Building inspections, how to get a good one!

This was my response to a recent article regarding home inspectors and the upcoming licensing of inspectors in Ontario;

As a real estate broker I have dealt with many inspectors over the years.

Some are really good, most are fairly good, some are really bad, even corrupt, and they all miss things from time to time.

Two to three hours is not really enough time to do a full inspection, and there are some things they can not check, like inside walls.

A recommendation for an inspector is a good start but not always reliable, the all time worst inspector I ever had to deal with was referred by one family member to another.

If you aren't sure, find a civil engineer that does them. They can make mistakes too, and they do a little different type of inspection, but at least you are dealing with someone with real knowledge and practical experience. Engineers tend to focus more on the structure and less on appliance and other relatively minor concerns.

There is one major inspection company in the business, they have civil engineers and other inspectors available as well. They have been around a long time and literally wrote the book on the subject. There are also good independent civil engineers available, your salesperson/broker should know of one or more.

It typically costs a little more to hire a civil engineer, but if you ever have a real problem you also have someone to go back to that is more likely to respond to your concerns.

A good salesperson/broker should be able to notice most of the potential problem areas before the inspection and advise you of them so you can negotiate accordingly and not waste your time and money with the inspection and other elements if a price adjustment will be difficult afterwards.

A well respected inspector's report is also a very strong negotiating tool when necessary.