Costs & Other Questions

We are a family business and we know that choosing the right home inspector can be difficult. Whether you decide to use our inspectors or not, we would like to offer you some guidance on selecting the right inspector.

The first thing you need to know is that The State of Florida has not established a professional licensing system, minimum professional qualifications or even minimum professional standards for home inspectors.                                                     This means that there are many unqualified, under-qualified and inexperienced people offering home inspection services in Florida

Secondly, you need to understand is that there are many associations for home inspectors. All of those organizations exist to serve the needs if their members and to protect their interests, not those of the client.                                                  This means that you can’t depend on an inspectors’ association to protect your interests as a client of one of their members.

Thirdly, you need to be aware that, although a few inspectors’ associations do try to enhance their image by offering on-line courses and tests, this is primarily geared to attracting dues paying members to their association, which is not and educational institution which offers recognized professional qualifications.                                                                                  This means that you need to be aware what real and recognized qualifications you should expect your inspector to hold. In selecting an inspector, you need answers to four key questions.

Does this inspector have proper professional qualifications?                                                                                           The International Code Council advises governments and government agencies on codes for all aspects of construction and has an independently monitored professional examination system for code professionals. You should look for an inspector who holds ICC inspector certifications covering building, electrical, mechanical services and plumbing codes. No association membership is an alternative to qualification!

Does this person have enough experience as an inspector?                                                                                             If the person you select is registered with the Master Inspector Certification Board, this is a reasonable guarantee that you are getting an inspector who has a wealth of experience in property inspection. Other experience in one of the many building trades is not an alternative to being qualified to inspect the work of all trades.

Where can I get reliable references from former clients?                                                                                                You need to know where to look, but there is a simple and reliable source which few people know about – and IT IS FREE !  Simply go to www.homecheck.com and select the home inspector option. You can then choose your state and your county or city and enter a database of home inspectors. Here you will be able to see independent ratings and assessments of the inspector and even read reviews which clients, who are usually property related professionals, have entered after using that inspector.

How much is a professional inspection going to cost?            The real question is: What am I risking by not having a professional inspection? Can you afford to buy a property, only to discover that it going to cost thousands in repairs and replacement costs, much of which might have been put right at the seller’s cost; or saved by negotiated reductions in the purchase price, or cask-back at closing; if only you had known about them before.  Most of the time, hiring the right, inspector will result in your saving many times the fee you will pay for his professional services. Using a qualified and experienced inspector, particularly one with good references, is actually an investment which can often pay large and near immediate dividends in the largest financial transaction that most people will ever handle.

So, how much will you have to invest in a professional property inspection?                                                                          Try to remember that your inspector will have a substantial investment in education and tools; that think that a quality inspection will take a good inspector about 3 hours to complete and at least another 2 hours in travel, report-writing, follow-up and record keeping. After that, you need to add in the cost of travel and normal business overheads. If you think about all of this, you will understand why you should be very wary if any inspector offers to handle your inspection for less than $300 - $350, plus travel costs.

Do I really need to hire a professional inspector?                                                                                           The only answer we can give you is a resounding “YES.” However, that is not just because we hope to secure your business. We don’t want you to fall into a common trap. Don’t think that you derive any protection from the appraisal, which your lender will require, or the four point inspection, which your insurer may insist on. The lender is seeking reassurance that the property has enough value to cover your loan if he has to foreclose, while the insurer wants to know that the property does not have issues which will increase his claims underwriting risk. Neither of these assessments is of much help to you and neither of them can be relied on to protect your interests, or your investment.

Some realtors are also offering home-owner insurance policies to encourage you to close the deal without renegotiating the price. This approach seeks to set your mind at rest about the future cost of correcting issues which, if you hired one, a professional inspector might identify while the costs were still someone else’s responsibility. However, if you read the small print in these policies, you will find that normal wear and tear is excluded and some of the high risk coverage does not kick in until you have had the item inspected and the insurer has accepted the inspection report!

So, what comes next? We hope that you will select PML Property / Certified Home Inspections to conduct your inspection. We know that, by using our company, you will get a first class service from an inspector who has excellent professional qualifications, good inspection experience and excellent references.

Even if you decide to use another inspection service, at least we know that you now have the knowledge with which to make an informed decision when hiring your inspector. The only thing that really matters is that you do hire an inspector with the right knowledge, skills and experience.

If you would like to talk about your needs, please call us in the office, on 863 299 7500, or call Geoff direct on 863 605 0301. If you do choose our family business to help you, we can guarantee that you will have our very best effort - as if you were also a member of our family. 

To reach Angela, Geoff, or Philip, in the office

Call 863 299 7500

to reach Geoff, on his cell phone,

Call 863 605 0301