Replies

1. 
   Bob_Walker | May 26, 2001 01:11am | #1

   *
   Why are you asking?

1. 
   Jason_G._Gauthier | May 26, 2001 02:42am | #2

   *We are planning to buy a house and I have spoken with several home inspectors, including one US Inspect inspector who (from my phone conversation) seems to be leading the pack. It is US Inspect corporate policy not to release contact information for references, so I was hoping to hear from anyone who has used US Inspect inspectors. I would like to know if they had a good experience dealing with the company. Also, since the inspection report seems to be standard computer printout for all inspectors in the corporation, I would be interested in knowing if people think this "standardization" to be good or bad. Any advice or comments would be appreciated.Jason

1. 
   Bob_Walker | May 27, 2001 06:05pm | #3

   *Interesting question (at least to me, as a home inspector )My opinion:I don't know anything about US Inspect. I believe it is one of the many franchises for home inspections.The HI industry started as a mom-pop sort of industry and continues to be dominated by local, non-franchise operations, so far as I know (although I haven't seen actual industry figures.)I believe the franchise advantage is primarily for the home inspector, and primarily for him/her as a marketing package. I don't see where there is any demonstrable direct advantage to the consumer.The franchise operations do usually put their franchisees thru a home inspection school, but the one's I've heard of spent significant portions of their training time on marketing and business issues, and not so much on the knowledge required to actually do the home inspections. (Note, this is hearsay, based on (i) conversations I've had with other home inspectors who attended those schools and (ii) extensive research when I first looked into becoming a home inspector in about 1993.)(Note, based on that research I decided on the Midwest Inspectors Institute http://www.midwestinsp.com/Main.htm and was very impressed with their program.)I strongly suspect there is huge variation between individuals inspectors operating under any given franchise umbrella; I personally wouldn't make a decision based on which franchise an inspector operates under. (I personally don't think franchises add much if any value to the consumer, but then again, I don't use a franchise and I compete against them, so I might not be totally, completely objective on this point.I think the report aspect is a minor issue: what you need is an inspector who can spot problems, analyze them b andeffectively communicate them to you. IM O, The most important part of the inspection is what the inspector says during the inspection. The report is frosting on the cake.There are a number of report systems available to home inspectors of widely ranging quality. Based on what I've seen, the report system with the most information is the HomePro series (a semi-franchise operation: only one inspector in an area can use the HomePro book, but they don't have many of the other franchise issues/components.)I've looked at most of the computerized programs; they are of widely varying quality. The problem is that there are so many thousands of things to describe and/or discuss in a home, and so many regional variations, that it becomes a huge task to get them all in a computer application that is easy to use.The best report would be from an experienced home inspector who is highly literate and capable of expressing him/herself clearly (see above) in individually written "narrative" report. Good luck finding that inspector!"It is US Inspect corporate policy not to release contact information for references,"I'm not quite sure what that means, but suspect that it means many of their inspectors don't have much experience and thus they don't have references to give out. I don not know this, however, it is merely a guess.Here's what I think you should look for:Communication ability. It doesn't matter how good the inspector is, if they can't communicate clearly and effectively the knowledge they have is close to useless.Experience. The old timers say it takes 1,000 +/- inspections to get to where you can really do it right. I think that for inspectors who have regular guidance from more experienced inspectors (say, in a multi-inspector company) the figure is closer to 500+/-.Professional associations: ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors is the oldest and most established http://www.ashi.com/ ) NAHI (I believe a spin-off of ASHI from "political differences" http://www.nahi.org/ ) not quite as established but still fairly reputable. (Up until several years ago, one could join NAHI by merely paying the $$$$, I believe now they require testing --- ASHI has required testing and experience for a much longer period of time.I believe most (not all) of the other associations are "home-brewed:" Go to the xyz inspectors school and become a member of the Exalted Order of Home Inspectors. Background/experience: frankly, there are so many differences that it's hard to come up with guidelines. An overwhelming interest in construction is imperative. Ask 'em what trade mags they read: FHB and Journal of Light Construction should be on the list, as well as several of the consumer shelter mags (not so much from a technical point of view, but for what it shows about the inspector's interest.)A burning issue w/in the HI world is whether one markets thru real estate agents or not. Most HI's do simply because it is the most effective/efficient way of reaching home buyers.There are a few HI's who take great pride in refusing to market thru realtors. Their view is that realtors will only recommend HI's who go easy on the houses they inspect and aren't "deal-killers."My impression is that most of the "anti-realtor" group tend to make mountains out of molehills; I don't believe that is in a client's best interests; what you need to know is (i) whether there are any visible major problems and (ii) how does the house compare to other, similar houses which will be in your price range.Mots of this group also ends to be virulently anti-realtor. My own experience is thatthe vast majority of realtors are basically honset folks who want to do well for their clients. There are a few who would sell their mother's to close the deal, and some who are just plain stupid.Note, very few home inspectors will overlook a problem to keep on the good side of the agents; it is professional suicide. The downside in my view of marketing thru agents is the possibility of downplaying problems.In my mind,thew ideal home inspector is one who (i) doesn't market thru agents but (ii) doesn't brag about his/her antagonistic relationship with agents.(If you know any agents, ask them would they would use for their own house purchase!)Note: home inspectors are generalists, we're like family doctors: sometimes we'll refer you on to a specialist for further evaluation of a component. If your inspector makes such a referral, act on it before waiving your inspection contingency in the purchase contract.We don't know as much on any given system as a licensed professional in that particular area: the best inspection would arguably be by a team consisting of (1) a structural engineer, (2) a licensed HVAC contractor, (3) a licensed plumber, (4) a licensed electrician, (5) a roofer, (6) an appliance service person, and (7) a generalist to bring all of that information together and to spot issues broader than any 1 trade. Be sure to carry a big checkbook if you try to get this team together Bob WalkerParadigm InspectionsNW Ohio

