Structural Systems
This includes foundation, grading & drainage, basements, walkways, and floor, wall and ceiling structures.
What is a Home Inspection?
A home inspection is a professional visual assessment of your home’s major systems and components. While home inspections won’t catch every single problem of a home, they are intended to help you catch any major defects or problem areas that can help in the negotiation of a real estate transaction. Home inspections are almost always done during real estate transactions, but can be done anytime.
How Much Does a Home Inspection Cost?
While the cost of a home inspection will vary based on the age and size of a home, the average cost of a home inspection is just under $400. Look at this as a small investment to catch major defects that can cost you down the road, or help you spot items you can maintain to avoid headaches later.
How Long Does a Home Inspection Take?
Plan for about 2 hours for a thorough home inspection. This accounts for time for you to ask questions and really learn about your potential new home.
What Does a Home Inspection Cover?
Standards of Practice
Some states license home inspectors and they will dictate what is covered in a home inspection.
For states that don’t license home inspectors, your home inspector will have a Standards of Practice that they adhere to. This is created by training and licensing organizations like InterNACHI.
What’s Not Covered in a Standard Home Inspection?
Other Home Inspection FAQs
Is a home inspection mandatory?
It’s not mandatory, just highly recommended. With the amount of money people put down for a home, it would not make sense to save $400 to risk a plumbing leak, electrical shortage or major hazard costing you far more down the road.
I’m buying a new build construction. Do I need a home inspection?
Definitely. This is a common myth that new builds have their own inspections and that’s sufficient. While this is true, these can be municipal inspectors that don’t necessarily have construction or building experience. New builds are also being built faster and with less skilled tradesmen nowadays, so there is potential for defects that could go unnoticed for a long time if not spotted by an unbiased third-party.
Can I choose my own home inspector, or do I need to use the one my agent recommends?
We recommend doing your own research, whether your agent gives you a few names or not. You want to hire an inspector that has solid reviews, a professional online presence and is certified through a major home inspection association like InterNACHI or ASHI.
What do I do after you send me the report?
You and your agent should decide on what items you’d like the seller to correct. Then your agent will help figure out if the seller will make repairs before closing or credit you money to make the repairs yourself.
Should I test for Radon in Ohio?
We recommend radon testing in Ohio, as our state falls in the higher range of dangerous radon levels as reported by the EPA.
