So, how do you make a knowledgeable and informed inspector selection?
More importantly, are inspectors and inspections a commodity service, or can you really differentiate the value of one inspection company from another? We believe the quality of the information delivered does vary!
First, note the inspector's license number. Is it low or high? TREC has issued license numbers up to 20,000 or so. The lower numbers indicate that the inspector has been licensed for longer periods of time.
Second, ask the inspector how many homes has he inspected. Is the number in the hundreds or in the high thousands? This will tell you the inspector's experience level. We believe there can be a level of competence achieved after 2,000 inspections.
Third, does the inspector have the physical fitness to perform the job? Will he / she climb up onto the roof? Will he / she go into the crawl space to see what is under the property?
Last, ask the inspector how long his reports typically are. Are they tomes that are difficult to understand? Or, are the reports fairly brief, where the significant issues are easily detected and addressed by the prospective buyer and the property's seller? By way of context, the standard, TREC-approved inspection form is 6 pages.
It is very important that the inspector be able to provide useful information to the client and communicate facts, WITHOUT fear. The inspector should be able to communicate to you the "big rocks" (for example, serious foundation issues, brown rot, etc.) and differentiate them from the "little rocks" (minor roof repairs, or the need for rot repair, etc.) that are not expensive to fix and do not pose a serious threat to the property's occupants.
Experienced inspectors with strong communication skills can provide the prospective property buyer with the information necessary -- in its proper context -- to make an informed buying decision and limit the risk for all parties involved in the transaction.
In summary, a high quality inspection report is simplicity on the other side of complexity.