"How do I find a good inspector?"

Like a lot of people, I enjoy a good bargain! When I grocery shop, I always look for the cheapest items. When I need new clothes, I worry less about name brands and more about what's on the sale racks! I don't have to have the newest/fanciest car or phone. I drive an '03 Dodge! I have to admit though, that I recently got the newest iPhone. But it was only because my iPhone 7 from 2016 stopped charging, and I'll have this one till it dies!

Sometimes a good deal, bargain, or cheap price may not be the best decision!

It doesn't happen very often, but every now and then I'll lose out on an inspection because the client "found someone who could do it cheaper." I'm not the most expensive inspector in my area, but I'm also not the cheapest. I fall comfortably in the middle. When looking for a home inspector, price isn't the only thing you should base your decision on!

"So how do I choose my inspector?"

Do your research!

If you're using a real estate agent, they will typically give you a few options to choose from. These options are usually inspectors that this agent has worked with in the past and has a good working relationship with. For the most part, if your agent is recommending an inspector you can trust that these are pretty good options. I hate to say it....but these options may not be the best choice either.... I know a couple agents in my area (and no....I will not name any names) that love to use inspectors that don't "call out" many major issues. Their inspection reports are pretty bland, not alarming, and make every house look GREAT to the buyer. I don't want to scare away a buyer and cost anyone a deal, but at the same time, I have a job to do and I do it very well. A lot of times that I've heard about an inspector that scared away a buyer, it wasn't necessarily because of what they called out in their report, it was more the way they worded it. As inspectors, we have to be thorough but it's also important for us to convey out findings to our clients in a way that the average person can understand and not make it seem like every little thing will make the house burn down, fall apart, or cost $100,000 to repair.

The cost of the inspection is a good starting point to look at when choosing your inspector, but I wouldn't base my decision solely on the price. You also want to know how experienced they are and how good of a job they will do. So lets break down what the cost can tell you about the inspector:

The most expensive inspector - has probably been in business a long time, does a really great job, and most likely only does 4-5 inspections per week. I've spoken with some of the more expensive inspectors around here and they all say pretty much the same thing. Their prices are higher so they don't HAVE to work as much. The higher inspection prices also tend to weed out lower quality homes. These inspectors have been working a long time, don't want to work as often, and don't want to work as hard. But, they typically do a fantastic job!

The cheap inspector - usually this is a fairly new inspector. They haven't been inspecting very long and they don't have a lot of experience. They price low to "beat out the competition" and get more inspections. Many of them will "hustle" by going to open houses every weekend and stopping by real estate offices. This may help to get them in front of more real estate agents/get their name out and honestly, I can't be mad at 'em. We all have to start somewhere! I spent many weekends bouncing from open house to open house; meeting agents and dropping off business cards. I know a guy that has a base price of $250 (that's CHEAP!). He's been in business about 2 years. When he first started he was doing 2-3 inspections per week and now he's up to 10-15 per week. I've seen a couple of his reports and they were ok. Not bad....not great. I honestly thing he's a decent inspector but he's working so much that it's affecting his quality of work. We were talking a couple weeks ago and he kept mentioning that he has to work a lot to pay bills and put food on the table, but he's getting burnt out and doesn't have time to relax or spend much time with family. My response = RAISE YOUR PRICES!!!!!! He'd be able to work less and make the same amount of money. I've seen a few reports from a couple other new/cheap inspectors and honestly, I'm afraid for them. Those reports were awful! These guys are eventually going to miss something big, get themselves into trouble, and likely get sued!

Now, don't get me wrong, just because someone is new or cheap doesn't mean they're bad. I do know a few "cheap" inspectors that do a really good job and I've told all of them that they need to raise their prices! :-D

The "average price" inspector - There's usually only a couple inspectors that will fall into the "expensive" or "cheap" category. If there are 10 inspectors in your area, 3-4 will be on the high or low side; 6 or 7 will be the "average" and they'll usually be pretty close in pricing. These are your inspectors that have a good amount of experience and do a really good job. They're probably averaging 6-8 inspections per week. They may not need to "hustle" or market as much because their name is "already out there." Agents know, trust, and love them. These are the majority of inspectors that real estate agents will be recommending to their clients.

