If you’re here, perhaps you have a lot of questions in mind. We have gathered several FAQs for you to look at but if you haven’t found the answers to your questions please feel free to contact us. Thank you very much!
The purchase of a new home is one of the largest investments a family can make. Getting a new home inspection allows the buyer to receive an unbiased, professional opinion to help determine the current condition of the house. An inspection will help foresee any immediate conditions that need to be addressed and touch on areas that could become a problem in the future. Safety concerns are also noted and reported to help protect your family. This helps save money both immediately and in the future while also helping greatly with any settlement negotiations.
Most inspections take an average of 2-4 hours depending on the home size or things being inspected, not including the time needed to prepare a report. The time can vary based on the size and condition of the property. Attics and crawl spaces must be accessible or we won’t be able to access these areas.
Absolutely! The bank’s appraisal is an independent evaluation of the current market value of the property. A home inspection is more about meeting current building standards. The appraiser works for the bank while our home inspectors work for you, helping you save time and money with a realistic unbiased inspection of your property’s current condition.
Absolutely! Most builders try to provide a high quality house, but they have to balance that with staying competitive. For builders, it often comes down to ‘survival of the cheapest’. Much work is done by sub-contractors. A construction boom in recent years has caused a shortage of skilled labor. Coordinating schedules between different trades is a juggling act. New products are constantly being introduced into the market adding even more confusion.
Municipal inspectors do a good job but they’re vastly overworked, often looking at dozens of houses each day and are not looking for the same things a professional home inspector looks for. A thorough home inspection takes hours, not minutes. Municipal inspectors simply don’t have the manpower to find all the construction defects or safety hazards.
The price of the inspection is determined by the size and age of the house and any other buildings or amenities. The price of any other additional testing that you want to be performed at the time of the inspection will be added to the price of the inspection. Call us for a quote at 469-458-7555 or use our online scheduler to schedule your inspection now.
Five Star Home Inspections start at $550
Standard Home Inspections start at $375
New Construction Home Inspections start at $325
1 Year Warranty Home Inspections start at $325
Pre-Listing Certified Move In Ready Home Inspections start at $375
All home inspectors are not equal. You only have one chance to get a good home inspection. You don’t want cheap — you want the best home inspection possible! Saving a few bucks by using a bargain-priced home inspector could cost you thousands of dollars in repair costs in the long run.
The home inspection is, by definition, a visual overview of the entire home and all of its integral systems. This includes all of the following:
- Exterior
- Roof
- Structure
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- Ventilation
- Insulation
- Heating and Cooling
- Interior
- Fixed Appliances
- Attic
- Crawl Space (if present)
- Fireplace
We invite you to be present during the inspection, though it’s not necessary. Your presence gives you the opportunity to see what our inspector is noting and the chance to ask any questions you may have. We know this is not possible for many people due to time constraints, so rest assured that we will provide you with a very detailed report whether you’re present or not.
As soon as possible after you have a signed purchase contract. We can be scheduled a week or more in advance, so make sure that your purchase contract has plenty of time for you to get repair estimates for major problems that may show up during the inspection.
For newly constructed homes, schedule the inspection a few days before your walk-through with the builder so that you’ll have our written report in your hands during the walk-through. You should schedule warranty inspections at least a month before your warranty expires.
Preparing for the inspection is easy. If possible, make time to meet with your inspector at the end of the inspection for an onsite presentation of the findings. This is normally about 2 hours after the inspection start time. If you can’t be there, rest assured the delivered inspection report will be your guide and you may call or email us to answer any additional questions.
Inspection reports are sent by email by the end of the day as a PDF file. All of our inspection reports are computerized, narrative reports with digital photos. We want you to have a full understanding of the home when you review the inspection report.
We may find things that weren’t expected. That’s what you want, right? No house is perfect, not even new construction. The report is not a seller’s “Must-Fix” list; it’s just an impartial reporting of the condition. Every situation is different — it’s up to you and your real estate agent to decide how to proceed after the inspection. The inspection report is a valuable tool in negotiating repairs, lower price or other options.
Yes, we can’t see through walls or predict the future! If we could do either of those, we’d be in another line of work earning a lot more money. Keep in mind that a home inspection lasts only a few hours, and it’s not technically exhaustive. A home inspection is not an appraisal or a check for compliance with building codes and it’s not an evaluation for any biological or environmental hazards.
Here are some ways we keep you covered:
- 100 % Satisfaction Guarantee !
If, at the end of your home inspection, you don’t think we have done a thorough inspection, we will either fix it provide a refund! - PORCH Guarantee!
Our inspections are so thorough that they are backed by the PORCH guarantee! If we miss anything significant, PORCH will pay for the repairs up to the cost of the inspection.
Your understanding of the home is our highest priority. You can ask questions for as long as you own your home.