As home inspector I have lost so many realtors because I wouldn’t change my verbiage on my reports. So they can close the sale I had one inspection where the stair treads had major cracks that went all the way through bad enough you could see light through it. And the realtor wanted me to change my findings to slight cracks they didn’t even care that the buyer was 4 months pregnant and could get seriously hurt if it gave way. Of course that was the last inspection I did for that realtor. But the buyer was grateful and changed realtors and requested me for her inspections.
Excellent video. As a 28 year home inspector (retired now for 5 years) I feel the pain of the homebuyer looking for more than many home inspectors are willing or able to give. It's a balancing act; providing a thorough report while also attempting to prioritize the serious areas of concern over the minor or cosmetic concerns. I always considered it essential to have my home buyer on-site for the inspection, following me around if at all possible. When the client sees how hard you work to do a really good inspection they understand if an issue of little consequence is overlooked. A very rewarding, enjoyable way to make a living.
What do you think about this situation. In the closet of my home, under the stairs, if you take a decent look around you will clearly see knob and tube wiring on the walls of the closet. If the inspector fails to report this is that negligence? Shouldn't wiring thats 50-70 years old be in the report?
@@luisgonzalez8415 Actually knob and tube wiring is probably older than 70 years. It is not, in my opinion, intrinsically unsafe. However, it sounds like it is exposed where people or stored items could come in contact with it. That is a problem that should be reported. Questions for you: was the home occupied by the previous owner/tenant when inspected, was that closet filled with stored items making its inspection limited or impossible? An occupied house is a very different situation than a vacant one. Re-read my comment about why it is essential to be present for the inspection. If that closet was filled with personal property I would have commented to my client (you) that I could not inspect its interior. It's likely that the "boiler plate" of your inspection contract had a statement regarding inaccessible areas, which is one thing, but actually being present to see the condition and have the inspector speak to you about inaccessible areas is quite another. If these conditions were not present, If the area was not obstructed, then I would say your inspector should have seen and noted the exposed wiring.
While the home was occupied with furniture it was very well staged with everything visible. The closet in question had 1 vacuum and 1 floor fan. It had a light at the top of the closet and the knob and tube is clearly visible. If you are at the closet door it is on the wall to the left 3ft from your eye line looking slightly down. On the day of inspection I was present. At one point of the inspection I clearly remember talking to the inspector in the closet about possible water damage on the closet floor.. But since I had no idea at the time what knob and tube was I had no idea about the wires on the closet wall. The thing the bugs me is that as an inspector, I would think there is a mental check list for old homes. My home has the date it was built on the real estate papers, redfin, etc but I assume an inspector would eyeball the place and say, ok this is an old home. Next thought, for electrical, would be check if there is knob and tube. That clearly did not happen.
yes, inviting the buyer to come along I thought was a good idea sometimes, but it uses more time. There are structural, functional, and cosmetic problems. Knowing the difference tells you how important. The first thing buyers look around and point out are usually cosmetic low priority items by the dozen. In listening to the honest carpenter, it does not justify all the expensive state testing, licensing and insurance requirements for such a general inspection. In Wa state, if your license expires, you have to go through all the expense, training and testing again. Best to focus on the systems and how they protect the life of the house.
As a home inspector for the past 35 years and carpenter your assessment was very fair and accurate. We are in a very precarious position. We only have a few hours in the house and sellers do hide and conceal damages. Buyers go in to a purchase with little knowledge and information. In this market 1st time buyers are skipping the inspection. They call us in post inspection and I am finding nightmares. Always get a home inspection! Great, Fair video.
Ray you are correct: sellers often do "hide" things. In my present home the seller had placed a drain board on the counter to conceal a huge burned area in the countertop! He had also tacked carpet up on a wall in the basement as a "kitty scratcher" to conceal evidence of water marks and active leaking through the drywall! Yikes! It must be a tough job to investigate every nook and cranny! Good feedback would be for the new buyer to tell you what they found and you missed! But wait! Who's paying who here??
@@Sheila-cm4jymaybe that's how it works in my area, but realtors always force you to remove ANYTHING that doesn't belong to the house(other that normal furniture you'd expect in a house, such as kitchen table, couch bed etc) as much as possible. You can't even leave your toothbrush on the bathroom countertop. So having a drain board that's left on the kitchen countertop would look suspicious to me, especially if there's nothing anywhere else. Same with the carpet stapled to the wall, pretty sure any realtor here would tell the seller to remove it
"We only have a few hours in the house", Why? I would take as long as it needs for thoroughness. Most I've dealt with spend a day then return and spend a couple more hours. Good ones come back at each phase of new construction. If your HI is only spending a few hours he's just giving you a quick, preliminary once over.
As a tradesmen I can tell you this is absolutely accurate. I'm asked many times how important these items are from homeowners after an inspection. A quality inspection will save you money. Ask for references that are not Realtors!
I agree that the BEST source of referrals for a high quality home inspector comes from experienced contractors who were also past clients. These guys know a vague report when they see it - usually filled with generic wording, template jargon, and liability-limiting comments (some of which are necessary) but which outweigh practical advice. In my humble opinion, a home inspector does a better job controlling liability when they put the client's best interests ahead of their own fears or insecurities. It's not a sin to spell out the implications of a defect and to make a specific recommendation.
I'm a home inspector who gets all his jobs from realtors. I'm very professional, honest and thorough and that's what the realtors like about me. Like any trade, you find one you can trust and stick with it. Make sure your inspector is certified through InterNACHI or an equivalent because in some states(like mine) there is no licensing program so you can be an inspector just by saying so. The other tip I can give is check if they are qualified(through NRSB or NRPP) to perform radon tests. If they are, it means they take their job seriously enough to study and acquire a vast amount of knowledge to be better at their job.
The last home I bought was in the mid 90s. The lender didn't require didn't require an inspection but the experience we had in the home before made it tops on our list. Instead of going to an inspection firm we hired individual inspectors like hvac, electrical, structure roofing etc. We melded the various inspections into a single document with pictures and references to the inspector who did the inspection and presented it to the seller. The seller took 12k off the price and the repairs ended up costing about 11k since we did a few ourselves. The way the housing market is today the seller would have just told me to F off and sell it to the next in line and would get his price. The huge increase of corporations and private equity firms sucking up the available homes without regard to price is destroying the American tradition of home ownership. We are being beaten down to a nation of wage slaves and renters.
Agree. In the current market, sellers are getting cash offers sight unseen with no inspection. Even neglected, dilapidated homes are being sold for asking price because the real value is in the underlying land.
My friend, this video should literally be broadcast on every Television! You were unbiased, very accurate, thorough, & provided invaluable info for those needing the service of a home inspector. I am a General Contractor/Carpenter, Real Estate Investor of 20+ years. I also own a Home Inspection Business. I'm revolutionizing the home buying process by reaching out to Home buyers as opposed to Realtors. I would love to share & use this video as part of the education I'm providing Homeowners. I'm working on workshops, training for Home buyers & always can use great info, videos, etc., from tradesmen, to help educate my audience. Thanks for a great video!
I am just starting to complete the business end of becoming an inspector. Your view on Home Inspectors was valuable to me. A high school friend (realtor) learned of my new adventure and commented to me "Don't be too picky". That's what I was just taught to do!! Safety first, functuallity next, cosmetic last. We won't find everything, but do the best job we can! BE HONEST ! The new buyer should expect the Inspector to be as picky as he can, it's somebody else's family, loved ones, safety and money. They want a thorough job. It's not my job to sell the house, I'm there to INSPECT IT ! I won't lie about it, it is what it is.
I agree. Most home buyers don't realize the "inspector" may have never had any construction experience. I was looking at a house that hadn't been lived in for a few months. When the water tap was turned, a lot of muddy water came out. After a minute or two the water cleared. The inspector said that was because the house hadn't been lived in, and wrote it off to that. After buying the house I realized that the water bills were higher than expected. I looked at the water meter and the little red arrow was turning. I knew I had a water leak. Turns out I had to replace 1000' of water line. Yeah. I live in the country. Way off the roadway. I think, since I had the "expert" I didn't use my own common sense to look deeper. Live and learn.
The inspector simply should've written "recommend further evaluation by licensed plumber". At least in California our job is a limited visual inspection. If I can't physically see why something is happening it behooves me to not guess. I let the plumber dig deeper for causes.
The problem I've had with home inspections is the inspectors are more concerned with keeping the realtors happy for the repeat business. They don't want to scare off the homebuyers as most of these inspectors are referred by your realtor.
I agree, however that means the home inspection industry could solve this problem by adding a rule that requires realtors to schedule from a "pool" of home inspectors so the inspector is randomly assigned. The inspector can then market some type of "badge" that shows he is a pool inspector and not one that works with specific realtors so that this conflict of interest is mitigated. Another solution is for the home buyer to simply get their own home inspector.
How about how their reports read? Might, maybe, should... They don't commit to anything. Look at the limited training they get. All about the money. You'd be better off having an experienced contractor come in and look around. A few weeks of training? Yeah, right. A waste of money.
Many states have laws stating that realtors, if asked, must provide at least 3 (# varies) recommendations for home inspectors. Most realtors want a thorough inspection because if there is an issue found after closing their client will not be happy with them as well as the inspector.
@@Bill-YellowDogWelding As home inspector I've walked many a house with a contractor and pointed out things only to hear "hmm I didn't see that." Great contractors will those things. Most contractors are only going to look at the issue you point them to and don't really take a comprehensive look.
I was blessed to have a good inspector for my last few homes. He made sure to emphasize the "bad" more than the "not so bad" things. First house he inspected, for me, he pointed out a crack in the slab floor that concerned him, and by the tone of his comment, I instantly pulled out of that purchase. I even paid him to do an inspection on my home, that I was selling, so that I'd have knowledge of any potential major problems before I put it on the market. I felt that it was a good idea for me, others may disagree.
I have GC license, 1000's hour of construction experience, and a degree in structural engineering. As a seasoned inspector, Carpenters and house flippers hardly know anything other then masking and painting over problems.
I own a home inspection company. Our report has a color-coded summary. Green starts your to do list and red are critical issues with cosmetic issues in the body of the report. It's a narrative style report. I love ours. It's very easy to understand. We also put lots of pictures.
I've been a home inspector for 17 years and this video makes some excellent points. Every industry will have those that are good and some that are not so good at their job. The main compliment I strive for daily is "he's thorough". I love the idea of having sellers move their belongings out of the way but I can tell you that is not reality and I've moved a lot more items than I wish I ever had to, but I won't make it the excuse why I didn't look at something. If I can get my eyes or hands on it, I try my best to do so. Also, I'd be wary of working with any inspector who didn't want the client to accompany them. I welcome them to watch the process if they wish and ask questions along the way.
As a Handyman, I am SO happy that someone finally called out Home inspectors (sheets) on these facts. I have several customers come to me and ask, "Is this a big deal" or, " How expensive is it going to be to fix this?". I wish that their reports would specify Major and Minor as well! Would make things a hell of a lot easier for those of us trying to help the customer!!!
It's hard to tell if it's major or minor because we do a visual inspection. As a home inspector we do not do invasive inspection. I was a residential and Commercial contractor for 28 years before coming a home inspector.
Perfect! You nailed every point perfectly. I have worked in all the trades over the years, had my own general contracting company, worked around construction sites after that for another 30 years and I am a non-practicing certified Home Inspector. Quite frankly the $300-$500 you earn per home inspection isn't worth the time invested not to mention the liability risk you undertake and the proper equipment an inspector needs to perform the inspection properly. A thorough inspection is worth $1000 and would be worth every penny to a homeowner from a "skilled" home inspector. I performed my own inspection when walking thru the house and waived the inspection normally required by the bank on the last 2 homes I bought for the reasons you mentioned and my personal skillset. So, all of you reading this get educated so you know what you're getting into when buying a house and do exactly what Ethan says. My opinion...Don't ever ask the realtor for a home Inspector as a general rule. Ethan touched on this.
I've spent so much Tim picking my inspector. They were so incredibly thorough and found everything! They also break things down into 3 categories. Fix now, Maintenance, and cosmetic. It was really helpful! Thay also require that after their 4 hour inspection I spent an hour with them reviewing the findings and walking through the house. They were expensive, but worth it!
I was there to tag along with the inspector during inspection on my house 20+ years ago. Even though I wasn’t as knowledgeable then as I am now about such things, I thought at the time, and still do, think he did a pretty good job. He pointed out many things including evidence of past termite damage which he proved to me with evidence had long been eradicated. Past minor fire in the basement the char of which had been painted over…, and many other things. It’s a 100 yo house, so it does have issues. He was very thorough and communicative.
I once spent 2 hours with the inspector and the final thing we went through was the basement. We were near the end of the inspection when we discovered that one wall had shifted due to a cracked foundation. Best $200 I spent to avoid a $10000 repair if I had gone forward with the purchase of the house.
Very informative video. I am a Home Inspector in South Alabama. Most inspectors in my area are referred by realtors and unfortunately, many inspectors are afraid to be "Too Thorough" for fear of "killing the deal" and thus never referred again by the realtor. Even inspectors who are picked by the buyer, will sometime not be thorough, for fear that may tarnish their name with local realtors. Its a sad situation and worse of all the buyer is paying them to do this to them. I am known as a "Thorough Inspector". I rarely get referred by realtors, which is evidence to my thoroughness. However, I inspect every house as if I were the one purchasing it. I have a channel too called "Southern Home Talk" . Hopefully I will get as good as you presenting my information. Thanks for creating this video.
