Most people are only focused on how much a home inspection costs when the real concern should be, “What am I getting for the price?” Just because someone says they will do your inspection for $250 doesn’t mean you are getting a good deal. You are most likely spending a large amount of money on your new home and saving $50 or $100 for a poor inspection will cost you way more in the long run. Pay the money upfront for a good inspection and get peace of mind!

Questions you should ask your inspector BEFORE the inspection should include:

How long will your inspection take and how many inspections do you do in a day?

The right answer should be that the inspection will take several hours and do a maximum of two inspections a day. Any good inspector will spend at least several hours (maybe more, depending on the size of the home) crawling around your house, and it really isn’t possible to do more than two a day if the inspector is doing them the right way.

What do you look for in an inspection?

The State of Texas has a minimum requirement for inspections. We’ve posted these Standards of Practice on our website under “Resources”. We inspect all of these required areas and many more. Our inspection will include the foundation, roof, wall and ceiling structures, framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC systems, plumbing, vents, drains, and a whole lot more.

How much do you charge?

This one is hard to answer exactly, because more often than not, you get what you pay for, within reason. If someone gives you a price that is too good to be true, it is most likely because they don’t know what they are doing and they will spend about 30 minutes looking around your house. This is obviously not right. Spend some talking to your inspector on the phone and get a feel for them. If they are able to answer your questions and make you feel comfortable, then they are most likely worth a reasonable price.

Questions to ask AFTER your inspection:

Can you explain this to me?

Unless you are a professional home inspector, you will most likely have some questions. Every inspection we perform, we encourage you to attend the inspection with us so we can walk you around the house to point out and explain any issues.

How big a problem is this?

It is not uncommon for a buyer to get their report and be overwhelmed. Rest assured there is no such thing as a perfect home and we will always be honest with you about whether the issues found with your home are common or if they really are a serious cause for concern.

Should I hire an expert to look at this?

We will always let you know if we are concerned to the point we would recommend a specialist. Normally, this isn’t the case but there are instances where we would recommend a specialist (foundation, roofer, etc.).

Is this a common issue?

Unfortunately, most home inspectors don’t take the time to explain whether an issue is very serious or a common issue that is frequently seen but should still be addressed. For example, if there are exposed nails on the roof but they show no signs of leaking yet, this isn’t an extremely urgent issue but it should be addressed before it becomes an issue. Our job is to not only find the issues but to find the things that could become issues in the future and prevent them.

What should I fix first?

We will explain which issues should be addressed immediately; these will usually include issues that are active problems and definitely issues we find around safety, like missing smoke detectors or GFCI protection.

If you ever have any other questions, you can always call us at (832) 541-8803. Without exception, Spartan Home Inspection will go above and beyond to make sure you are taken care of and all of your questions are addressed.

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