Home Inspection Checklist 101: Attend the Inspection

A critical part of home buying is a home inspection.

How do you know how to choose the right inspector to evaluate your future home, and what will the home inspector look or not look for? Here are several things you should know before hiring your inspector.

• Arkansas requires all inspectors to be licensed. Arkansas has regulations and strict licensing in place to help govern who can perform home inspections.

In order to be licensed in Arkansas, each inspector must go through an approved training program by the Arkansas Home Inspectors board, pass the National Home Inspector Examination and ASHI Standards and Ethics test, and have general liability insurance. Inspectors additionally must complete 14 hours annually in order to renew an existing license.

• Attend the inspection. This is the most important aspect of the home inspection process.

You don’t want to have the home inspector simply send you a report. You want to be with him or her every step of the inspection.

By going to the inspection, you will see what the inspector sees firsthand, plus you’ll gain a better understanding of the strengths and pitfalls of the home. The inspector should give you a more detailed explanation of any problems in person than what appears on the report.

• Who is your inspector?

Your inspector is not a general contractor or an appraiser. The home inspector is prohibited from telling clients what their home might be worth.

Also, if you are looking for advice on how to fix an item, don’t expect an inspector to help. That is against state regulations.

• What will be inspected?

Arkansas regulations for home inspectors list what will be included. A homebuyer can expect the inspection to cover the following categories: structural, roofing, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, general interior and exterior, electrical, insulation and ventilation.

The scope of what is inspected in each part of the home varies from inspector to inspector.

• No speculation. If the home inspector can’t determine the exact cause of damage to a component, or if he or she suspects concealed damage, they most likely will not speculate on what caused the problem.

Such speculation could open inspectors to liabilities if it proved to be wrong. The inspector will recommend additional investigation by an appropriate professional — plumber, HVAC, roofer, electrician, etc. — when the scope of the problem or repair is unknown, if the scope is outside the inspector’s expertise, or concealed damaged.

• Know what kind of report you want. Some inspectors will give you a checklist of all areas of the home inspected, with the required information in succinct order. Others will give you a much longer report with explanations and photos.

Ask the home inspector what kind of report he or she makes and if it can be as detailed as possible with attached photos.

• Know the language. Home inspectors will not give your home a “pass” or “fail” grade. Here are some classifications that deal with damaged items an inspector will assign:

Repair or Replace — The component does adequately perform its intended purpose. For example, a shingle is loose on the roof.

Fully depreciated — This means an item is at or near the end of its lifespan. An example would be a worn-out roof as opposed to simply a loose shingle.

• Safety Hazard: This item or unit is deemed by the inspector as unsafe, or capable of causing personal injury, property damage during normal use, or the risk of personal injury during normal use.

A crack in a hot water heater is an example. 

John Williams is the owner of Trusted Home Inspection and performs home inspections throughout Northwest Arkansas. For more information, visit THI’s website at www.trustedhi.com.