So... how do you decide?!?! Well... you have to do some research!

First step = GOOGLE!

Do a Google search for "home inspector in [insert whatever town you live in here]." You'll get a list of inspectors all around you! First, I'd check out their reviews. I don't know about you, but I don't often leave Google reviews. If I do, it's because I had a really great experience or....a really not so great experience. I believe most people are like this. Most people aren't leaving reviews for every business they go to every day. They're leaving reviews to show appreciation for great service, or maybe to caution people when they've had poor service. That's always my first step when I'm researching any type of company; I want to know what other people are saying about them!

Second Step = Website/Social Media

First of all....if I go to Google and a company DOESN'T have a website or Facebook....I'm moving on to the next! I'll be honest with you, I'm not great at utilizing social media but as far as a website goes....it's 2023, websites are easy and really NOT that expensive. They are also a great marketing tool. Think about where you're reading this blog ;-)

In the home inspection industry, a website can be a one-stop-shop for people to see what services you offer, what areas you cover, get your contact info, and also for people to see what qualifications/certifications you may have. Speaking of qualifications and certifications...that leads me to Step 3!

Third Step = Licensing/Qualifications/Certifications

In Louisiana, Home Inspectors MUST be licensed through the Louisiana State Board of Home Inspectors (LSBHI). If they don't have a LSBHI license, they aren't a home inspector! That may sound pretty obvious, but there was recently a guy that was performing "inspections" and was not licensed. That didn't go over very well for him when the State Board found out. On the LSBHI website, you can easily search for home inspectors near you (Find an Inspector | Louisiana State Board of Home Inspectors). That site will give you their contact info, tell you what year they were first licensed (good indication of experience), and whether or not their license is active. You DO NOT want to call someone with an inactive or expired license!!

To keep our license active, we have to take a minimum of 20 hours of continuing education classes every year. There are a lot of different venues for us to take these classes....and that leads me to the qualification/certification portion of this post.

I am a member and Certified Professional Inspector (CPI), soon to be a Certified Master Inspector (CMI) through the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI). To maintain that membership and CPI/CMI status members have to take continuing ed classes. InterNACHI offers a LOT of courses and certifications to their members. They also have a page where you can search for InterNACHI certified inspectors (Certified Home Inspectors in Louisiana - InterNACHI®). Some people think the InterNACHI certifications are a gimmick because it's not something we're "required" to do for our license, but I think an inspector that maintains an InterNACHI certification is someone that is going above and beyond the minimum state requirements and really cares about increasing their knowledge to perform great inspections! If you search for inspectors on the InterNACHI site, you can also see what other certifications they have gained through the InterNACHI continuing education classes. Here are just a "few" of mine:

To make a long story short; Do your research!

If you're using a real estate agent, they'll most likely give you 3-4 options. You can pretty much guarantee that these inspectors are fair on pricing and do a really good job. Research these options (Google reviews, check out their website/social media, look for extra certifications that go above the basic state license) pick who you think is best.

If you're not using an agent, you've got to do a lot of research on your own. This may be a bit overwhelming if you have a lot of home inspectors in your area. Do they same research (Google reviews, website/social media, certifications). Another great place to start is to ask your friends and family that own homes who they've used. They may have had a great inspector, or maybe a not so great inspector. If they didn't have a good experience then you'll know who NOT to use!

Purchasing a home will most likely be the biggest investment you'll ever make in your lifetime. I don't care if you've never swung a hammer or if you build houses every day. Before you make that investment, you NEED to hire a GOOD inspector to help you make an informed decision! I've heard many horror stories from people who skipped out on the inspection and within the first year of owning the home, found major issues that if they had known about before, they would not have bought that house. Don't be one of those stories! Call me!