Questions and Answers

Q: Who does the home inspector work for?

A: The home inspector should work for you Not the seller or the realtor. At (STLhomeinspector.com) I work for you and with you. If after the inspection you need something explained to the seller or the realtor I am always available with your permission.

Q: What is a home inspection and why do we need one?

A: A home inspection is like putting your home through a physical exam by an objective professional. All the major systems and components of the house are checked top to bottom. This includes the plumbing, electrical and heating systems, as well as the structural components, such as the roof and crawl space.

Q: Will I get a top quality inspection report much like your competitors?

A: Of course! You will get a professional top to bottom home inspection just like you would from anyone else. Keep in mind, unlike many I have years of professional report writing experience due in large part to the military. My reports are narrative, accurate, indepth, comes with pictures and I offer my expertise via email or phone for a lifetime after the inspection is complete.

Q: Am I required to get an inspection of the home I plan to buy?

A: Unless your lending institution requires an inspection of the dwelling prior to the approval of the loan, you are under no obligation to hire a professional to inspect the subject property. However, having the systems of your prospective home inspected by a qualified inspector is recommended just to make sure there are no serious problems that get overlooked.

Q: How do I know an inspection service is actually qualified?

A: The smart consumer will ask about qualifications, training, experience and references. MO does not regulate certification / training of home inspectors. Unlike most other inspection services in this area, I have field trained in my spare time working for free with a registered professional NACHI master certified home inspector / construction college professor / structural engineer with more than twenty five years of experience. I have over 15 yrs of rehab / new construction experience as both a General Contractor and hands on practical experience to include plumbing, wiring, framing, drywall, roofing and much more. Last but not least, I have completed a university level required 50 hr course required by the state of Oklahoma in order to qualify for the state license requirement. This course was taught by a professional home inspector with more than 40 yrs of home inspection/construction experience.

Q: Does the inspection report also serve as a guarantee that everything in the dwelling will be functional?

A: An inspection of the property is a snapshot in time of the conditions of those systems inspected. A water heater for example, that is near the end of it's service life may show no signs of leaking or serious corrosion at the time of inspection. This does not guarantee that the equipment will not fail the following day, next week or so on. The inspector cannot predict the future, nor the remaining life of equipment. If that were the case, we would be wealthy and not need to work.

Q: Last January, my inspector did not check the air conditioner of my home. Is this standard practice?

A: Generally speaking, when the temperature has not risen above sixty five degrees Fahrenheit at least two days in a row prior to the inspection, the compressor could be damaged if the AC unit is activated. The reason for not testing the AC should have been noted in the inspection report.

Q: I am buying a New home, do I really need to have it inspected?

A: My experience has shown that even new homes do not escape human error. Home builders are under the gun to produce a product and sometimes things are unintenitonally overlooked. Having a fresh pair of eyes on the job may uncover problems that can be corrected by the builder while he still has a vested interest in his product. We recommend that even new construction be inspected.