10 Tips To Choosing an Inspector

If the selection of a building inspector is made carefully and ahead of time, home buyers will have one less detail to worry about during the chaos and excitement of finding a new home.
Home buyers may call several inspectors in their area and contact them in advance to ascertain their qualifications. Home buyers may also check their Department of Commerce site to see if the inspector’s builder’s registration is current.
Here are some important questions to ask:

  1. What professional associations does the inspector belong to?
  2. Is the inspector a Registered Builder? Is the registration current?
  3. Does the inspector supply a written report? Will the inspection and report be done in accordance with AS4349-1 2007 “Inspection of Buildings”?
  4. How long has the inspector been in business as a building inspection firm?
  5. Is the inspector specifically experienced in residential construction?
  6. Does the company offer to do any repairs or improvements based on its inspection? This might cause a conflict of interest.
  7. How long will the inspection take? (The average is 1 to 1-1/2 hours; anything less isn’t enough time to do a thorough inspection.)
  8. How much will the inspection cost? (Fees vary and do not necessarily reflect the quality and thoroughness of the inspection.)
  9. If you would like to attend during the inspection does the inspector object the client to attending the inspection? Remember permissions of attendance from the selling agent is a requisite and may not always be granted. Check with your selling agent about attending during inspections.
  10. Does the inspector participate in continuing education programs to keep his expertise up to date?

Bonus Tip. Most importantly, does the building inspection service currently have full professional indemnity insurance? This will protect you if the inspection misses a problem that must be fixed.
For further information on building inspections:
www.commerce.wa.gov.au/consumer-protection/professional-building-inspections