How To Find A Great Home Inspector

When you purchase a home, you should always have it inspected by a qualified home inspector. Currently, only 27 states have home inspection regulations. Colorado is not one of those states. In Colorado, anyone regardless of training or background can claim they are a home inspector. So, how do you find a qualified home inspector?

Start by asking lots of questions. You might ask your Realtor to recommend home inspectors he/she have found to be knowledgeable.
Then, begin your interview process. The obvious question of how many homes he has inspected in his life-time is a good place to start. A word of caution: be sure you talk with the actual inspector who will be conducting the inspection on your home. Many of the large national inspection firms with the 800 numbers require their receptionist to assign an inspector for you. You have no way of knowing what that inspector’s background and competency might be until you meet that person at the front door. They will boast of vast experience their inspectors have: and some may actually have that experience level. Just be sure you are getting the person. Please do not assume all home inspectors are created equal. They are not.

The next way to assure you are hiring a quality home inspector is to inquire about their advanced designations. American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) is one such designation. You might also ask if they are Certified Master Inspectors (CMI) certified inspectors. Other professional home inspectors belong to NACHI the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors. Another is the National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI)

Each of these organizations requires extensive training and competency of their membership. Be sure your inspector belongs to at least one of these professional organizations.