn about the stuff we see from a classroom or via an online course!

So how do you identify a new inspector?

Don’t be lured by a website alone. It is easy to go into business and set up a website. The State of California does NOT license home inspectors. Anyone can print a business card, set up a website and market themselves as a home inspector. Many new inspectors will use words like ‘we’, ‘group’ or ‘team’ liberally throughout their website. They do this to appear well-established. But in fact many of these companies have just one guy. A multi-inspector firm takes years to build and is only achieved by a very few honest, ethical companies that perform dozens or hundreds of inspections per month. An independent inspector simply does not do enough inspections to support more than one inspector. Check with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see how long they’ve been around. The BBB reports when a business was started. If you are a more sophisticated Internet user, you can see when they registered their domain name. You can also check with their certifying organization such as NACHI or CREIA to see how long they have been an inspector. You will also recognize another common thread among new companies. They are consistently cheaper than the well-established companies. And they are always immediately available. The reasons are clear. They are hungry for work! They would love to practice on your house. The best inspectors will have a lot of high tech testing equipment, and they carry adequate E&O insurance. Be sure to check with the low price inspector to see if they are insured. Some new inspectors initially forego carrying insurance to save money. (Our insurance is very expensive.) This can be disastrous for everyone involved in a transaction.

Why does this matter?

We frequently hear horror stories about bad inspections. Unfortunately we hear these stories after it is too late – the house has already been purchased. As a buyer or an agent you have to decide what is best. There is no substitute for experience. A home purchase is too important. Choose the best home inspector available. When we hire a new inspector they receive months of training from experienced professionals. The Real Estate Inspection Company has dedicated supervisors who train and mentor inspectors, review reports, and monitor ongoing education. Our inspectors are the best in the business. And each inspector benefits from the shared experience of their team members. If you have any questions about what is important when selecting a home inspector, please feel free to contact us. The Real Estate Inspection Co. Is a multi-inspector firm that has performed thousands of inspections since our founding in 2004.