Property Inspection Overview
Our inspections are performed according to the Standards of Practice of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). Please review these Standards.
We comply with the Pennsylvania Home Inspection Law.
Inspection Process
Generally, the inspection will require 2.5 - 4.5 hours. You are encouraged to accompany the inspector during the inspection, and it is to your advantage to get the on-site verbal report. Please feel free to ask questions during the inspection. You may want to bring an umbrella (if raining) and a notebook. If you cannot attend the inspection, please call the inspector AFTER you receive the report. We are happy to answer your questions and further discuss the report findings with you.
One-Time Visit to the Property
Please be advised that our inspection fees and our schedules are based on a one-trip inspection. If the utilities are off, we will still perform the inspection; however, we will not be able to completely check certain components. If it is too cold to operate the air conditioner, or too hot to operate the heating system, we do not make a return visit.
Our inspectors will not be returning to inspect properties that have snow covered roofs at the time of the inspection. Return trips will be subject to availability and the client will be charged an additional fee of $75. The weather is unpredictable and we will do our best to view and inspect the roof as it is safe to do so.
We do not make return trips to the inspected property to determine if repairs were performed.
Questions for the Inspector
It is common during an inspection for a buyer to ask the home inspector if a particular component should be repaired or replaced by the seller. This is your decision, not ours. Our job is to determine the conditions of various components at the time of the inspection. We also commonly encounter situations where a component is still functional, but it is at the end of its economic or service life. Buyers ask if it should be repaired/replaced. The decision to repair/replace or just live with it will be yours. Please also be advised that it is generally necessary to obtain a bid from a contractor in order to determine the exact extent (and cost) of repairs/replacements for a component. We do not quote prices because we are not contractors. In certain cases we will recommend further evaluation by a contractor or engineer.
Roof Inspection
We will attempt to walk on the roof in order to evaluate the roof if possible (using a 16 ft ladder). If this ladder does not reach the roof we will use other means for evalution such as a drone or camera pole. We will not make a return visit to the property to check the roof if it is snow covered at the time of the inspection. When the snow clears and it is safe to evaluate the roof, please call our office to see if a return trip is possible. Please note there will be a fee charged for this service.