Inspection Specifications
Our inspections are performed according to the Standards of Practice of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). Please review these Standards.
Generally, the inspection will require 2.5 - 4.5 hours for most average sized homes in this area. Clients area encouraged to attend the inspection. Many find it helpful to listen to short re-caps of findings along with visually seeing any issues in person. We have found that many clients find it beneficial to allow the inspector to evaluate larger areas, then have a short verbal recap after those areas have been evaluated. You may also find it beneficial to attend the last hour of the inspection for this recap.
Please be advised that our inspection fees and our schedules are based on a one-trip inspection. If the utilities are off, we will still perform the inspection; however, we will not be able to completely check certain components. If it is too cold to operate the air conditioner, or to hot to operate the heating system, we do not make a return visit.
We will attempt to walk on the roof in order to evaluate the roof if possible. If the roof is too tall or too steep, we will either view from the ground with binoculars or other means possible. We will not make a return visit to the property to check the roof if it is snow covered at the time of the inspection. As of October 2010, our inspectors will not be returning to inspect properties that have snow covered roofs at the time of the inspection. When the snow clears and it is safe to evaluate the roof, please call our office to see if a return trip is possible. Return trips will be subject to availability and the client will be charged an additional fee ranging $75-$150 depending on travel time and inspection time.
It is common during an inspection for a buyer to ask the home inspector if a particular component should be repaired or replaced by the seller. This is your decision, not ours. Our job is to determine the conditions of various components at the time of the inspection. We also commonly encounter situations where a component is still functional, but it is at the end of its economic or service life. Buyers ask if it should be repaired/replaced. The decision to repair or replace or just live with it will be yours. Please also be advised that it is generally necessary to obtain a bid from a contractor in order to determine the exact extent (and cost) of repairs/replacements for a component. We do not quote prices because we are not contractors. In certain cases we will recommend further evaluation by a contractor or engineer.
All of our inspectors are employees, not subcontractors. Although we may have an apprentice with us at times, the lead inspector is fully certified.
We DO NOT make return trips to the inspected property to determine if repairs were performed.
We comply with the Pennsylvania Home Inspection Law.