San Diego Home Inspection

Q. Should I be there for the inspection?

A: It is preferrable, though not necessary, for the client to attend. However, we encourage our clients to arrive towards the end of the inspector's evaluation. It might be helpful to think of "the inspection" as two separate halves. The first half being the inspector's assessment and the second being the inspector's walkthrough with clients.

Part 1: "Inspector's assessment" It is critically important for the inspector to have a safe and unobstructed oportunity to assess the overall and individual components of the property. The inspector, like any other professional, has a specific routine that he follows to perform his best on the clients behalf. It should also be noted that inspecting homes is a potentially dangerous endeavor. Inspectors typically remove covers at live electrical panels, climb tall ladders, walk on roofs, and crawl through cramped under-floor areas. For these reasons We do not recommend the client, or any other persons, participate in this part of the process. At this time that the inspector takes detailed notes and digital photographs while conducting his assesment of the property. Simply stated, the more people present at the site means additional variables and an increased likelyhood of an unsafe event or an oversight.

Part 2: "Inspector's walkthrough with clients" Upon completing his assessment, the inspector will share his main findings with the client. At this point, the inspector will spend as much time as necessary to answer all of the questions the buyer's may have.

Conducting the inspection in this manner saves time for all of the parties involved and reduces the number of on-site variables. By doing so the highest quality, and most efficient, inspection can be provided.

Q. Are you licensed?

A: There is no licensing requirement for home inspectors in the state of California. Buyer beware - just about anybody can market themselves as a home inspector! Yes, this is true, and even many realtors are unaware of this fact. This is why choosing the lowest price inspector is so risky. Most veteran real estate professionals insist on recommending only CREIA certified inspectors. CREIA is a voluntary, nonprofit public-benefit organization of real estate inspectors (creia.org ). To become a Member of CREIA, an inspector must meet rigorous professional and technical requirements, including the successful completion of two comprehensive exams. In addition, he or she must perform at least 250 fee paid inspections and complete at least 30 hours of continuing education annually. Joseph Romeo has been CREIA Certified since 2001.

Q. How long will the inspection take?

A: A typical single family home inspection takes about 2 hours on site. Large homes, custom built homes, and Older homes (with raised foundations) may take consierably longer. Condo's may take less time as there are less exterior items. Note: We can provide you with a time estimate during the scheduling process. These time estimates vary and do not include time spent generating the report (completed off-site).

Q. What payment options do I have?

A: Payment is due at time of inspection. If you are unable to attend we will make other arrangements. We do accept personal checks. We do not accept credit cards. We typically do not process payments made through escrow unless there is a special circumstance.

Q. When will I recieve the inspection report?

A: Most inspection reports will be delivered via e-mail (pdf format) within 24 hours. The report outlines all major areas of the home including heating, air conditioning, plumbing, electrical, roofing, and more. A sample inspection report exists on this site for your review. Inspection reports on large Commercial buildings may take longer.

Q. When should I schedule the inspection?

A: If you're a buyer, you should schedule an inspection as soon as you have a signed contract in place. The standard contract agreement only allows 17 days for buyer's to perform investigations and removal of contingencies. Most REO and bank foreclosure sales insist on even shorter contingency periods. If you are selling a property, consider a pre-listing inspection before putting the home on the market. This will give you time to consider making any necessary repairs to boost buyer confidence and help your home rise above the nearby competition.

Q. How much does a property inspection cost?

A: Property inspection fees depend on a variety of factors, including: square footage, age of the home, number of heating and air conditioning units, and location. A ballpark figure on an "average" property would be $300 (condo), and $400 (single family). Commercial properties sometimes undergo a bidding process depending on the time-frame available and can have multiple options in the bid. Contact us for an accurate quote.

Q. Do home inspectors find every problem?

A: A home inspection is limited to a visual inspection of the home's components and systems. Inspectors do not do damage to walls or ceilings, use invasive tools or disturb personal property. Problems that cannot be seen during the extensive walkthrough of the property are not within the scope of a standard home inspection.

Q. Will the inspector recommend someone for repairs if necessary?

A: Depending on what is found during the inspection, we may recommend that you have specific home components evaluated by a specialist, such as a plumber or electrician, for possible update or repair. We never solicit bids on repairs or promote a single contractor. We suggest soliciting referrals from friends or family in the area.