#1
Ask if they have E & O Insurance. In the 12 years of answering the phone for my home inspection business, less than 10 clients total have ever asked if we have this insurance that protects YOU as a home buyer. Liability insurance covers an inspector breaking a lamp in the house. Errors and Omission Insurance protects the home buyer if the inspector misses a big item such as a roof, structural issue or major leak. Do you want to be protected or do you want to take a risk and save a few bucks on the inspection price?
#2
What services do they offer? A well established inspection firm will offer more than the basic home inspection. Visit their website to get a feel for their level of professionalism and the services provided. Is the website a basic startup template with not much information or is it well developed with a plethora of information about services offered and the folks who run the business? Is the information current?
#3
What Licenses and Certifications do they hold?
There are two major national home Inspection organizations in the US. The first is the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) and the second is InterNachi (NACHI). Both organizations provide start-up training and Standards of Practice for inspectors to follow. ASHI requires all
ASHI inspectors take 20 hours of continuing education credits every year
to maintain membership in the organization. An “ASHI Certified Inspector” has met many additional requirements beyond the yearly 20 CE credits needed each year.
NACHI is very different as they only require the start-up training and once the training is completed, they are considered “Certified” by NACHI. NACHI is an excellent training organization but they do not
require or encourage additional ongoing training for their inspectors.
Ohio is in the process of implementing a home inspector law. Before COVID, approximately 5000 home inspector licenses were issued in Ohio. COVID halted the Inspector Law process and the government is working to get the project completed with no license date projected. Inspectors who have their license have passed the National Home Inspector Exam plus other standards required by the State of Ohio. To look up an Ohio Home Inspector License, go to www.com.ohio.gov and look for license lookup.
#4
Do they have 5 Star Reviews?
Visit at least 3 of the many review sites to get a feel of how their customers feel about the experience. Are there written reviews, not just stars? Are the reviews current? Do they use the Inspectors name in the reviews?
#5--The Most Important Question
Do they answer the phone? Customer service is the core of the home inspection process and quite frankly, if they don’t answer the phone when you are calling to schedule, do not expect them to answer the phone when you have a question or a need. Many home inspectors do not have office staff to answer the phone, to answer questions or to send out reports. In the world of Real Estate, there is no time to wait when there are deadlines to meet.