1. 
   Mark_McDonnell | May 27, 2001 06:58pm | #4

   *Gotta bookmark that one Bob! Great stuff, and it's free!

1. 
   Bill_Hartmann | May 27, 2001 09:21pm | #5

   *BobIt appears that US Inspect is a major nation company with 6000 employee inspectors. http://www.usinspect.com/My browser did not display the info on the "about page", but I picked this up from one of the new release pages.I was surprised by James comments that they would not give referal. That is a huge red flag in my opion, however, there web page list all kinds list of companies that they do inspects on corporate relocates and they have tie in's with a bunch of real estate agencies.

2. 
   Bob_Walker | May 28, 2001 01:13am | #6

   *Mark, Thx for the kind words.Bill, thx for the link; they sure do put together a pretty good site! My impression has been that most of their inspectors are independent contractors and most of their inspections have been relo's (which aren't generally considered the cream of the crop in the inspection world; you do 'em when you're new and can't fill your schedule with buyer's inspections.)Something I picked up in their sample report:"Vertical cracking is evident at the foundation walls. The cracking appears to be related to the expansion and contraction of the concrete walls. Generally this condition is not structural."I'm not entirely sure about this: if I recall correctly, the coefficiant of expansion/contraction for typical poured concrete is 1/10,000" / foot / degree fahrenheit (maybe 1/1,000???) In either case, I've never heard anyone describe foundation cracks as resulting from expansion & contraction, especially when you consider the very limited range of temperature swing a typical foundation wall undergoes.Gabe; you around? Got figures? Comments?But, as the man says, whadda I know?

3. 
   Gabe_Martel | May 29, 2001 02:23am | #7

   *Bob,Reading cracks in a concrete foundation is like reading tea leaves.Some people read their entire lives and others see only tea leaves.Personally, I like no leaves in my tea and use that new invention called the tea bag.The most consistent aspect is that no two people see the same as they gaze into the cup.Cracks in concrete can be of significance if structural or insignificant if surface or shrinkage.Does the crack taper from the top down or from the bottom up?Does the crack taper inward or outward?Does the foundation have only one crack or is there two or more in one corner or wall?What causes cracks? Shock, stress, poor mix and/or inconsistent pouring.Rule of thumb, structural cracks are normally the full height of the foundation and will seldom be singular.Gabe

4. 
   Jason_G._Gauthier | May 29, 2001 02:44am | #8

   *Thanks for all the information! It will certainly be very helpful!Jason

5. 
   Bob_Walker | May 29, 2001 10:58am | #9

   *Ah, Master (AKA Gabe)Information on tea leaves very, ah, informative. In words of Zen Master Harry Belafonte, "It was clear as mud, but it covered the ground!"GrasshopperI was wondering inparticular about the reference to vertical cracking related to i expansion and contractionof the wall.I've never seen another source/discussion of foundation wall cracks arising from that, and suspect there just isn't enough temperature delta to cause such movement in a residential basement.OTOH, perhaps exp/contr is just another form of tea leaf reading?

6. 
   Gabe_Martel | May 30, 2001 12:26am | #10

   *Ken,Unless the foundation wall is more than a hundred feet in a straight line, it would be very unlikely that "expansion and contraction" would have any noticeable effect.Construction and concrete are both as old as tea leaf reading, however, we understand the physics of construction/concrete. The point that I was making is that both are sometimes practiced as if they were magical and nothing could be farther from the truth when it comes to concrete foundations in the 21st century.Gabe

2. 
   Jason_G._Gauthier | May 30, 2001 12:26am | #11

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   Has anyone dealt with "US Inspect" when having a home inspected? If so, what are your thoughts on the company/inspector?
   Jason