Following the Standards of Practice for a home inspection, the inspector will cast an experienced eye on every aspect of the home, from the roof to the foundation and basement. Following a set formula and taking notes he or she goes through a General Inspection form that includes Roof, Exterior, Basement, Foundation, Crawlspace, Structure, Heating, Cooling, Plumbing, Electrical, Fireplace, Attic, Insulation, Ventilation, Doors, Windows and Interior. The inspector takes many photos and finishes with a written report detailing the inspection and any discrepancies that were noted.

They have a selection of tools that can help them identify certain problems, but they are not allowed to dig around or move things in the home, and that’s why it is called a “General Inspection”. Nevertheless, the trained eye of the inspector can see many things that are not obvious to the average home buyer.

Using a Certified Home Inspector is not an expensive venture. Presently in this area the charge is around $400 for an average home inspection, and it takes the better part of a day to complete the report with the photos and the “Walk through” with the client. Considering that a home may run around $100,000, it’s a very small cost to pay for a certified Inspector. And if there are any discrepancies found, the report could save the client much more than the cost of the inspection.