10 Questions New Home Inspectors Should Ask

January 1, 2022

Home inspecting is a tough field. Stand behind what you know—and if you don’t know, go on and learn it. Have a network of people, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

For this article I worked with my associate Deb Hendrickson, who’s part of our team at HomeQuest Consultants, Inc., to get her input, too, as she teaches me as much as I teach her. This month we are addressing the top 10 questions new inspectors have asked during mentoring sessions.

Because we live in a world of disclaimers, the answers to these questions are based on my own personal experience strictly as a home inspector for the last 23 years. It’s always my goal as a mentor to teach mentees what I know and share my successes as well as failures. No one is perfect. Once you learn that and allow yourself to ask questions, you will absolutely love what you do.

Here are 10 questions home inspectors have asked when they started out.

1. Is it beneficial for me to become a member of a national organization like ASHI?

Before I started my business, I was fortunate to have a local college (Northeastern University) that offered a two-year certification course for home inspection. Massachusetts at that time did not have a licensing, certification, or registration requirement for home inspection.

I knew I would have to hang my hat on a set of standards of practice that I would be judged by and set expectations for by clients. I asked around and spoke to several inspectors in my area, and they all referred me to ASHI.

My instructors at Northeastern University at the time were local New England chapter leaders and members. I was invited to attend a local ASHI chapter meeting, and I met local inspectors who were willing to help, educate, answer questions, and actually take me out in the field.

I was told, “Well, if you’re going to be one of us, we’re going to make sure you’re trained to represent us!” I absolutely loved that statement and said, “Game on!”

I personally found joining an association to be the most beneficial thing I did—not only for myself but for my business. I highly recommend it to anyone getting into the business.

2. Should I belong to both the national organization and a local group, or would joining a local organization be enough?

My personal experience showed me that belonging to both national and local organizations was beneficial for my business. My experience with both national and local chapters is this: At the national level, I was able to network with the most influential minds in my field. I have been able to ask questions, pick their brains, make phone calls, and get mentored by some of the best people in the business. When I first started my business I truly believe it put me ahead of my competition because I took the opportunity to attend and volunteer my time to the association. I truly have gotten far more back than what I have given.

3. How do I know what kind of insurance coverage I need?

I knew I needed insurance, not only to protect my business but to protect my personal and family assets. I strongly recommend you have an attorney review your business plan and advise you based on your own personal needs. I personally hold errors and omissions, general liability, workers’ compensation, and a few smaller policies that work for my business.

Before you ask, yes, men and women have said to me, “If I have insurance you put a target on my back.” I’m here to tell you, no matter what you decide to do you have a target on your back—whether you have insurance or not. I recently heard an attorney say, “Well, if they don’t have coverage we’ll go after their family and their assets.” Attorneys are attorneys; they will do what they need to do to represent their client, so my recommendation is you do what you need to do to protect you and your client.

Interview insurance firms and make sure you have a broker you can establish a personal relationship with so that when the time comes—and trust me that day will come—when you receive a letter in the mail from an attorney’s office, you have someone you trust turning to. Make sure you’re working with an insurance broker who knows you and your family and your business practice, and gain that level of trust and allow them to represent you.

4. Do I have to be professionally trained and certified in wood destroying insect or pest inspections to perform them during my routine home inspections?

This is a great question. I know a lot of home inspectors perform a wood destroying insect inspection onsite, and that is a business decision. At the beginning of my career, I would offer to perform a wood destroying insect inspection as part of my home inspection, but what I soon discovered along the way was sometimes you just can’t catch everything. And some clients have a false sense of what a visual inspection really is.

The best way I can answer that question is to give you an example. I started using a service provider for my pest inspections, and I sold it as a second set of eyes—a trained, licensed inspector who specifically looks for rodents, wood destroying insects, etc. Long story short, the pest inspector found a termite shelter tube, a very small one, and quite honestly I probably would’ve missed it. What we found out later was there was $18,000 in structural damage behind the wall. Yes, I know it’s inaccessible. The point is I gave my buyer the option of bringing a second set of eyes in, someone specifically looking for this type of activity. That one job alone has gotten more word of mouth referral work from not only the buyer, but the buyer’s agent and the listing agent.

5. Do I need to be professionally trained by a radon measurement provider to perform radon testing in the state where there is no licensing law?

In Massachusetts I do not need to be licensed for radon testing; if I do an FHA inspection we are required to have a national radon certification. This is a business decision.

I always advise new inspectors to obtain as much education as they can, get licensed, get certified, and have something to support your business practices. Even if you aren’t required to be licensed, you should be trained and knowledgeable in the correct manner of testing.

6. How can I find samples of report writing software to know what will work best for me?

You can Google search “home inspector reporting software” and find several companies who are more than willing to give you trial sample reports. There is a multitude of report writing software to choose from. Find the report that works best for you and your business practice.

7. Should I offer any additional services to a home inspection? Should I perform them myself? How do I base the fees on the services?

That depends. How much time do you have? In my business I have a team, and each separate member can focus solely on their area of expertise. As such, I am able to offer my clients different levels of service based on their needs. As a team we are able to put all our information together in a more timely fashion to allow the client to make an informed decision.

On a side note, I understand in other states clients do not attend the home inspection. In Massachusetts, 98% of my buyers attend the inspection with their agent onsite. The team aspect saves time for my client onsite. We are able to give the client a lot of professional information in a timely manner.

8. Are there local home inspector affiliate groups I should belong to, and what are the benefits of joining them?

There are several home inspector affiliate groups, especially on Facebook, that you can join. My recommendation is to find a group that works for you. Not all groups are created equal. My best recommendation is to find the group that best suits your business practices.

9. Is there a website, forum, or peer group I can use to ask questions and get help from?

Yes, ASHI has a new website, ASHI Edge and you can also perform web searches. There are several other groups and forums on the internet, too. Again, I recommend you find a group that best fits your needs. Some ASHI chapters also offer peer reviews to their members.

10. As a new home inspector, how do I determine my rate for inspections?

Everyone always asks, “What do I charge?” and few will give you a clear, concise price. I’ll tell you what I did from day one. I looked at my competition. I looked at what they were offering, I looked at their reporting system, and I came up with a number I felt comfortable charging. Have my prices changed over the years? Absolutely! Am I the most expensive person out there? No, but I’m also not the cheapest person out there.

Every job is priced depending on the age of the home, square footage of the home, and complexity. Once in a while you’ll get a call about a “handyman special,” when a house needs a lot of work; they need a good home inspector and you know you’re going to be there a lot longer than expected. The report will probably take you twice as long to write, too. My recommendation is, if you have the specialties, expertise, and licensing in other fields and you want to offer those services, you should be paid for your experience, for your time, and for your professionalism.


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