As a Health Inspector, I get asked all the time to do a home inspection. I always say, "No way, you need a professional inspector. Here's a list of Inspectors in my county." Like you said I don't have any experience when it comes to construction. Now, if you're want to know about a water well or a septic system, I'm your guy. And dear God, please make sure the septic system is still functioning and under permit. Otherwise you might be in for a... crappy surprise.
@@camerongunn7906 wells I understand anyone can use test strips to determine ph,hardness,iron,etc and send to the lab for bacteria but septic systems seem to more ambiguous. I’m no inspector but have been around for a awhile
@@camerongunn7906 wells I understand ph,hardness,iron,etc can all be tested with a test strip and bacteria send off to the lab, but septic seems to be more ambiguous like your response
@@MK-xl9tt If you're talking about putting in a system, then there is a lot that goes into it. What is the perk rate, depth to limiting layer, soil types, soil transition, prevailing site hydrology? What type of system is it, residential or commercial. How big of a site is it? How much land do you have to use? What are the distances from the system to various topographic features? Is the system going to be subsurface discharge or a surface discharge? Will the system need filtration, tertiary or quaternary treatment? See...carefully.
I found out years ago that even a real good inspector can’t find ALL the problems due to old rules & regs. from when the home was built. Had a house that used both copper AND aluminum wiring. Apparently that ok when the house was built. Home builder used what he could get away with at the time & sold them for top dollar. Love your channel and appreciate all your insight.
The builder didn't use "what he could get away with" if that's what the code allowed at the time. And a lot of that stuff isn't required to be replaced unless you are doing an extensive remodel or adding equipment. It's grandfathered in.
Excellent. Over 35 years as a GC and semi retired working as an inspector. My desire to provide insight is reined in by the state standards of practice and liability concerns.
Came here to say this. When I got my report, there was uncolored, yellow for most things, and red for "safety hazards" which were both electrical in nature, such as missing electrical covers or an outlet that had evidence of arcing at the plug.
Excellent subject. While I am not an construction expert by any means, I have been around the block when it comes to home repair, carpentry, electrical, and plumbing. Purchased many homes as well. I have seen quite a few home inspection reports that leave out important potential issues that I saw after the fact. So, hats off to you touching on the very important subject. And, keep up the great work.
I fully agree that the home inspection industry has changed over the years. Anyone can become a home inspector just by hanging out their shingle now. When I started inspecting homes 12 years ago 90% of the inspectors were licensed trades people. I came into the industry as a journeyman carpenter and had remodeled 100's of homes. It seems that all you need now is book smarts and and good writing skills. I have seen so many reports that only have small stuff like nail holes and carpet stains. I for one never put that stuff in a report. I like my reports to be clean and precise and pointing out the things that will cost a lot to repair. I will however write a statement in the report saying the overall condition if needed. " Unfortunately we are not allowed to give cost estimates or advice on repairs. I do understand that this can be frustrating but costs can fluctuate and prices are all over the place.
With Every home we've purchased, I've accompanied the inspector in the crawl space, attic and roof. Some were supportive, while others were annoyed. One even charged us more! There is value in walking through the inspection report since you can place a report item in context and prioritize the items to address with the seller.
yup, i remember i had one where they wouldn't go in crawlspace far enough like wtf, there could be tons of things wrong in that area but they the opening was too small or stuff was in the way
I enjoyed that our inspector color coded important vs aesthetic issues. Using tools to check for unseen water damage. We also interviewed a few different people and selected a realtor that was low pressure, experienced, and established. She also insisted on a sewer scope and radon inspection.
Hello! Very fair video. I live in NJ which has pretty rigorous licensing requirements but I will say all the inspectors I know and work with (home inspector here) have history in some sort of trade. Additionally the way we structure our reports they get two summaries at the end of the report , the first is items that require immediate attention, and major concerns. Think leaks, dangerous electrical, structural issues, asbestos, mold, etc. Second summary is maintenance type items, along the lines of deteriorated caulk, missing insulation, beat up floors or windows, things that are not urgent/dangerous. Purely cosmetic issues almost never get mentioned, they don’t affect the safety or function of the home. Lastly our inspections usually take about 2.5-3.5 hours. We go through every single remotely accessible crevice of the building, and find things missed by other inspectors all the time. Informative, but not unnecessarily alarming is what we aim for. I think you did a good job explaining the general process but one thing I think a lot of people forget is that people PURPOSEFULLY try and hide defects in every house, but usually they leave the supplies in the basement/garage which gives away what we should be keeping an eye out for haha
As a 40 year licensed contractor with 50 years in construction, engineering, and maintenance who has also been doing home inspections for 20 years, I have to agree with almost everything you said. If anything, you are being too kind. The decline both in knowledge and professionalism has been precipitous since the market crash of 2008. The industry has become exactly as you described it. It is so bad that I decided a few years ago no longer to call myself a home inspector. I do mainly construction consulting. Much of my work comes to me after a home inspection has been done and the inspector’s report is filled with variations on “Get someone else to do the job you paid me to do”. I’m the someone else. Thanks for the video.
Given the credentials you included in your first sentence, I am having trouble figuring out what you wrote means... "Get someone else to do the job you paid me to do”.
Home inspector here...For the most part what your saying is accurate about the home inspector business as a whole. I find it interesting how you choose to "straddle the fence" on who's side your on or what message your trying to put out there. If the client takes the time to read the Standards of Practice document provided to them, prior to the inspection, It will outline every aspect of the very detailed inspection they are paying for. Home inspectors could not possibly know every trade required for all the different entities that encompass a home as a complete unit. Are you a licensed HVAC tech? How about a licensed electrician? Licensed plumber? See where I'm going with this? Should home inspectors be a master at all these trades and be licensed in them? Look through the home inspection report shown in the video at the different sections and see if you are a master of each of those trades then tell your audience here the cost, materials list and labor charges for each issue of the home inspected. You can't do it. Home inspectors aren't licensed contractors. That is not the purpose of their industry. I am not a licensed plumber, you know what kind of liability I'm putting on myself and my company by giving professional advice to a client who's propane fired hot water heater doesn't have CCST within 18" of the connection for the water lines and I tell them how to fix it themselves. The lets say "accountant" client who doesn't own any tools, goes to his neighbors to borrow the tools I told him he'd need to fix the issue I reported (because he didn't like the price I told him it would cost to fix it) and forgets the step where I tell him to turn off the propane before he loosens the fuel supply and what happens? Make any sense? There are several more items that I can scrutinize in this video but quite frankly, I'm tired of typing!
Have bought and sold a few houses and this is exactly the problem I hae seen. A few inspectors make sure you know about the major problems (termites, leaks, wiring) and are aware of the cosmetic issues. Others place all of these on the same level (caulking around exterior windows inadequate and structural cracks at same bullet point level)
Ethan this video was fantastic! When buying my present home 26 years ago, I was puzzled why my home inspection report identified a sink stopper that didn't close but missed evidence that three sliding doors on the deck were leaking into joists! Major problem requiring installation of gutters and replacement of subfloors! I concluded that home inspections were useless. When I sold a vacation home recently, I offered to have my carpenter who had helped with renovations and knew the place inside and out do a walk through 'home inspection' with the buyer to point out what we knew about structural integrity and what future projects might preserve and protect this old dwelling. It was a win-win for all. This was a cash buyer, no "formal" home inspection was required for the transaction.
Bought my home over 20 yrs ago. The home inspector was referred by the realtor. I feel like I lucked out, but way back then the HI probably had construction experience and my house was empty. Great video as always.
Here in Toronto, the housing market is so hot that if you make a home offer "pending inspection", it'll usually be rejected. So when we sold our house last year, we did our own pre-inspection, then fix 90% of the items. We thought that would make us more attractive to buyers, that we have a home inspection already done with few remaining issues. We ended up selling more than 25 over asking price, so hopefully it contributed.
As someone who has been learning about the housing market for the last several years with an eye to buying my own house for the first time, I appreciate this information so much. You said a good deal more than you explicitly said here, and made me think about some things in a new way. It’s overwhelming, trying to prepare myself to go into this purchase with fully open eyes. I’m grateful that some like yourself are willing to offer genuine expertise and objective information on the topic of homebuying. Bless.
I haven’t hired an inspector for the past 5 houses purchased. I just look them over on my own. But one thing I will have inspected is septic and water testing if it’s on a well/septic.
The company I like my clients to use has a stoplight system of severity, in reference to your third point. Red is critical, yellow is caution, and green is minor but notable. I also tell my clients when we discuss inspections that they are generalists, just like a doctor in the clinic. You will get referrals to whatever building system is "sick." But one is not going to get a stamp of approval for the structural soundness of a 50yo building from the same guy who is doing a thermal cam of the wall insulation and also testing the air conditioning unit. It's pretty rare to be turning on appliances during a home viewing, and there's no way you would know what kind of insulation is behind the wall. It is an option for a client to have foundation experts, plumbing experts, etc., come along for a home inspection - the expenses for that would rival many yellow severity repairs on the home itself. Very few would choose to do that, because they are paying out of pocket ahead of a home closing for these inspection costs.
In Southern California , many home buyers DO choose their own Home Inspection Co. Preferred Inspection Svcs does an incredible job. Thorough reports, with nothing missed.
100% agree! As a longtime custom home builder and senior building code inspector for the past 21 years I figured that it would be the natural progression to go into the home inspection business after retirement. The overwhelming majority of my competitors have little to no REAL construction experience and are saturating my local market. I've seen some of the important items that get overlooked by these companies and it's a shame that home buyers are not being protected the way they should be! Good professional Realtors recognize how much real experience matters and want to protect their clients.
I rarely find Realtors wanting a thorough home inspection and that's what I've run into and constantly told Im to thorough, they just want to sell the house that is the true issue that's going on now especially with the suing situation.
Awesome video Ethan. I can totally understand some of the deliberate vagueness in the inspection reports especially in the US. But when I moved to Europe, where lawsuit culture is not as prevalent as it is in the US, the inspection reports were just as cautious BUT, there was an interesting thing in the ones I saw, and that was cost-estimate for the repair and even some recommendations on possible fixes. So the cost estimates kind of gave an indication of the importance but the rest of the things you said, like them not trying to reach any hard to access places is true, and with tiny Dutch houses, there are so many of those tiny corners.
Your on key with everything! As a licensed general contractor , licensed electrical contractor, licensed HVAC contractor and a licensed home inspector currently performing inspections, I see so many things get over-looked by other inspection firms. It hard to take 30 years of experience and teach other inspectors in 90 hours. Some inspectors will try to prioritize big ticket items. Most Realtors has a preference for inspectors - so the sale of the house can go through. The question to ask a Realtor is this "If you had to choose from all the inspectors, What inspector would you use for your personal house? " than the truth comes out. They will likely wave the normal inspector away and call on the professional with construction experience.
I think this video is spot on (as a Home Inspector). One thing that many inspectors do is have a summary section that will include big money issues as well as safety issues. Thanks for not trashing the industry! :)
I bought a 4 year old condo a few years back. My agent who has been an agent/broker and appraiser for over 2 decades told me to save some money and skip the inspection. We did a walk through inspection ourselves and I saved $500. Ive experienced no problems other than normal wear and tear since.
It's hard to catch every little thing in one pass too. Living in the house over a period of time things will inevitably be discovered by the home owner. My HI found a floor joist that looked wet, choked it up to an accident in a hall closet that the seller had repaired. But later I discovered by going under the house myself that our bathtub drain gasket was leaking all over the floor joist... I've thought about being an inspector myself, feel like I can catch those kinds of things.
I'm a licensed electrical contractor and roughly 30% of my business is fixing/ repairing home inspection violations. A lot of double tapped circuit breakers, reverse polarity, missing blank plates over junction boxes, or lack of GFCI protection on kitchen countertop receptacles. As a pro, that stuff is pretty important to protect people living in the house. I will however flat out tell a seller that this is not a violation if no violation or fire hazard exists, which happens way too often unfortunately.
on any of the skilled trades, it's pretty apparent the average home inspector has no understanding of the electrical and plumbing systems and just looks at a checklist.
Those are the top things plus over-fused or under-fused devices, non-functioning circuits, fixtures & devices, shock hazards, detached or missing grounding & bonding connections, undersized wires, non-matching circuit breakers, arc flash events. Are you qualified to speak on framing, plumbing, roof, appliances, HVAC, garage doors & operators, decks, retaining walls, stoops, steps, windows, critters in attic, insulation, water intrusion, cracks, mold, radon, termites? We are often responsible for all of that. Electrical is just one spoke in the wheel. Honestly, there's too much reponsibility & liability resting on our shoulders. Still, I know more than enough to call out the trades when they shave, cut corners or just mess up.
Excellent Video - I'm a "old school" home inspector with construction background and been doing this full time for 30 year - a lot has changed some good some bad.
Thanks for an important video. I spent all my working life in construction and did home inspections on the side. The best were when the prospective buyers came along for an in depth look at what they were getting into. In my opinion, the corporate agencies have as their first priority protecting themselves from liability, not getting at the truth of the matter.
