How to Choose a Qualified Home Inspector

Home inspections are one of the most important services available in the real estate industry. Everyday from Edmonton to Calgary, homebuyers rely on home inspection companies to help them understand the investment they’re about to make. This means that not just any home inspection will do. You can’t just hire your cousin who takes a cursory look around and says “Yeah, this looks okay”.

You need the expertise of a professional you can trust to know the difference between a solid vs cracked foundation, new vs ancient pipes, and a sagging vs well-maintained roof. You need someone trained to spot mold in the baseboards, notice chipped grout in the bathroom, and point out when moisture in the laundry room has the paint peeling.

Anyone can take an inspection class but only trained and certified professionals should be trusted to rely on for such an important decision. This article will tell you what to look for so you know your home inspector really knows their stuff.

Home Inspection Industry Qualifications

The first thing you should check for in a home inspector is industry qualifications. Simply having taken a class and even passing it isn’t actually a good indication of ability and attention to detail.

Here in Canada, we have several legitimate home inspection qualifications including certification and approval from both InterNACHI and canNACHI.

For home inspectors in Alberta, make sure to also check for approval from the Home Inspection Business Regulation Act in Alberta. Having all the right approvals and certificates shows that your home inspector is invested in the industry and values both their reputation and the integrity of their business among local real estate professionals rather than simply someone who does inspections ‘on the side’.

Construction & Building Experience

Nothing improves your familiarity with how a home should be put together like experience in construction, renovation, and building. Many home inspectors are associated or partnered with construction services or will have a long history of working with construction because inspections are a necessary part of architecture and safe building. An inspector with little to no experience in construction or building may not have been in the industry long and is likely to lack the insight into what it takes to make a stable and reliable structure that a construction-experienced inspector will have.

Additional Inspection Services

There are many different kinds of inspections that might be needed by different clients. You may need a special inspection for mold or have your sewer scoped for expensive cracks. There are even thermal inspections to detect things like drafty cracks or hidden pests in the walls. Some inspection companies offer this for free.

Being able to offer a variety of inspection services beyond the basic structure and damage checklist requires greater training and certifications. If your inspector offers several inspection services, they are more likely to be experienced professionals and your service will gain the benefit of their greater background knowledge.

Customer Service, Reviews & Web Presence

Finally, don’t forget to account for how your inspection service looks online. Do they keep their website up to date? Have a collection of great customer reviews? If you can identify the signs of great web design, happy customers, and easy to access customer service on the inspector’s website, you can be certain that you’ve found a sociable company who cares about your customer experience as well as the quality of your inspection.

You’ll also want to make sure they produce a clean, modern home inspection report that is easy to understand. It should be highly visual and not 70 pages of text. Look for a sample on their site to make sure it’s something you’ll be able to navigate.

Whether you need an inspection for a property purchase, a rental home, or a new construction project, it’s important to have an inspector that knows what they’re doing and has experience in all areas of the home building process.

Here at FXC, we want you to not only get the inspection you need but understand the implications of each item in the report. We have a great deal of industry experience and offer a variety of services from mold inspections to sewer scopes. No matter what you need from an inspection, FXC is happy to help. For more information about inspections or to schedule the right inspection services for your needs, contact us today!