After a questionable inspection report that was extremely vague and recommended hiring a licensed contractor to inspect further almost every issue, the buyer’s agent and I wondered why we don’t just have an electrician, a plumber, a roofer and an exterminator check out the house?
Organizing that many people is difficult but at the very least in underlines the need for a good inspector who is trying to do more than “CYA”. Multiple inspectors will find different issues with a house for whatever reason. I have been surprised seeing different inspections on the same house.
But remember this about any inspector, they are not the end all to describe the house and it’s condition. They also can’t tell you if something is about to break. Twice on houses I have had the hot water heater go out the day of and before closing. There is no way for him to know those things. On my own home the garbage disposal didn’t work when I moved in but it worked on the day of inspection.
I always liken the inspection to an insurance policy. Don’t buy a house without it but understand that it won’t save you from everything.
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Mike,
Good advice. As an experienced home inspector, there have been a few times where I really wish I had X-ray vision and a crystal ball. Nobody knows what's going on inside walls or water heaters, even if you had a working group of licensed contractors spending all day inspecting. But I sure wouldn't continue to hire a vague inspector who won't take responsibility. I always encourage my clients to have a look at the sample reports of several inspectors before deciding whom to use. You can tell a lot about inspectors by their written reports. And all the good inspectors have samples on their websites.
Looking at sample reports is fantastic advice. Thanks.