I built for 31 years before becoming an inspector, crafting everything from chicken coops to major developments. Just as anyone can call themselves a carpenter, anyone can label themselves an inspector. It's crucial to use reviews, word of mouth, and sample reports to find a reliable inspector. If you don’t trust your realtor enough to recommend one, it might be time to seek a different realtor. Ensure your inspector is truly fighting for you, not just looking out for their next inspection. In our reports, we specifically code major issues separately from minor ones, using a color-coded ranking system with symbols. This approach makes it easy to categorize problems and quickly identify what matters most. We appreciate the excellent advice shared in the video we’re responding to about choosing the right inspector-it aligns perfectly with our commitment to transparency and support for homeowners.
A friend bought an old house and told me the AC wasn't cooling the house well. As a former hvac tech i told him i would take a look. He had frost on the suction line to the outdoor condenser unit and i asked him if that was in the inspection report. He said no and i knew that it was likely he would have to total the system.
I have a loan through my City. I had to use their contractors. Yes, contractors. First one got fired. Both contractors didn't cover my roof during rains. My inside walls were dripping wet, ceiling warped, cracks, shorted out light switches. Yep! destroyed home! I had a, I think, very good inspector. You are so right about personal items in the way of an inspection. I have a small home and it was so hard to move everything out of the way. He was at the home for 6 hours and even checked to see if my kitchen drawers opened up. I don't agree with all the report, like he said my doorbell seems to not be working, when in fact it was. But what I really liked is that he not only bullet the paragraphs and tons of pictures, they were marked as high priority, safety issue and so forth. Don't ever use a inspection that was previously done! That was my mistake. My realtor was a "fri-end" - yes that's the end- and she said it was just inspected and they do not pick sides. They tell it as it is. Wrong! Go get the inspection! Also a roof inspection! Make sure if there are any warranties that the owner transfers them to you right away and the company knows! I was supposed to have a warranty on my roof and the owners failed to provide the info to me! It's been a heartache! Thank you for this video! It is so important in buying a home! With all the damage I have had at my home I could probably be an inspector myself. LOL
I bought my home in '98 and didn't get an inspection. It was built in 1937 so I knew things were old, especially the plumbing which has been getting replaced little by little over the years. I also got new siding to replace the old cedar, windows and a new metal roof. But this house was what I could afford as a factory worker living alone and the mortgage was lower than the rent I was paying even with high interest. I'm 61 now and this house will still be standing long after I'm gone.
Home inspector and general contractor here. Just wanted to say excellent video, very good points that the public should be aware of. Most of the inspectors I know (Alberta, Canada) do have ways of highlighting the important defects in a home. I personally format my entire report by minor, moderate and major defects. Here the province regulates the industry and my qualifications allow me to test inspectors wanting to get licensed. This system is quite effective for at least ensuring the licensed inspectors have a decent general knowledge starting out.
My wife and I stumbled on your channel a few days ago and we can't top watching. I've become a pretty adept DIYer over the years but still have learned a lot watching your videos. We live in NC, too, Durham, in fact, so it's nice to add an in-stater to the long list of TH-camrs we watch regularly. Keep up with the fine videos.
Very balanced video. I have been an inspector for 13 years and agree that there are a lot of bad inspectors that have no business doing inspections. The key is for a home buyer to do their research and ask the agent for three referrals. Ask the inspector to send a copy of a report to see if it thorough. I personally do a green , yellow, red approach to my reporting. ASHI and Internachi inspectors take national testing and do continued education on every aspect of a home. The buyer is the the one that is technically suppose to pick the inspector, at least in my state. But we all know the phrase “last man in”. Who ever inspected your house missed this….who ever painted your house missed this rot….who was your plumber…and of course everyone is a mold expert. As you stated fairly well, an inspector is the last line of defense when you buy a house, your only unbiased ally. The inspector is a third party not trying to sell you something(Legally required in my state). A well trained inspector will catch all the bad diy, flips and poor contractor work. Beware crappy agents use crappy inspectors. The consumer protection is just not there or regulated. Also the lack of quality tradespeople is going down. There is so much work that the good contractors are booked months out which lets shady “contractors” screw people. Thanks for the channel, people like me who care about the business use channels like yours to stay educated.
When I bought my home I paid for a home inspection and tagged along. The one thing that we missed was when we went into the crawlspace under the house. We noted that there must have been a raccoon under there at some point, but were unable to inspect the entire perimeter foundation due to rigid ducting. We checked it from the outside instead and everything seemed fine. Cut to a month ago when I needed to go under the house to run some conduit and forced my way into a corner that we weren't able to go to. I'm going along and suddenly realize that there's a massive opening in my foundation leading to under my deck. Apparently when the previous owner wanted to put a deck in, they ran into some external doors to the crawlspace and just took off the doors. They didn't bother to install anything to stop my house from having a wonderful basement apartment for local wildlife. So, that's my new next project :/
Thank you for the advice with this video. As a new Home Inspector running my own company these issues that you've covered seems to reign true. During my training and education the "need' for previous experience in the construction industry or various trades was not necessary. However the training I went through did a great job at teaching as much about the building process to allow me to have a better understanding of how all the components are put together. Though I personally do not have a background in the construction trade I want to be the best inspector in my area and am always learning from people within the construction industry or various trades about more insider information.
As a home inspector with years of experience in remodeling and renovations, you are spot on. Some take a two-week course, have never lifted a hammer or worked on their own home and consider themselves a home inspector.
I've been doing heritage grade restoration of Victorian and craftsman era interior woodwork and exterior trim and brickwork for many years as a domestic historian and conservationist. This video hit home with me in a meaningful way, and am about to complete the certification course to become a state certified home inspector because you're absolutely correct on these corners being quite obviously avoided because of course they are. Willfully avoiding the areas of the property where the most important things are generally found hiding is beyond inexcusable. Just because it's not their $175,000+ being sunk into an unknown risk doesn't justify taking their hard earned $300-750 for little more than a cursory glance. I think if I can crawl 3/4 mile through a Somali sewer in August without having a problem with it, a 40 crawlspace with dirt and a few spiders is not even a walk in the park, it's just going out to the mailbox. In older homes in lower income areas, they generally don't even bother checking if the windows have glass panes in them or have been replaced with plexiglass. One home on my street was sold with a massive bedbug infestation with no hint of it anywhere on the report. There's no way that could be missed even under the most disinterested inspectors gaze. It's just shameful. Most around here are ignorant of historical building techniques, and don't even know what a pier and beam foundation is, and will fail a foundation over some spalling on a small section near a bad downspout and fear monger that the foundation is collapsing and the replacement of the bricks would cost more than the house would ever be worth. What in reality was a minor issue with a small section of skirting became an immanent foundation collapse which makes no sense.
Ethan you eluded to something I've thought about for decades regarding U.S. businesses that once practiced combining the head knowledge people gain in college, with the practical knowledge that people gain "in the field." The benefits were obvious but sadly, having "a degree" slowly prevailed allowing head knowledge to first: dictate employment, then decisions, and then policies. What followed then is what you eluded to [1:21]; a loss in *work quality;* thankfully that hasn't gone unnoticed regardless of vocation. Hopefully the practice of combing "the schooled and the practical" will prevail; then we'll all benefit. Btw; *great video.*
Great Video! As a fairly new inspector (2 years) with over 20 years of construction experience including a Red Seal Carpentry ticket, I can tell you that there are definitely real estate agents that recommend the fast/easy inspectors. I am extremely thorough and it has definitely negatively impacted my business. If a realtor can get a multi inspector firm in and out of a house in 1.5 hours vs solo me taking 5 hours to pick the house apart, 95% will take the fast and easy.
Great video that makes a lot of sense. Experience in a field usually makes a big difference in knowing how serious a flaw or defect is & what to do about it. That tip about checking out their bios is priceless!
Awesome topic! As a veteran handyman I’ve considered getting the certifications/licenses to be a home inspector. Could you consider a follow up video on ‘how to become a top-notch home inspector’? Love your channel and straightforward honesty.
Good video. My friend is a home inspector in Cincy and goes above and beyond. He actually moves things and does more than most home inspectors. He is known for being one of the best. We need more like him.😘
Excellent topic. I shared it with my son who's buying his first home and feel this information is absolutely invaluable. Something I was not smart on when I bought my first home. I just showed up to the site while it was being built and acted like I knew what to look for. 16 years later I've only had minimal repairs needed, even made through a couple news worthy earthquakes unscathed so far. Thanks again for this awesome gift of information.
A recent home I purchased I went out and hired an electrician and HVAC technician to inspect the equipment and give me an honest opinion of the life of the equipment! Ya it’s more expensive but boy did it pay off, the home inspector missed and or didn’t inspect the furnace and my HVAC tech reported the heat exchangers had cracked ( a known issue on these Lennox models) an expensive miss!! It’s always buyer beware it’s like taking a vehicle your purchasing and going to mechanic shop for an inspection vs kicking tires and saying window is cracked!!
one of my uncles had a finish carpentry company, so during summer school break we the young boys went to help and learn, it was fun and cool. I am not by any means of the imagination a trades man but I know a little that said, the last house I bought 2015 the home inspector refused to allow me to go through the house with him???? SO I promptly said what do I own you for your time to make the trip out hear OUR BUSINIESS IS CONCLUDED. The other home inspector I got was happy to show me as he went through the house as have others in the past. First hand knowledge of the what when and how is very very important. Your participation not only shows you what is being seen and how it is being evaluated (you can and should ask) but you can see the level of care and attention to details or lack there of that the inspector has during the process. Thanks for shedding some much needed light on this topic.
I have been a past licensed contractor and municipal building inspector. For the past 29 years, I have been a Home Inspector. There are good practitioners in Home Inspections just as there are good Builders and poor Builders. The consumer needs to be aware that experience and education matters! There are a lot of misleading certifications out there. Most Home Inspector certifications are a joke. The only ones that truly matter are ones offered by the Code Congress and ASHI. You are "right on" with your analysis. But, I see the solution as consumer awareness when contracting with a home inspector. Realtors referring Home Inspectors is a huge conflict of interest. Consumer interests do not always line up with Realtor interests. Realtors want to close the deal as that is how they are paid, and who doesn't want to get paid? A Home Inspector who is "hard on the deal" is not likely to get future business. Home Inspector organizations are small fish compared to the political power of the NAR. So, consumers have to take matters into their own hands. Contracting with a home inspector is not much different than contracting with a builder. Try to get multiple referral sources and look for the most experienced and best education background inspector.
Great video. My experience is inspectors have no real knowledge of building practices. One house I sold, the first problem listed in the report was to install H-Clips on roof sheathing...on a 40 year old house. They also had three "major" problems listed with an electric panel that had just been installed and had a county inspection sticker right on the panel. I had to literally go find quotes in the NEC to show the buyer that the inspection report was wrong.
Home inspection for my current house bought 23 years ago was of very little value. The inspection failed to inform me that the soil in the crawl space was too close to the wooden structure in part of the space far from the door. The pillars were spaced too far apart under the main girder. There was a rotted hole in the deck that had been simply roofed over. There were other problems due to low standard in construction. The aluminum frame windows caused some of the frames under them to have black mold due to condensation.
The concept holds true in many disciplines. There are many that are doing a job, but few that actually do the job. In my realm of expertise, that is why I am on second shift, for whatever first shift works on, second shift repairs. Reality is that too many folk are just hacks... but they talk the talk and look really busy really good.
Pretty good video. One note about having a qualified contractor inspect and repair: any tradesperson knows the importance of giving an "estimate" on a job. Because once you open up the drywall the damage can be much worse than you initially thought. So many inspectors, including myself, will put that line in a lot because prescribing a specific repair often gives false expectations to the client.
This video is an excellent awareness tool for homeowners. I may add it to my website for my potential clients as a learning tool. "Reputation for Thoroughness,” that’s my goal. As a new home inspector in AZ I appreciate this video. I have construction training as well as 10 years in the fire service. As I was doing my mandatory parallel inspection training I noticed inspectors are very lazy, they talk way too much, then rush to get their information put into their software before rushing to be late for the next appointment, or their focus is biased toward the realtor, not the actual client. Liability is the reason behind this lack of actual knowledge and work ethic because Standard Operating Procedures say that only a visual inspection should be provided. This means that any deviation and the inspector can find him / herself in court paying for fixes, appliances, or whatever the other party can get. This is devastating to a small business and so inspectors do the minimum. For example, not many inspectors will actually enter a crawl space or attic if they can’t just walk into it. To me it’s not only fun to crawl around and check stuff out, it’s needed. Another issue I have seen is a major lack of knowledge. Example, while training I have spotted asbestos in a home built in 1944 and was told it’s not. I found a dialectic union at a hidden water heater (behind a wall) and was told it’s not. I also put my hand on a very loose railing and moved it to test the extent of the issue. I was told don’t do that, the inspection is visual only. The list goes on and on, but I purposely shut my mouth, observed, and learned what not to do. My company will not operate that way... ever! As a life long AZ resident my goal is to provide the best information possible to my client, even if I have to risk liability by moving a couch or boxes. I work for my client only and do 1 inspection per day to focus on my client without distraction. Thank you for this video :)
As a home inspector I was hesitant about what this video would be, but I can honestly say you nailed it. I love that you educated people while not bashing the entire trade as a whole. One aspect I think that’s important to note, that home inspectors have a unique capability, wherein they will do roughly 250 inspections a year, that’s 250 different houses, and usually within the same county or possibly surrounding counties, which means we develop an understanding of, at least, the most common home builders, plumbers, electricians, and the work they do, and that allows us to know when we come into a house that was built but Such and So Company we may know to be extremely observant around one particular area or another to ensure that a common defect we do find with that builder isn’t present on this house. While that’s only a minor part of our knowledge, another, and quite frankly the most important is that we are in so many homes and have seen so many different things that we can see the warning signs early on. Like you said though, experience and skill and knowledge is key! There are plenty of sub par home inspectors, but hopefully people understand that there are plenty home inspectors out there who are extremely knowledgeable and though we are handicapped by so much red tape and liability, most good home inspectors know the limits and are able to do so much and give so much insight, and like I said are acutely aware of what major defects look like long before they actually are one. Another really useful tip is song with checking bios on a website is checking for a sample report. That will help eliminate inspectors who will pile in a lot of fluff and rarely have any useful information. As well as seeing how it’s presented since many inspectors use software that will actually categorize defects by major, minor, cosmetic, structural, or safety hazard, which is very useful for clients.
