Home Purchase Inspection: What You Need to Know Before Choosing An Inspector

By Glenn Duxbury

It’s often said that one of the most expensive and important purchases you will ever make will be your home.  However, unlike the guarantee a buyer receives with most purchases, there’s no money-back, guarantee or return policy if you’re not satisfied with your recently purchased home.  Once you buy a home, you’re on your own to maintain it, repair it, anticipate problems and pay the bills – assuming there has been no misrepresentation made.  This is why it’s best to know as much as you can about potential problems before you make the commitment to buy.

What home and property inspectors do:

One of the best ways to understand about a home’s condition, habitability and safety is to hire a professional home inspector.  A properly trained home inspector will review your house as a system, looking at how one component of the house might affect the operability or life-span of another.  Home inspectors will go through the property and perform a comprehensive visual inspection to assess the condition of the house and all of its systems.  They will reveal or uncover the components that are not performing properly as well as items that are beyond their useful life or are unsafe.  They will also identify areas where repairs may be needed or where there may have been problems in the past.  Inspections are intended to provide the client with a better understanding of property conditions, as observed at the time of the inspection.

A pre-purchase inspection by a true professional for a basic home (1,800 to 2,200 sq. ft. house) should take at least 4-5 hours, minimum, to be very thorough and should cost upwards of $500 – $600 assuming there is no secondary living suite(s).  Following the inspection, the buyer is presented with a written report, consolidating the details of the inspection.  The home inspector should be willing to answer any questions a buyer might have and to clarify the limitations of the inspection to avoid misunderstandings.  CMHC and many other agencies /consumer-protection sources of information on the subject strongly recommend that potential buyers accompany the inspector as the inspection takes place.  It can be a valuable learning experience, to say the least, and is an excellent opportunity to ask lots of questions.

Scope of the inspection:

The home inspector will provide a visual inspection by looking at the home’s various systems, including interior and exterior components.  The inspector should check exterior components including roofing, flashing, chimneys, gutters, downspouts, wall surfaces, the foundation, and the grading around it.  Note that if the inspection takes place in the winter, the roof and the foundation may not be fully visible for inspection if they are covered with snow and ice.  For safety and insurance reasons, the home inspector is not required to climb up on a roof to look at it but will /should make all possible efforts to do so.  However, the home inspector should inspect the roof from the ground.  This also applies to the chimney and downspouts.  If problems or symptoms beyond the scope of the inspection are found, the home inspector may recommend further evaluation by another professional /specialist.

The home inspector will also check interior systems including electrical, heating, air conditioning, ventilation, plumbing, insulation, flooring, ceiling and wall finishes, plus windows and doors.  Note that a home inspector is not qualified to inspect a wood-burning appliance such as a fireplace or wood stove unless they are WETT (Wood Energy Technology Training) certified, as a specialist.  To be properly inspected, the chimney must first be cleaned.

As with the outside of the home, the inspection of the interior systems is visual, meaning that the inspector will not be able to see behind walls or under the floor.  Professional inspectors, however, use specialized detection devices to help “see” behind interior finishes not normally visible such as very sensitive moisture detectors to check for water where it should not be, combustible gas detectors, electrical circuit-testers and infra-red thermometers.

What an Inspection Does Not Include

An inspection does not and should not be expected to include appraisal information, exact quotes for repairs, or pointing out non-compliance with building code requirements.  A home inspection is not intended to provide warranties or guarantees.  A home inspection is intended to help you make an informed decision about buying your home.  A home inspection is not to be mistaken as a “warranty” on the home or guarantee against future maintenance and repair needs.

Choosing a home inspector:

Home inspecting is a discipline that requires special training, knowledge, experience and communication skills. While consumers, banks, and the insurance industry have been encouraging the home and property inspection industry to develop standards of practice with a certification program for some time, there is presently no uniform certification and no requirement for home inspectors to take any courses or to have passed any tests. Anyone can say they are a home inspector. That is why it is important to choose an inspector wisely, asking a lot of important questions.  Reputable home and property inspectors generally belong to a provincial or regional industry Association. Each of these Associations has set standards, which, in some cases, are recognized by provincial governments. Some Associations have developed membership categories based on the individual members’ qualifications.

Standards for these Associations currently vary from province to province, but the industry is working toward implementing accreditation and certification standards.  To become a member of these associations, an inspector must meet educational requirements followed by a review process.  Members of these associations are also required to have errors and omission insurance, as other professions require.  Until consumers can identify home inspectors who have achieved uniform certification, it is important to ask lots of questions and choose wisely when selecting a home inspector (NOT just ‘price’), since this is not a ‘commodity’.

• Insured and Licensed ?
• Written Report and when can I expect to receive same ?
• Member of a professional Home Inspector Association ?
• How long will the inspection take ?
• References ? Training (if any)?
• Knowledgeable about Condos /Strata-titled units (if not buying a detached house) and will you look at more than just the Unit interior ?
• Do you allow me to attend, also and ask questions ?
• Will you also check appliances (most do not) ?

-Glenn Duxbury, CHI, License #47730 – Owner
Glenn Duxbury & Associates-Building Inspection and Consulting

“Uncovering Tomorrow’s Surprises, TODAY !””

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