As a home inspector you make many good points but I disagree with you on few points. First you said at 6:50 that major defects get the same space as aesthetic defects. That's not necessarily true. A good home inspection report is going to have general information with minor repairs such as caulking and a section with material defects which are defects that are both safety concerns and/or can cause major damage to the property. These material defects are also highlighted in a summary report on the home inspection report. Also remember, a home inspector is a generalist not a specialist. We will identify and even if possible suggest a cause and possible results if the defect is left unattended. Sometimes we will go as far as identify ways to fixed the defects, but we often save that for the specialist (as you said correctly there is a liability issue with that). It's like going to a general practitioner who then recommends a surgeon who is a specialist. I do agree that a home inspector should know about building homes and components surrounding that topic, but they should also know building science, have good report writing skills, and excellent communication and customer service skills. Being a home inspector is far more difficult then many people can imagine. We work for our clients, typically buyers, but still have to deal with sellers, buyer agents, and listing agents and someone is not going to always be happy with us. In the end we prioritize our clients, their safety, and their investment.
Hi Ethan, just wanted to thank you for your videos. You're very articulate and clear and I enjoy hearing about your experiences to understand how things work. We've moved into our first home and your videos have helped tremendously.
Well that explains a lot. 100 year old house. Ancient plumbing and wiring. Spongy floor under a toilet, etc. Inspector only reports a handful of items. Bank shrugs and sale goes through after a painter touches it up. Always wondered why so few problems were found in such an old house, and now I know. The house, basement, porches, and attic were all very cluttered, and the inspector himself didn't really care to photo all the obvious flaws still quite visible in spite of the clutter. "Back door needs paint" and "window needs caulked" got in the report, but back foundation sinking, dangerously deteriorated concrete steps, rotted bathroom floor, and iron railway post rusted completely through did not. This house is my school of hard knocks. Wish I'd seen this video 5 years ago.
as a home inspector I loved your video! Everything I heard sounded 100% right on. Except the "old construction veteran" is sometimes just as clueless of new practices. The only times a don't comment on how to perform repairs is due to my thought to let the professional do his/her thing and make repair. For example, the garage with drywall cut out for attic hatch- the pro can fix 3 different ways; seal the hole, provide fire resistant hatch or seal the fire separation wall in attic. Which may also depend on what the buyer wants- the easy fix is to seal hole- but I'd prefer the access. Long story short great video I took notes to definitely make sure to let all parties know to ensure access is provided for inspection. One time I was threatened being sued for moving a book!!! They claimed I some how destroyed the book and had no right moving. And they were right- I had no right to move their stuff. Buyers have to realize it's not their home and I need permission to move their stuff. It's terrible the world of litigation we live in.
great video and explanation. I have been an inspector for 15 years. The only thing I personally don't agree with is only because I do actually note major and minor issues on a summary page in my reports. I think its sad that some do not and so I do agree in that aspect. RESPECT
My report template categorizes defects as: red (significant) or orange (moderate) In my area a problem customers are facing is the "cheapening" of insurance inspections. Some cgarge as low as 60$. Inspectors are in and out in 10 minutes and check of the items on the form and head to the next one...
Great advice! I think your recommendations are spot on. I have a carpenter background and have worked as laborer in every trade in the past 20 years. I am currently a home inspector in Utah and Nevada.
I'm a Realtor, a construction professional, and a property manager. What you are saying is 100% correct. I recommend a couple good inspectors to my real estate clients/buyers, but none of them have true construction experience. Some are quite knowledgeable, but I just don't think they have a true understanding of what matters. Unfortunately, all the old timers with construction knowledge are retired now. I have no choice but to recommend these guys.
As a builder and a home inspector you are spot on! About this. What people should also be looking for is a inspector who writes a narritive report not a bullet point style, this typically has a section for majors. And should think twice about hiring an inspector who is refered by the realtor. Too many inspectors have built relationships with realtors and care more about that relationship. Do your homework!! Absolutely figure out if they have real construction experience.
Bought a house. Large deck had several “daughter” boards. No mention of that but discolored ceiling and in spection off was several paragraphs. Find a home inspecter that will let you come with is great advice!
Thank you for this video! I am a Home Inspector. And I also have a remodeling business. That is the reason for me opening an inspection business. I got certified and believe in the hands on knowledge/experience from over 25 years in construction! Thanks again for this video!
I bought my house purely because my real estate agent said "why is this wall so thick" then knocked on the wall and said "sounds like cinderblock..." Didnt get it inspected and its been plenty fine, the cinderblock walls were a benefit to me for numerous reasons including the lack of a roof overhang which would usually rot a stud wall, but doesnt do much if its block
Good explanations. I am certified to do electrical inspections and it is the same principle, document what can be seen, indicate anything that is broken, under spec, or off code, the most complicated really are the load calculations to see if a system has enough capacity. Very few things get measured or tested if at all. A survey or certification inspection would yield a much more detailed report, in the survey process every single component gets analysed, verified, documented and calculated. Expensive and lengthy work... For the homeowner I would recommend to bring someone with reasonable construction expertise in on the inspection, to advise you, to point out potential issues and hidden problems, and give you an idea of what the inspection report means in practical terms, and in terms of fixing it. It doesn't have to be a contractor per se, but for example an experienced maintenance person or handyman, and carpenters and plumbers also tend to know enough to give you an idea of what the damage all means in terms of time and cost to fix. Since they will be working for you, without other obligation, you will not have to worry about any constraints on what they will investigate. The extra few hundred to know what is really going on is well spent.
My carpenter union is finally doing wood frame classes in anticipation of expanding into the residential market from pure commercial. My goal is to keep doing the construction with union, move into residential framing and drywall, then start training for home inspecting when I know more from a professional perspective who's done the work I'm inspecting. Even if I do just one or two every couple months, it'd be great extra income and at least I know I'm doing the honest work to protect my community.
Of the four homes my wife and I have bought and lived in during our 50 years of marriage, the last two had/have water leaking through basement wall to floor joints during heavier rainfalls,…and both were sold to us as having been inspected (we hired the home inspector) with evidence of such an issue not found. Upon asking around (friends, cohorts, neighbors) we’ve found that this issue of leaky basements is more a ‘standard’ than an exception,…and that home inspection rarely ever gave advance alert to existing evidence of prior experiences.😬
From an inspectors view, this is absolute truth. I fully agree on being picky on who you choose because it makes a big difference on your understanding of the home at the end of the day. For the Major vs Minor portion, some inspectors have summary pages at the end of the report allowing to breakdown all deficiencies found into categories starting with Major. Great Explanation Video!
Pretty good flick. I’m going to repost it in my Social Media collection. As an inspector I cringed a little at a couple of your comments but remembered I’m not “one of those” inspectors. This post fairly represent’s my industry, and I could make a similar post about any profession or trade. I just talked myself into subscribing to your channel.
I was unsure how this video was going to go... as I am a home inspector. Well, I can say, you nailed it. I am one of the few, in my area, that has a construction background. There have been numerous times I have inspected homes AFTER an inspector with no construction background. The things they miss is ridiculous. I even followed one of our past state home inspector board members once and it boggled my mind the issues he missed or incorrectly reported. It is definitely a good idea for buyers to research and find an inspector with a construction background. The inspection price will likely be the same, yet so much more valuable. Thank you for doing this video in such a matter of fact way.
Perfect timing for this video. I have a friend who is looking buying a house, this is some great information. I’m going to share this video with her. Wish I had this knowledge about 7 years ago when my wife and I bought our house.
Good video. Mostly accurate. Those of us inspectors that DO come from the trades are very often much better than those who do not... but that is not always the case. Common sense goes a long way, as does being taught correctly from the beginning. I have argued with "20-year carpenters" that were simply taught incorrectly and never knew any different. Luckily I have experience in multiple trades, as well as the fancy paperwork to back it up. lol
I read the title of the video, grabbed my coffee, sat down and before I clicked play, thought to myself, “Here’s another tradesman bashing home inspectors.” I’ve been inspecting for 34 years and honestly, can’t disagree with anything you said
Thank you for this insightful video. I really appreciate the perspective of an experienced tradesperson. I understand your concerns. I am one of those newly licensed inspectors with no professional construction experience that you talked about, and I'd like to offer another perspective. It's very true that I can't tell you how to frame a house or construct a set of stairs. But it's also true that an HVAC contractor or plumber would not be expected to know those things either. And while carpenters could certainly frame a house or construct some stairs, they might not know whether an electric panel is properly wired or determine whether the air conditioner functions properly. It's also true that almost every defect a home inspector documents is followed by a statement saying to have a qualified contractor make the repairs, rather than saying exactly how to make those repairs. It's also true that most home inspectors get their jobs from realtor referrals. But none of these things is necessarily a problem. I see my role not as being a construction expert or an electrical expert but as being a homeowning expert. Most homeowners, especially first time buyers, know next to nothing about homes and their component systems and wouldn't know if something was a problem or not until it became so obvious that it's a catastrophe. My job is to be the person who can look at a house the way a homeowner would look at it if they knew what to look for. In other words, I'm the "experienced homeowner" who knows when something doesn't look right and who knows who to call to make it right. The homeowner doesn't need to know how to fix defects, they just need to know if there is one and who to call to fix it. Most homeowners wouldn't understand the problem if they saw an improperly notched beam or joist, or if the water heater is back-drafting, or if there is inadequate ventilation in the attic. They might not think to run the dishwasher and laundry machines before purchasing the home. And if a homeowner saw cracks in the basement walls, they would probably not be able to tell whether they were just typical seasonal expansion/contraction cracks or if there was a potential structural problem. Our job as inspectors is to be the person who can reliably inform the buyer about the things they should worry about and what is the proper course of action they (the homeowner not a contractor) should take. Another point relates to realtors. Realtors do provide the majority of leads, but a home inspector works for the client; usually the homebuyer, not the realtor. I am accountable to the client, not the realtor. I agree that it is a problem that there is a financial conflict of interest here, but an honest inspector doesn't let that become a problem any more than an honest tradesperson lets the desire to increase profit make them falsely identify things that need fixing. Finally, one thing a good home inspector will do that no tradesperson could do is to provide useful information to a homebuyer about how to care for and maintain all the important systems in their new home. We've lived in our current home for over 20 years, and I just discovered a few weeks ago that my wife didn't know about the air filter in the furnace. She has no clue about what to do with the humidifier every spring and fall. And if she should notice a mysterious dark stain emerging on the ceiling, she would not know whether to call a plumber, a general contractor, or a mold remediation specialist. She didn't know the clothes dryer exhaust needs to be periodically cleaned out, or where the gas shut-off or water shut-off valves are. These are all the sort of things that go into a good home inspection report. As you pointed out, there is a big difference between a good home inspection and a not-so-good inspection, and it's hard to know which one you'll get when you purchase a home inspection. As with many contractors, experience and a good reputation are critically important. I am working as hard as I can to develop as much experience and as good a reputation as I can. One last thing; contrary to what was stated in the video there is no legal prohibition on moving furniture or stored items, at least not in my state of Illinois. Inspectors use their own discretion about how far to go to find hidden problems, but that is based primarily on whether or not moving furniture, or removing a panel, or climbing into an attic, can be done in a way that is both safe for the inspector and, just as importantly, in a way that is not likely to damage anything in the house. Our first principle, as with doctors, is to do no harm. Thanks for letting me share my point of view.
As home inspector I have lost so many realtors because I wouldn’t change my verbiage on my reports. So they can close the sale I had one inspection where the stair treads had major cracks that went all the way through bad enough you could see light through it. And the realtor wanted me to change my findings to slight cracks they didn’t even care that the buyer was 4 months pregnant and could get seriously hurt if it gave way. Of course that was the last inspection I did for that realtor. But the buyer was grateful and changed realtors and requested me for her inspections.
Good man (or woman). Integrity is lacking these days.
Excellent video. As a 28 year home inspector (retired now for 5 years) I feel the pain of the homebuyer looking for more than many home inspectors are willing or able to give. It's a balancing act; providing a thorough report while also attempting to prioritize the serious areas of concern over the minor or cosmetic concerns. I always considered it essential to have my home buyer on-site for the inspection, following me around if at all possible. When the client sees how hard you work to do a really good inspection they understand if an issue of little consequence is overlooked. A very rewarding, enjoyable way to make a living.
What do you think about this situation. In the closet of my home, under the stairs, if you take a decent look around you will clearly see knob and tube wiring on the walls of the closet. If the inspector fails to report this is that negligence? Shouldn't wiring thats 50-70 years old be in the report?
@@luisgonzalez8415 Actually knob and tube wiring is probably older than 70 years. It is not, in my opinion, intrinsically unsafe. However, it sounds like it is exposed where people or stored items could come in contact with it. That is a problem that should be reported. Questions for you: was the home occupied by the previous owner/tenant when inspected, was that closet filled with stored items making its inspection limited or impossible? An occupied house is a very different situation than a vacant one. Re-read my comment about why it is essential to be present for the inspection. If that closet was filled with personal property I would have commented to my client (you) that I could not inspect its interior. It's likely that the "boiler plate" of your inspection contract had a statement regarding inaccessible areas, which is one thing, but actually being present to see the condition and have the inspector speak to you about inaccessible areas is quite another. If these conditions were not present, If the area was not obstructed, then I would say your inspector should have seen and noted the exposed wiring.
While the home was occupied with furniture it was very well staged with everything visible. The closet in question had 1 vacuum and 1 floor fan. It had a light at the top of the closet and the knob and tube is clearly visible. If you are at the closet door it is on the wall to the left 3ft from your eye line looking slightly down. On the day of inspection I was present. At one point of the inspection I clearly remember talking to the inspector in the closet about possible water damage on the closet floor.. But since I had no idea at the time what knob and tube was I had no idea about the wires on the closet wall.
The thing the bugs me is that as an inspector, I would think there is a mental check list for old homes. My home has the date it was built on the real estate papers, redfin, etc but I assume an inspector would eyeball the place and say, ok this is an old home. Next thought, for electrical, would be check if there is knob and tube. That clearly did not happen.
yes, inviting the buyer to come along I thought was a good idea sometimes, but it uses more time. There are structural, functional, and cosmetic problems. Knowing the difference tells you how important. The first thing buyers look around and point out are usually cosmetic low priority items by the dozen. In listening to the honest carpenter, it does not justify all the expensive state testing, licensing and insurance requirements for such a general inspection. In Wa state, if your license expires, you have to go through all the expense, training and testing again. Best to focus on the systems and how they protect the life of the house.
@@luisgonzalez8415 it
knob and tube wiring should be verbally reported and be added to the written inspection report.
As a home inspector for the past 35 years and carpenter your assessment was very fair and accurate. We are in a very precarious position. We only have a few hours in the house and sellers do hide and conceal damages. Buyers go in to a purchase with little knowledge and information. In this market 1st time buyers are skipping the inspection. They call us in post inspection and I am finding nightmares. Always get a home inspection! Great, Fair video.
Ray you are correct: sellers often do "hide" things. In my present home the seller had placed a drain board on the counter to conceal a huge burned area in the countertop! He had also tacked carpet up on a wall in the basement as a "kitty scratcher" to conceal evidence of water marks and active leaking through the drywall! Yikes! It must be a tough job to investigate every nook and cranny! Good feedback would be for the new buyer to tell you what they found and you missed! But wait! Who's paying who here??
@@Sheila-cm4jymaybe that's how it works in my area, but realtors always force you to remove ANYTHING that doesn't belong to the house(other that normal furniture you'd expect in a house, such as kitchen table, couch bed etc) as much as possible. You can't even leave your toothbrush on the bathroom countertop. So having a drain board that's left on the kitchen countertop would look suspicious to me, especially if there's nothing anywhere else. Same with the carpet stapled to the wall, pretty sure any realtor here would tell the seller to remove it
100%! You can't unscramble the eggs after the fact. Inspect early. Inspect often. Never, ever skip the inspection.
"We only have a few hours in the house", Why? I would take as long as it needs for thoroughness. Most I've dealt with spend a day then return and spend a couple more hours. Good ones come back at each phase of new construction. If your HI is only spending a few hours he's just giving you a quick, preliminary once over.
@@blackmanops3749 I think he was speaking of inspecting an resale house, not new construction.
As a tradesmen I can tell you this is absolutely accurate. I'm asked many times how important these items are from homeowners after an inspection. A quality inspection will save you money. Ask for references that are not Realtors!
Got my home inspector from a Realtor.... No wonder the report showed no problems and I only found the problems after buying the house. FML.
I agree that the BEST source of referrals for a high quality home inspector comes from experienced contractors who were also past clients. These guys know a vague report when they see it - usually filled with generic wording, template jargon, and liability-limiting comments (some of which are necessary) but which outweigh practical advice. In my humble opinion, a home inspector does a better job controlling liability when they put the client's best interests ahead of their own fears or insecurities. It's not a sin to spell out the implications of a defect and to make a specific recommendation.
@@slickrx6908 ha ha. Yes true. The home inspector is loyal to the realtor (not to you) and its just another fake american profession anyway.
I'm a home inspector who gets all his jobs from realtors. I'm very professional, honest and thorough and that's what the realtors like about me. Like any trade, you find one you can trust and stick with it. Make sure your inspector is certified through InterNACHI or an equivalent because in some states(like mine) there is no licensing program so you can be an inspector just by saying so. The other tip I can give is check if they are qualified(through NRSB or NRPP) to perform radon tests. If they are, it means they take their job seriously enough to study and acquire a vast amount of knowledge to be better at their job.
The last home I bought was in the mid 90s. The lender didn't require didn't require an inspection but the experience we had in the home before made it tops on our list. Instead of going to an inspection firm we hired individual inspectors like hvac, electrical, structure roofing etc. We melded the various inspections into a single document with pictures and references to the inspector who did the inspection and presented it to the seller. The seller took 12k off the price and the repairs ended up costing about 11k since we did a few ourselves.
The way the housing market is today the seller would have just told me to F off and sell it to the next in line and would get his price. The huge increase of corporations and private equity firms sucking up the available homes without regard to price is destroying the American tradition of home ownership. We are being beaten down to a nation of wage slaves and renters.
True its way out of hand
Agree. In the current market, sellers are getting cash offers sight unseen with no inspection. Even neglected, dilapidated homes are being sold for asking price because the real value is in the underlying land.
Sadly, you nailed it.
Amen °~•.♡.•~°
Exactly.Home inspectors look at mostly cosmetics.
My friend, this video should literally be broadcast on every Television! You were unbiased, very accurate, thorough, & provided invaluable info for those needing the service of a home inspector. I am a General Contractor/Carpenter, Real Estate Investor of 20+ years. I also own a Home Inspection Business. I'm revolutionizing the home buying process by reaching out to Home buyers as opposed to Realtors. I would love to share & use this video as part of the education I'm providing Homeowners. I'm working on workshops, training for Home buyers & always can use great info, videos, etc., from tradesmen, to help educate my audience. Thanks for a great video!
I am just starting to complete the business end of becoming an inspector. Your view on Home Inspectors was valuable to me. A high school friend (realtor) learned of my new adventure and commented to me "Don't be too picky". That's what I was just taught to do!! Safety first, functuallity next, cosmetic last. We won't find everything, but do the best job we can! BE HONEST ! The new buyer should expect the Inspector to be as picky as he can, it's somebody else's family, loved ones, safety and money. They want a thorough job. It's not my job to sell the house, I'm there to INSPECT IT ! I won't lie about it, it is what it is.
I agree. Most home buyers don't realize the "inspector" may have never had any construction experience. I was looking at a house that hadn't been lived in for a few months. When the water tap was turned, a lot of muddy water came out. After a minute or two the water cleared. The inspector said that was because the house hadn't been lived in, and wrote it off to that. After buying the house I realized that the water bills were higher than expected. I looked at the water meter and the little red arrow was turning. I knew I had a water leak. Turns out I had to replace 1000' of water line. Yeah. I live in the country. Way off the roadway. I think, since I had the "expert" I didn't use my own common sense to look deeper. Live and learn.
Thats just bad luck. 9999 times out of 10000 the inspector would have been right with that comment.
@@mph5896 pretty sure that's no solace to him.
@@csn6234 was never meant to be.
The inspector simply should've written "recommend further evaluation by licensed plumber". At least in California our job is a limited visual inspection. If I can't physically see why something is happening it behooves me to not guess. I let the plumber dig deeper for causes.
Having said that an inspector is supposed to look..inspect and report what he sees..Not making or writing any diagnosis...
The problem I've had with home inspections is the inspectors are more concerned with keeping the realtors happy for the repeat business. They don't want to scare off the homebuyers as most of these inspectors are referred by your realtor.
I agree, however that means the home inspection industry could solve this problem by adding a rule that requires realtors to schedule from a "pool" of home inspectors so the inspector is randomly assigned. The inspector can then market some type of "badge" that shows he is a pool inspector and not one that works with specific realtors so that this conflict of interest is mitigated. Another solution is for the home buyer to simply get their own home inspector.
How about how their reports read? Might, maybe, should... They don't commit to anything. Look at the limited training they get. All about the money. You'd be better off having an experienced contractor come in and look around. A few weeks of training? Yeah, right. A waste of money.
Many states have laws stating that realtors, if asked, must provide at least 3 (# varies) recommendations for home inspectors.
Most realtors want a thorough inspection because if there is an issue found after closing their client will not be happy with them as well as the inspector.
@@Bill-YellowDogWelding As home inspector I've walked many a house with a contractor and pointed out things only to hear "hmm I didn't see that." Great contractors will those things. Most contractors are only going to look at the issue you point them to and don't really take a comprehensive look.
Maybe the answer is for home buyers to find their own inspectors.
I was blessed to have a good inspector for my last few homes. He made sure to emphasize the "bad" more than the "not so bad" things. First house he inspected, for me, he pointed out a crack in the slab floor that concerned him, and by the tone of his comment, I instantly pulled out of that purchase. I even paid him to do an inspection on my home, that I was selling, so that I'd have knowledge of any potential major problems before I put it on the market. I felt that it was a good idea for me, others may disagree.
That’s a Very good idea actually!!
@@Emiliapocalypse Thanks
I have GC license, 1000's hour of construction experience, and a degree in structural engineering.
As a seasoned inspector, Carpenters and house flippers hardly know anything other then masking and painting over problems.
AMEN!
I own a home inspection company. Our report has a color-coded summary. Green starts your to do list and red are critical issues with cosmetic issues in the body of the report. It's a narrative style report. I love ours. It's very easy to understand. We also put lots of pictures.
I've been a home inspector for 17 years and this video makes some excellent points. Every industry will have those that are good and some that are not so good at their job. The main compliment I strive for daily is "he's thorough".
I love the idea of having sellers move their belongings out of the way but I can tell you that is not reality and I've moved a lot more items than I wish I ever had to, but I won't make it the excuse why I didn't look at something. If I can get my eyes or hands on it, I try my best to do so.
Also, I'd be wary of working with any inspector who didn't want the client to accompany them. I welcome them to watch the process if they wish and ask questions along the way.
As a Handyman, I am SO happy that someone finally called out Home inspectors (sheets) on these facts. I have several customers come to me and ask, "Is this a big deal" or, " How expensive is it going to be to fix this?". I wish that their reports would specify Major and Minor as well! Would make things a hell of a lot easier for those of us trying to help the customer!!!
It's hard to tell if it's major or minor because we do a visual inspection. As a home inspector we do not do invasive inspection. I was a residential and Commercial contractor for 28 years before coming a home inspector.
They do here in Virginia. At least all the ones ive seen.
Perfect! You nailed every point perfectly. I have worked in all the trades over the years, had my own general contracting company, worked around construction sites after that for another 30 years and I am a non-practicing certified Home Inspector. Quite frankly the $300-$500 you earn per home inspection isn't worth the time invested not to mention the liability risk you undertake and the proper equipment an inspector needs to perform the inspection properly. A thorough inspection is worth $1000 and would be worth every penny to a homeowner from a "skilled" home inspector. I performed my own inspection when walking thru the house and waived the inspection normally required by the bank on the last 2 homes I bought for the reasons you mentioned and my personal skillset. So, all of you reading this get educated so you know what you're getting into when buying a house and do exactly what Ethan says. My opinion...Don't ever ask the realtor for a home Inspector as a general rule. Ethan touched on this.
I've spent so much Tim picking my inspector. They were so incredibly thorough and found everything! They also break things down into 3 categories. Fix now, Maintenance, and cosmetic. It was really helpful! Thay also require that after their 4 hour inspection I spent an hour with them reviewing the findings and walking through the house. They were expensive, but worth it!
Where was this?
I was there to tag along with the inspector during inspection on my house 20+ years ago. Even though I wasn’t as knowledgeable then as I am now about such things, I thought at the time, and still do, think he did a pretty good job. He pointed out many things including evidence of past termite damage which he proved to me with evidence had long been eradicated. Past minor fire in the basement the char of which had been painted over…, and many other things. It’s a 100 yo house, so it does have issues. He was very thorough and communicative.
I once spent 2 hours with the inspector and the final thing we went through was the basement. We were near the end of the inspection when we discovered that one wall had shifted due to a cracked foundation. Best $200 I spent to avoid a $10000 repair if I had gone forward with the purchase of the house.
Very informative video. I am a Home Inspector in South Alabama. Most inspectors in my area are referred by realtors and unfortunately, many inspectors are afraid to be "Too Thorough" for fear of "killing the deal" and thus never referred again by the realtor. Even inspectors who are picked by the buyer, will sometime not be thorough, for fear that may tarnish their name with local realtors. Its a sad situation and worse of all the buyer is paying them to do this to them. I am known as a "Thorough Inspector". I rarely get referred by realtors, which is evidence to my thoroughness. However, I inspect every house as if I were the one purchasing it. I have a channel too called "Southern Home Talk" . Hopefully I will get as good as you presenting my information. Thanks for creating this video.
I think you hit the Nail on the Head.
same thing here
As a Health Inspector, I get asked all the time to do a home inspection. I always say, "No way, you need a professional inspector. Here's a list of Inspectors in my county."
Like you said I don't have any experience when it comes to construction. Now, if you're want to know about a water well or a septic system, I'm your guy.
And dear God, please make sure the septic system is still functioning and under permit. Otherwise you might be in for a... crappy surprise.
How exactly do you inspect a septic system and well
@@MK-xl9tt
Carefully.
@@camerongunn7906 wells I understand anyone can use test strips to determine ph,hardness,iron,etc and send to the lab for bacteria but septic systems seem to more ambiguous. I’m no inspector but have been around for a awhile
@@camerongunn7906 wells I understand ph,hardness,iron,etc can all be tested with a test strip and bacteria send off to the lab, but septic seems to be more ambiguous like your response
@@MK-xl9tt
If you're talking about putting in a system, then there is a lot that goes into it. What is the perk rate, depth to limiting layer, soil types, soil transition, prevailing site hydrology? What type of system is it, residential or commercial. How big of a site is it? How much land do you have to use? What are the distances from the system to various topographic features?
Is the system going to be subsurface discharge or a surface discharge? Will the system need filtration, tertiary or quaternary treatment?
See...carefully.
I found out years ago that even a real good inspector can’t find ALL the problems due to old rules & regs. from when the home was built. Had a house that used both copper AND aluminum wiring. Apparently that ok when the house was built. Home builder used what he could get away with at the time & sold them for top dollar. Love your channel and appreciate all your insight.
The builder didn't use "what he could get away with" if that's what the code allowed at the time. And a lot of that stuff isn't required to be replaced unless you are doing an extensive remodel or adding equipment. It's grandfathered in.
Excellent. Over 35 years as a GC and semi retired working as an inspector. My desire to provide insight is reined in by the state standards of practice and liability concerns.
As a Home Inspector myself, we DO qualify the level of deficiency in 3 color coded categories so the client can understand the severity of problems.
Came here to say this. When I got my report, there was uncolored, yellow for most things, and red for "safety hazards" which were both electrical in nature, such as missing electrical covers or an outlet that had evidence of arcing at the plug.
What state?
My last one 3 years ago wasn't color-coded.
Oklahoma.
@@typoagain1 Oklahoma
Excellent subject. While I am not an construction expert by any means, I have been around the block when it comes to home repair, carpentry, electrical, and plumbing. Purchased many homes as well. I have seen quite a few home inspection reports that leave out important potential issues that I saw after the fact. So, hats off to you touching on the very important subject. And, keep up the great work.
I fully agree that the home inspection industry has changed over the years. Anyone can become a home inspector just by hanging out their shingle now. When I started inspecting homes 12 years ago 90% of the inspectors were licensed trades people. I came into the industry as a journeyman carpenter and had remodeled 100's of homes. It seems that all you need now is book smarts and and good writing skills. I have seen so many reports that only have small stuff like nail holes and carpet stains. I for one never put that stuff in a report. I like my reports to be clean and precise and pointing out the things that will cost a lot to repair. I will however write a statement in the report saying the overall condition if needed. "
Unfortunately we are not allowed to give cost estimates or advice on repairs. I do understand that this can be frustrating but costs can fluctuate and prices are all over the place.
Really ? That's crazy this is a requirement in South florida
With Every home we've purchased, I've accompanied the inspector in the crawl space, attic and roof. Some were supportive, while others were annoyed. One even charged us more! There is value in walking through the inspection report since you can place a report item in context and prioritize the items to address with the seller.
Offer to pay more I have always paid for extra time for my questions
yup, i remember i had one where they wouldn't go in crawlspace far enough like wtf, there could be tons of things wrong in that area but they the opening was too small or stuff was in the way
You can get on the roof with me but absolutely can't use my ladder. Imagine that insurance claim when you fall off and blame me.
I enjoyed that our inspector color coded important vs aesthetic issues. Using tools to check for unseen water damage. We also interviewed a few different people and selected a realtor that was low pressure, experienced, and established. She also insisted on a sewer scope and radon inspection.
Hello!
Very fair video. I live in NJ which has pretty rigorous licensing requirements but I will say all the inspectors I know and work with (home inspector here) have history in some sort of trade. Additionally the way we structure our reports they get two summaries at the end of the report , the first is items that require immediate attention, and major concerns. Think leaks, dangerous electrical, structural issues, asbestos, mold, etc. Second summary is maintenance type items, along the lines of deteriorated caulk, missing insulation, beat up floors or windows, things that are not urgent/dangerous. Purely cosmetic issues almost never get mentioned, they don’t affect the safety or function of the home. Lastly our inspections usually take about 2.5-3.5 hours. We go through every single remotely accessible crevice of the building, and find things missed by other inspectors all the time. Informative, but not unnecessarily alarming is what we aim for. I think you did a good job explaining the general process but one thing I think a lot of people forget is that people PURPOSEFULLY try and hide defects in every house, but usually they leave the supplies in the basement/garage which gives away what we should be keeping an eye out for haha
As a 40 year licensed contractor with 50 years in construction, engineering, and maintenance who has also been doing home inspections for 20 years, I have to agree with almost everything you said. If anything, you are being too kind. The decline both in knowledge and professionalism has been precipitous since the market crash of 2008. The industry has become exactly as you described it. It is so bad that I decided a few years ago no longer to call myself a home inspector. I do mainly construction consulting. Much of my work comes to me after a home inspection has been done and the inspector’s report is filled with variations on “Get someone else to do the job you paid me to do”. I’m the someone else.
Thanks for the video.
Given the credentials you included in your first sentence, I am having trouble figuring out what you wrote means... "Get someone else to do the job you paid me to do”.
No, actually it's "Get someone to fix the thing that you paid me to point out, because fixing things is not my fucking job asshole".
Home inspector here...For the most part what your saying is accurate about the home inspector business as a whole. I find it interesting how you choose to "straddle the fence" on who's side your on or what message your trying to put out there. If the client takes the time to read the Standards of Practice document provided to them, prior to the inspection, It will outline every aspect of the very detailed inspection they are paying for. Home inspectors could not possibly know every trade required for all the different entities that encompass a home as a complete unit. Are you a licensed HVAC tech? How about a licensed electrician? Licensed plumber? See where I'm going with this? Should home inspectors be a master at all these trades and be licensed in them? Look through the home inspection report shown in the video at the different sections and see if you are a master of each of those trades then tell your audience here the cost, materials list and labor charges for each issue of the home inspected. You can't do it. Home inspectors aren't licensed contractors. That is not the purpose of their industry. I am not a licensed plumber, you know what kind of liability I'm putting on myself and my company by giving professional advice to a client who's propane fired hot water heater doesn't have CCST within 18" of the connection for the water lines and I tell them how to fix it themselves. The lets say "accountant" client who doesn't own any tools, goes to his neighbors to borrow the tools I told him he'd need to fix the issue I reported (because he didn't like the price I told him it would cost to fix it) and forgets the step where I tell him to turn off the propane before he loosens the fuel supply and what happens? Make any sense? There are several more items that I can scrutinize in this video but quite frankly, I'm tired of typing!
Have bought and sold a few houses and this is exactly the problem I hae seen. A few inspectors make sure you know about the major problems (termites, leaks, wiring) and are aware of the cosmetic issues. Others place all of these on the same level (caulking around exterior windows inadequate and structural cracks at same bullet point level)
Ethan this video was fantastic! When buying my present home 26 years ago, I was puzzled why my home inspection report identified a sink stopper that didn't close but missed evidence that three sliding doors on the deck were leaking into joists! Major problem requiring installation of gutters and replacement of subfloors! I concluded that home inspections were useless. When I sold a vacation home recently, I offered to have my carpenter who had helped with renovations and knew the place inside and out do a walk through 'home inspection' with the buyer to point out what we knew about structural integrity and what future projects might preserve and protect this old dwelling. It was a win-win for all. This was a cash buyer, no "formal" home inspection was required for the transaction.
Bought my home over 20 yrs ago. The home inspector was referred by the realtor. I feel like I lucked out, but way back then the HI probably had construction experience and my house was empty. Great video as always.
Here in Toronto, the housing market is so hot that if you make a home offer "pending inspection", it'll usually be rejected. So when we sold our house last year, we did our own pre-inspection, then fix 90% of the items. We thought that would make us more attractive to buyers, that we have a home inspection already done with few remaining issues. We ended up selling more than 25 over asking price, so hopefully it contributed.
As someone who has been learning about the housing market for the last several years with an eye to buying my own house for the first time, I appreciate this information so much. You said a good deal more than you explicitly said here, and made me think about some things in a new way. It’s overwhelming, trying to prepare myself to go into this purchase with fully open eyes. I’m grateful that some like yourself are willing to offer genuine expertise and objective information on the topic of homebuying. Bless.
I haven’t hired an inspector for the past 5 houses purchased. I just look them over on my own. But one thing I will have inspected is septic and water testing if it’s on a well/septic.
Don't forget a radon test.
Good for you?
@@BoldWittyName Radon will kill you like carbon monoxide.
The company I like my clients to use has a stoplight system of severity, in reference to your third point. Red is critical, yellow is caution, and green is minor but notable. I also tell my clients when we discuss inspections that they are generalists, just like a doctor in the clinic. You will get referrals to whatever building system is "sick." But one is not going to get a stamp of approval for the structural soundness of a 50yo building from the same guy who is doing a thermal cam of the wall insulation and also testing the air conditioning unit. It's pretty rare to be turning on appliances during a home viewing, and there's no way you would know what kind of insulation is behind the wall. It is an option for a client to have foundation experts, plumbing experts, etc., come along for a home inspection - the expenses for that would rival many yellow severity repairs on the home itself. Very few would choose to do that, because they are paying out of pocket ahead of a home closing for these inspection costs.
In Southern California , many home buyers DO choose their own Home Inspection Co.
Preferred Inspection Svcs does an incredible job. Thorough reports, with nothing missed.
100% agree! As a longtime custom home builder and senior building code inspector for the past 21 years I figured that it would be the natural progression to go into the home inspection business after retirement. The overwhelming majority of my competitors have little to no REAL construction experience and are saturating my local market. I've seen some of the important items that get overlooked by these companies and it's a shame that home buyers are not being protected the way they should be!
Good professional Realtors recognize how much real experience matters and want to protect their clients.
I rarely find Realtors wanting a thorough home inspection and that's what I've run into and constantly told Im to thorough, they just want to sell the house that is the true issue that's going on now especially with the suing situation.
Awesome video Ethan. I can totally understand some of the deliberate vagueness in the inspection reports especially in the US. But when I moved to Europe, where lawsuit culture is not as prevalent as it is in the US, the inspection reports were just as cautious BUT, there was an interesting thing in the ones I saw, and that was cost-estimate for the repair and even some recommendations on possible fixes. So the cost estimates kind of gave an indication of the importance but the rest of the things you said, like them not trying to reach any hard to access places is true, and with tiny Dutch houses, there are so many of those tiny corners.
That’s amazing, Arash! I didn’t know that 🙂
Your on key with everything! As a licensed general contractor , licensed electrical contractor, licensed HVAC contractor and a licensed home inspector currently performing inspections, I see so many things get over-looked by other inspection firms. It hard to take 30 years of experience and teach other inspectors in 90 hours. Some inspectors will try to prioritize big ticket items. Most Realtors has a preference for inspectors - so the sale of the house can go through. The question to ask a Realtor is this "If you had to choose from all the inspectors, What inspector would you use for your personal house? " than the truth comes out. They will likely wave the normal inspector away and call on the professional with construction experience.
I think this video is spot on (as a Home Inspector). One thing that many inspectors do is have a summary section that will include big money issues as well as safety issues. Thanks for not trashing the industry! :)
I bought a 4 year old condo a few years back. My agent who has been an agent/broker and appraiser for over 2 decades told me to save some money and skip the inspection. We did a walk through inspection ourselves and I saved $500. Ive experienced no problems other than normal wear and tear since.
It's hard to catch every little thing in one pass too. Living in the house over a period of time things will inevitably be discovered by the home owner. My HI found a floor joist that looked wet, choked it up to an accident in a hall closet that the seller had repaired. But later I discovered by going under the house myself that our bathtub drain gasket was leaking all over the floor joist... I've thought about being an inspector myself, feel like I can catch those kinds of things.
I'm a licensed electrical contractor and roughly 30% of my business is fixing/ repairing home inspection violations. A lot of double tapped circuit breakers, reverse polarity, missing blank plates over junction boxes, or lack of GFCI protection on kitchen countertop receptacles. As a pro, that stuff is pretty important to protect people living in the house. I will however flat out tell a seller that this is not a violation if no violation or fire hazard exists, which happens way too often unfortunately.
on any of the skilled trades, it's pretty apparent the average home inspector has no understanding of the electrical and plumbing systems and just looks at a checklist.
Those are the top things plus over-fused or under-fused devices, non-functioning circuits, fixtures & devices, shock hazards, detached or missing grounding & bonding connections, undersized wires, non-matching circuit breakers, arc flash events. Are you qualified to speak on framing, plumbing, roof, appliances, HVAC, garage doors & operators, decks, retaining walls, stoops, steps, windows, critters in attic, insulation, water intrusion, cracks, mold, radon, termites? We are often responsible for all of that. Electrical is just one spoke in the wheel. Honestly, there's too much reponsibility & liability resting on our shoulders. Still, I know more than enough to call out the trades when they shave, cut corners or just mess up.
I feel like I wrote this comment, electricalron! Agree 💯
Excellent Video - I'm a "old school" home inspector with construction background and been doing this full time for 30 year - a lot has changed some good some bad.
Thanks for an important video. I spent all my working life in construction and did home inspections on the side. The best were when the prospective buyers came along for an in depth look at what they were getting into. In my opinion, the corporate agencies have as their first priority protecting themselves from liability, not getting at the truth of the matter.
I built for 31 years before becoming an inspector, crafting everything from chicken coops to major developments. Just as anyone can call themselves a carpenter, anyone can label themselves an inspector. It's crucial to use reviews, word of mouth, and sample reports to find a reliable inspector. If you don’t trust your realtor enough to recommend one, it might be time to seek a different realtor. Ensure your inspector is truly fighting for you, not just looking out for their next inspection. In our reports, we specifically code major issues separately from minor ones, using a color-coded ranking system with symbols. This approach makes it easy to categorize problems and quickly identify what matters most. We appreciate the excellent advice shared in the video we’re responding to about choosing the right inspector-it aligns perfectly with our commitment to transparency and support for homeowners.
Right on. I have 40 years as a carpenter and contractor. The most important item when buying a home is to prioritize defects.
A friend bought an old house and told me the AC wasn't cooling the house well. As a former hvac tech i told him i would take a look. He had frost on the suction line to the outdoor condenser unit and i asked him if that was in the inspection report. He said no and i knew that it was likely he would have to total the system.
I have a loan through my City. I had to use their contractors. Yes, contractors. First one got fired. Both contractors didn't cover my roof during rains. My inside walls were dripping wet, ceiling warped, cracks, shorted out light switches. Yep! destroyed home! I had a, I think, very good inspector. You are so right about personal items in the way of an inspection. I have a small home and it was so hard to move everything out of the way. He was at the home for 6 hours and even checked to see if my kitchen drawers opened up. I don't agree with all the report, like he said my doorbell seems to not be working, when in fact it was. But what I really liked is that he not only bullet the paragraphs and tons of pictures, they were marked as high priority, safety issue and so forth. Don't ever use a inspection that was previously done! That was my mistake. My realtor was a "fri-end" - yes that's the end- and she said it was just inspected and they do not pick sides. They tell it as it is. Wrong! Go get the inspection! Also a roof inspection! Make sure if there are any warranties that the owner transfers them to you right away and the company knows! I was supposed to have a warranty on my roof and the owners failed to provide the info to me! It's been a heartache! Thank you for this video! It is so important in buying a home! With all the damage I have had at my home I could probably be an inspector myself. LOL
I bought my home in '98 and didn't get an inspection. It was built in 1937 so I knew things were old, especially the plumbing which has been getting replaced little by little over the years. I also got new siding to replace the old cedar, windows and a new metal roof. But this house was what I could afford as a factory worker living alone and the mortgage was lower than the rent I was paying even with high interest. I'm 61 now and this house will still be standing long after I'm gone.
Home inspector and general contractor here. Just wanted to say excellent video, very good points that the public should be aware of. Most of the inspectors I know (Alberta, Canada) do have ways of highlighting the important defects in a home. I personally format my entire report by minor, moderate and major defects. Here the province regulates the industry and my qualifications allow me to test inspectors wanting to get licensed. This system is quite effective for at least ensuring the licensed inspectors have a decent general knowledge starting out.
My home's inspector seemed to be insanely thorough. So glad he was, too!
what a nice guy this is. Its not his thing to say most home inspectors are fake and pretend they know things they don't; just like realtors.
My wife and I stumbled on your channel a few days ago and we can't top watching. I've become a pretty adept DIYer over the years but still have learned a lot watching your videos. We live in NC, too, Durham, in fact, so it's nice to add an in-stater to the long list of TH-camrs we watch regularly. Keep up with the fine videos.
Very balanced video. I have been an inspector for 13 years and agree that there are a lot of bad inspectors that have no business doing inspections. The key is for a home buyer to do their research and ask the agent for three referrals. Ask the inspector to send a copy of a report to see if it thorough. I personally do a green , yellow, red approach to my reporting. ASHI and Internachi inspectors take national testing and do continued education on every aspect of a home. The buyer is the the one that is technically suppose to pick the inspector, at least in my state. But we all know the phrase “last man in”. Who ever inspected your house missed this….who ever painted your house missed this rot….who was your plumber…and of course everyone is a mold expert. As you stated fairly well, an inspector is the last line of defense when you buy a house, your only unbiased ally. The inspector is a third party not trying to sell you something(Legally required in my state). A well trained inspector will catch all the bad diy, flips and poor contractor work. Beware crappy agents use crappy inspectors. The consumer protection is just not there or regulated. Also the lack of quality tradespeople is going down. There is so much work that the good contractors are booked months out which lets shady “contractors” screw people. Thanks for the channel, people like me who care about the business use channels like yours to stay educated.
When I bought my home I paid for a home inspection and tagged along. The one thing that we missed was when we went into the crawlspace under the house. We noted that there must have been a raccoon under there at some point, but were unable to inspect the entire perimeter foundation due to rigid ducting. We checked it from the outside instead and everything seemed fine. Cut to a month ago when I needed to go under the house to run some conduit and forced my way into a corner that we weren't able to go to. I'm going along and suddenly realize that there's a massive opening in my foundation leading to under my deck. Apparently when the previous owner wanted to put a deck in, they ran into some external doors to the crawlspace and just took off the doors. They didn't bother to install anything to stop my house from having a wonderful basement apartment for local wildlife. So, that's my new next project :/
Thank you for the advice with this video. As a new Home Inspector running my own company these issues that you've covered seems to reign true. During my training and education the "need' for previous experience in the construction industry or various trades was not necessary. However the training I went through did a great job at teaching as much about the building process to allow me to have a better understanding of how all the components are put together. Though I personally do not have a background in the construction trade I want to be the best inspector in my area and am always learning from people within the construction industry or various trades about more insider information.
As a home inspector with years of experience in remodeling and renovations, you are spot on. Some take a two-week course, have never lifted a hammer or worked on their own home and consider themselves a home inspector.
I've been doing heritage grade restoration of Victorian and craftsman era interior woodwork and exterior trim and brickwork for many years as a domestic historian and conservationist.
This video hit home with me in a meaningful way, and am about to complete the certification course to become a state certified home inspector because you're absolutely correct on these corners being quite obviously avoided because of course they are.
Willfully avoiding the areas of the property where the most important things are generally found hiding is beyond inexcusable. Just because it's not their $175,000+ being sunk into an unknown risk doesn't justify taking their hard earned $300-750 for little more than a cursory glance.
I think if I can crawl 3/4 mile through a Somali sewer in August without having a problem with it, a 40 crawlspace with dirt and a few spiders is not even a walk in the park, it's just going out to the mailbox.
In older homes in lower income areas, they generally don't even bother checking if the windows have glass panes in them or have been replaced with plexiglass. One home on my street was sold with a massive bedbug infestation with no hint of it anywhere on the report. There's no way that could be missed even under the most disinterested inspectors gaze.
It's just shameful. Most around here are ignorant of historical building techniques, and don't even know what a pier and beam foundation is, and will fail a foundation over some spalling on a small section near a bad downspout and fear monger that the foundation is collapsing and the replacement of the bricks would cost more than the house would ever be worth.
What in reality was a minor issue with a small section of skirting became an immanent foundation collapse which makes no sense.
Stopped reading after you expected a home inspector to identify a bed bug infestation. That is literally illegal. Moron.
Ethan you eluded to something I've thought about for decades regarding U.S. businesses that once practiced combining the head knowledge people gain in college, with the practical knowledge that people gain "in the field." The benefits were obvious but sadly, having "a degree" slowly prevailed allowing head knowledge to first: dictate employment, then decisions, and then policies. What followed then is what you eluded to [1:21]; a loss in *work quality;* thankfully that hasn't gone unnoticed regardless of vocation. Hopefully the practice of combing "the schooled and the practical" will prevail; then we'll all benefit. Btw; *great video.*
Great Video! As a fairly new inspector (2 years) with over 20 years of construction experience including a Red Seal Carpentry ticket, I can tell you that there are definitely real estate agents that recommend the fast/easy inspectors. I am extremely thorough and it has definitely negatively impacted my business. If a realtor can get a multi inspector firm in and out of a house in 1.5 hours vs solo me taking 5 hours to pick the house apart, 95% will take the fast and easy.
Great video that makes a lot of sense. Experience in a field usually makes a big difference in knowing how serious a flaw or defect is & what to do about it. That tip about checking out their bios is priceless!
Awesome topic! As a veteran handyman I’ve considered getting the certifications/licenses to be a home inspector. Could you consider a follow up video on ‘how to become a top-notch home inspector’? Love your channel and straightforward honesty.
Good video. My friend is a home inspector in Cincy and goes above and beyond. He actually moves things and does more than most home inspectors. He is known for being one of the best. We need more like him.😘
Excellent topic. I shared it with my son who's buying his first home and feel this information is absolutely invaluable. Something I was not smart on when I bought my first home. I just showed up to the site while it was being built and acted like I knew what to look for. 16 years later I've only had minimal repairs needed, even made through a couple news worthy earthquakes unscathed so far. Thanks again for this awesome gift of information.
A recent home I purchased I went out and hired an electrician and HVAC technician to inspect the equipment and give me an honest opinion of the life of the equipment! Ya it’s more expensive but boy did it pay off, the home inspector missed and or didn’t inspect the furnace and my HVAC tech reported the heat exchangers had cracked ( a known issue on these Lennox models) an expensive miss!! It’s always buyer beware it’s like taking a vehicle your purchasing and going to mechanic shop for an inspection vs kicking tires and saying window is cracked!!
one of my uncles had a finish carpentry company, so during summer school break we the young boys went to help and learn, it was fun and cool. I am not by any means of the imagination a trades man but I know a little that said, the last house I bought 2015 the home inspector refused to allow me to go through the house with him???? SO I promptly said what do I own you for your time to make the trip out hear OUR BUSINIESS IS CONCLUDED. The other home inspector I got was happy to show me as he went through the house as have others in the past. First hand knowledge of the what when and how is very very important. Your participation not only shows you what is being seen and how it is being evaluated (you can and should ask) but you can see the level of care and attention to details or lack there of that the inspector has during the process.
Thanks for shedding some much needed light on this topic.
I have been a past licensed contractor and municipal building inspector. For the past 29 years, I have been a Home Inspector. There are good practitioners in Home Inspections just as there are good Builders and poor Builders. The consumer needs to be aware that experience and education matters! There are a lot of misleading certifications out there. Most Home Inspector certifications are a joke. The only ones that truly matter are ones offered by the Code Congress and ASHI. You are "right on" with your analysis. But, I see the solution as consumer awareness when contracting with a home inspector. Realtors referring Home Inspectors is a huge conflict of interest. Consumer interests do not always line up with Realtor interests. Realtors want to close the deal as that is how they are paid, and who doesn't want to get paid? A Home Inspector who is "hard on the deal" is not likely to get future business. Home Inspector organizations are small fish compared to the political power of the NAR. So, consumers have to take matters into their own hands. Contracting with a home inspector is not much different than contracting with a builder. Try to get multiple referral sources and look for the most experienced and best education background inspector.
Great video. My experience is inspectors have no real knowledge of building practices. One house I sold, the first problem listed in the report was to install H-Clips on roof sheathing...on a 40 year old house. They also had three "major" problems listed with an electric panel that had just been installed and had a county inspection sticker right on the panel. I had to literally go find quotes in the NEC to show the buyer that the inspection report was wrong.
Home inspection for my current house bought 23 years ago was of very little value. The inspection failed to inform me that the soil in the crawl space was too close to the wooden structure in part of the space far from the door. The pillars were spaced too far apart under the main girder. There was a rotted hole in the deck that had been simply roofed over. There were other problems due to low standard in construction. The aluminum frame windows caused some of the frames under them to have black mold due to condensation.
The concept holds true in many disciplines. There are many that are doing a job, but few that actually do the job. In my realm of expertise, that is why I am on second shift, for whatever first shift works on, second shift repairs. Reality is that too many folk are just hacks... but they talk the talk and look really busy really good.
Pretty good video. One note about having a qualified contractor inspect and repair: any tradesperson knows the importance of giving an "estimate" on a job. Because once you open up the drywall the damage can be much worse than you initially thought. So many inspectors, including myself, will put that line in a lot because prescribing a specific repair often gives false expectations to the client.
This video is an excellent awareness tool for homeowners. I may add it to my website for my potential clients as a learning tool. "Reputation for Thoroughness,” that’s my goal.
As a new home inspector in AZ I appreciate this video. I have construction training as well as 10 years in the fire service. As I was doing my mandatory parallel inspection training I noticed inspectors are very lazy, they talk way too much, then rush to get their information put into their software before rushing to be late for the next appointment, or their focus is biased toward the realtor, not the actual client.
Liability is the reason behind this lack of actual knowledge and work ethic because Standard Operating Procedures say that only a visual inspection should be provided. This means that any deviation and the inspector can find him / herself in court paying for fixes, appliances, or whatever the other party can get. This is devastating to a small business and so inspectors do the minimum.
For example, not many inspectors will actually enter a crawl space or attic if they can’t just walk into it. To me it’s not only fun to crawl around and check stuff out, it’s needed. Another issue I have seen is a major lack of knowledge. Example, while training I have spotted asbestos in a home built in 1944 and was told it’s not. I found a dialectic union at a hidden water heater (behind a wall) and was told it’s not. I also put my hand on a very loose railing and moved it to test the extent of the issue. I was told don’t do that, the inspection is visual only. The list goes on and on, but I purposely shut my mouth, observed, and learned what not to do.
My company will not operate that way... ever!
As a life long AZ resident my goal is to provide the best information possible to my client, even if I have to risk liability by moving a couch or boxes. I work for my client only and do 1 inspection per day to focus on my client without distraction.
Thank you for this video :)
This is a really important video for home sellers and home buyers to see! I encourage anyone watching to share this with others.
As a home inspector I was hesitant about what this video would be, but I can honestly say you nailed it. I love that you educated people while not bashing the entire trade as a whole. One aspect I think that’s important to note, that home inspectors have a unique capability, wherein they will do roughly 250 inspections a year, that’s 250 different houses, and usually within the same county or possibly surrounding counties, which means we develop an understanding of, at least, the most common home builders, plumbers, electricians, and the work they do, and that allows us to know when we come into a house that was built but Such and So Company we may know to be extremely observant around one particular area or another to ensure that a common defect we do find with that builder isn’t present on this house. While that’s only a minor part of our knowledge, another, and quite frankly the most important is that we are in so many homes and have seen so many different things that we can see the warning signs early on. Like you said though, experience and skill and knowledge is key! There are plenty of sub par home inspectors, but hopefully people understand that there are plenty home inspectors out there who are extremely knowledgeable and though we are handicapped by so much red tape and liability, most good home inspectors know the limits and are able to do so much and give so much insight, and like I said are acutely aware of what major defects look like long before they actually are one. Another really useful tip is song with checking bios on a website is checking for a sample report. That will help eliminate inspectors who will pile in a lot of fluff and rarely have any useful information. As well as seeing how it’s presented since many inspectors use software that will actually categorize defects by major, minor, cosmetic, structural, or safety hazard, which is very useful for clients.
As a home inspector you make many good points but I disagree with you on few points. First you said at 6:50 that major defects get the same space as aesthetic defects. That's not necessarily true. A good home inspection report is going to have general information with minor repairs such as caulking and a section with material defects which are defects that are both safety concerns and/or can cause major damage to the property. These material defects are also highlighted in a summary report on the home inspection report. Also remember, a home inspector is a generalist not a specialist. We will identify and even if possible suggest a cause and possible results if the defect is left unattended. Sometimes we will go as far as identify ways to fixed the defects, but we often save that for the specialist (as you said correctly there is a liability issue with that). It's like going to a general practitioner who then recommends a surgeon who is a specialist.
I do agree that a home inspector should know about building homes and components surrounding that topic, but they should also know building science, have good report writing skills, and excellent communication and customer service skills.
Being a home inspector is far more difficult then many people can imagine. We work for our clients, typically buyers, but still have to deal with sellers, buyer agents, and listing agents and someone is not going to always be happy with us. In the end we prioritize our clients, their safety, and their investment.
Hi Ethan, just wanted to thank you for your videos. You're very articulate and clear and I enjoy hearing about your experiences to understand how things work. We've moved into our first home and your videos have helped tremendously.
Well that explains a lot. 100 year old house. Ancient plumbing and wiring. Spongy floor under a toilet, etc. Inspector only reports a handful of items. Bank shrugs and sale goes through after a painter touches it up. Always wondered why so few problems were found in such an old house, and now I know. The house, basement, porches, and attic were all very cluttered, and the inspector himself didn't really care to photo all the obvious flaws still quite visible in spite of the clutter. "Back door needs paint" and "window needs caulked" got in the report, but back foundation sinking, dangerously deteriorated concrete steps, rotted bathroom floor, and iron railway post rusted completely through did not. This house is my school of hard knocks. Wish I'd seen this video 5 years ago.
as a home inspector I loved your video! Everything I heard sounded 100% right on. Except the "old construction veteran" is sometimes just as clueless of new practices. The only times a don't comment on how to perform repairs is due to my thought to let the professional do his/her thing and make repair. For example, the garage with drywall cut out for attic hatch- the pro can fix 3 different ways; seal the hole, provide fire resistant hatch or seal the fire separation wall in attic. Which may also depend on what the buyer wants- the easy fix is to seal hole- but I'd prefer the access. Long story short great video I took notes to definitely make sure to let all parties know to ensure access is provided for inspection. One time I was threatened being sued for moving a book!!! They claimed I some how destroyed the book and had no right moving. And they were right- I had no right to move their stuff. Buyers have to realize it's not their home and I need permission to move their stuff. It's terrible the world of litigation we live in.
great video and explanation. I have been an inspector for 15 years. The only thing I personally don't agree with is only because I do actually note major and minor issues on a summary page in my reports. I think its sad that some do not and so I do agree in that aspect. RESPECT
In my opinion, this is a very fair and unbiased assessment of home inspections. Great job!
My report template categorizes defects as: red (significant) or orange (moderate)
In my area a problem customers are facing is the "cheapening" of insurance inspections. Some cgarge as low as 60$. Inspectors are in and out in 10 minutes and check of the items on the form and head to the next one...
Great advice! I think your recommendations are spot on. I have a carpenter background and have worked as laborer in every trade in the past 20 years. I am currently a home inspector in Utah and Nevada.
I'm a Realtor, a construction professional, and a property manager. What you are saying is 100% correct. I recommend a couple good inspectors to my real estate clients/buyers, but none of them have true construction experience. Some are quite knowledgeable, but I just don't think they have a true understanding of what matters. Unfortunately, all the old timers with construction knowledge are retired now. I have no choice but to recommend these guys.
As a builder and a home inspector you are spot on! About this. What people should also be looking for is a inspector who writes a narritive report not a bullet point style, this typically has a section for majors. And should think twice about hiring an inspector who is refered by the realtor. Too many inspectors have built relationships with realtors and care more about that relationship. Do your homework!! Absolutely figure out if they have real construction experience.
Bought a house. Large deck had several “daughter” boards. No mention of that but discolored ceiling and in spection off was several paragraphs. Find a home inspecter that will let you come with is great advice!
Thank you for this video! I am a Home Inspector. And I also have a remodeling business. That is the reason for me opening an inspection business. I got certified and believe in the hands on knowledge/experience from over 25 years in construction! Thanks again for this video!
I bought my house purely because my real estate agent said "why is this wall so thick" then knocked on the wall and said "sounds like cinderblock..."
Didnt get it inspected and its been plenty fine, the cinderblock walls were a benefit to me for numerous reasons including the lack of a roof overhang which would usually rot a stud wall, but doesnt do much if its block
Good explanations. I am certified to do electrical inspections and it is the same principle, document what can be seen, indicate anything that is broken, under spec, or off code, the most complicated really are the load calculations to see if a system has enough capacity. Very few things get measured or tested if at all.
A survey or certification inspection would yield a much more detailed report, in the survey process every single component gets analysed, verified, documented and calculated. Expensive and lengthy work...
For the homeowner I would recommend to bring someone with reasonable construction expertise in on the inspection, to advise you, to point out potential issues and hidden problems, and give you an idea of what the inspection report means in practical terms, and in terms of fixing it.
It doesn't have to be a contractor per se, but for example an experienced maintenance person or handyman, and carpenters and plumbers also tend to know enough to give you an idea of what the damage all means in terms of time and cost to fix. Since they will be working for you, without other obligation, you will not have to worry about any constraints on what they will investigate.
The extra few hundred to know what is really going on is well spent.
Very good idea, Disklaimer!
My carpenter union is finally doing wood frame classes in anticipation of expanding into the residential market from pure commercial. My goal is to keep doing the construction with union, move into residential framing and drywall, then start training for home inspecting when I know more from a professional perspective who's done the work I'm inspecting. Even if I do just one or two every couple months, it'd be great extra income and at least I know I'm doing the honest work to protect my community.
Of the four homes my wife and I have bought and lived in during our 50 years of marriage, the last two had/have water leaking through basement wall to floor joints during heavier rainfalls,…and both were sold to us as having been inspected (we hired the home inspector) with evidence of such an issue not found. Upon asking around (friends, cohorts, neighbors) we’ve found that this issue of leaky basements is more a ‘standard’ than an exception,…and that home inspection rarely ever gave advance alert to existing evidence of prior experiences.😬
From an inspectors view, this is absolute truth. I fully agree on being picky on who you choose because it makes a big difference on your understanding of the home at the end of the day. For the Major vs Minor portion, some inspectors have summary pages at the end of the report allowing to breakdown all deficiencies found into categories starting with Major. Great Explanation Video!
Pretty good flick. I’m going to repost it in my Social Media collection. As an inspector I cringed a little at a couple of your comments but remembered I’m not “one of those” inspectors. This post fairly represent’s my industry, and I could make a similar post about any profession or trade. I just talked myself into subscribing to your channel.
I was unsure how this video was going to go... as I am a home inspector. Well, I can say, you nailed it. I am one of the few, in my area, that has a construction background. There have been numerous times I have inspected homes AFTER an inspector with no construction background. The things they miss is ridiculous. I even followed one of our past state home inspector board members once and it boggled my mind the issues he missed or incorrectly reported. It is definitely a good idea for buyers to research and find an inspector with a construction background. The inspection price will likely be the same, yet so much more valuable. Thank you for doing this video in such a matter of fact way.
Perfect timing for this video. I have a friend who is looking buying a house, this is some great information. I’m going to share this video with her. Wish I had this knowledge about 7 years ago when my wife and I bought our house.
Good video. Mostly accurate. Those of us inspectors that DO come from the trades are very often much better than those who do not... but that is not always the case. Common sense goes a long way, as does being taught correctly from the beginning. I have argued with "20-year carpenters" that were simply taught incorrectly and never knew any different. Luckily I have experience in multiple trades, as well as the fancy paperwork to back it up. lol
I read the title of the video, grabbed my coffee, sat down and before I clicked play, thought to myself, “Here’s another tradesman bashing home inspectors.” I’ve been inspecting for 34 years and honestly, can’t disagree with anything you said
Thank you for this insightful video. I really appreciate the perspective of an experienced tradesperson. I understand your concerns. I am one of those newly licensed inspectors with no professional construction experience that you talked about, and I'd like to offer another perspective.
It's very true that I can't tell you how to frame a house or construct a set of stairs. But it's also true that an HVAC contractor or plumber would not be expected to know those things either. And while carpenters could certainly frame a house or construct some stairs, they might not know whether an electric panel is properly wired or determine whether the air conditioner functions properly. It's also true that almost every defect a home inspector documents is followed by a statement saying to have a qualified contractor make the repairs, rather than saying exactly how to make those repairs. It's also true that most home inspectors get their jobs from realtor referrals. But none of these things is necessarily a problem.
I see my role not as being a construction expert or an electrical expert but as being a homeowning expert. Most homeowners, especially first time buyers, know next to nothing about homes and their component systems and wouldn't know if something was a problem or not until it became so obvious that it's a catastrophe. My job is to be the person who can look at a house the way a homeowner would look at it if they knew what to look for. In other words, I'm the "experienced homeowner" who knows when something doesn't look right and who knows who to call to make it right. The homeowner doesn't need to know how to fix defects, they just need to know if there is one and who to call to fix it.
Most homeowners wouldn't understand the problem if they saw an improperly notched beam or joist, or if the water heater is back-drafting, or if there is inadequate ventilation in the attic. They might not think to run the dishwasher and laundry machines before purchasing the home. And if a homeowner saw cracks in the basement walls, they would probably not be able to tell whether they were just typical seasonal expansion/contraction cracks or if there was a potential structural problem. Our job as inspectors is to be the person who can reliably inform the buyer about the things they should worry about and what is the proper course of action they (the homeowner not a contractor) should take.
Another point relates to realtors. Realtors do provide the majority of leads, but a home inspector works for the client; usually the homebuyer, not the realtor. I am accountable to the client, not the realtor. I agree that it is a problem that there is a financial conflict of interest here, but an honest inspector doesn't let that become a problem any more than an honest tradesperson lets the desire to increase profit make them falsely identify things that need fixing.
Finally, one thing a good home inspector will do that no tradesperson could do is to provide useful information to a homebuyer about how to care for and maintain all the important systems in their new home. We've lived in our current home for over 20 years, and I just discovered a few weeks ago that my wife didn't know about the air filter in the furnace. She has no clue about what to do with the humidifier every spring and fall. And if she should notice a mysterious dark stain emerging on the ceiling, she would not know whether to call a plumber, a general contractor, or a mold remediation specialist. She didn't know the clothes dryer exhaust needs to be periodically cleaned out, or where the gas shut-off or water shut-off valves are. These are all the sort of things that go into a good home inspection report.
As you pointed out, there is a big difference between a good home inspection and a not-so-good inspection, and it's hard to know which one you'll get when you purchase a home inspection. As with many contractors, experience and a good reputation are critically important. I am working as hard as I can to develop as much experience and as good a reputation as I can.
One last thing; contrary to what was stated in the video there is no legal prohibition on moving furniture or stored items, at least not in my state of Illinois. Inspectors use their own discretion about how far to go to find hidden problems, but that is based primarily on whether or not moving furniture, or removing a panel, or climbing into an attic, can be done in a way that is both safe for the inspector and, just as importantly, in a way that is not likely to damage anything in the house. Our first principle, as with doctors, is to do no harm.
Thanks for letting me share my point of view.