About Our Inspections

WHAT IS A HOME INSPECTION?

A home inspection is a visual observation of specific, readily accessible systems and components as they exist
in the home during the inspection. The objective of a home inspection is to identify most major defects that
require immediate major repair. We may report minor defects that we encounter during our inspection, but we
focus our efforts on finding major defects that may cost you a significant amount of money and time or may
present a safety hazard.

You should understand several important aspects of a home inspection.

1. A home inspection is visual. If a defect is concealed under a floor, behind a wall, under insulation, behind or
under owner belongings, or someplace else that we cannot see or access, we cannot report about it.

2. A home inspection includes readily accessible areas. Readily accessible means being available for visual
observation without moving personal property, removing covers that are fastened in place, using inspection
techniques that may damage property, and taking actions that may risk injuring persons (including the inspector)
or damaging property.

3. A home inspection reports on conditions during the inspection. Conditions change. A system or component
that functions during the inspection may fail immediately after the inspection. This is particularly true of
intermittent defects.

4. A home inspection includes specific systems and components. Please refer to the Comprehensive Home
Inspections page for a description of systems and components included in your home inspection.

5. A home inspection focuses on finding most major defects. We define a major defect as one that may cost
more than $1,000 to repair when the repair is made by a qualified, licensed contractor.

6. A home inspection reduces, but does not eliminate risk. Buying and owning a home means assuming the risk
that unexpected and costly events may occur. A home inspection is only one part of your risk management
strategy along with insurance and regular maintenance. A home inspection reduces, but does not eliminate, your
risk that major defects may exist on the property. It also reduces the risk of minor defects, but because we do
not focus on minor defects, the risk reduction is much less for minor defects.

WHAT IS EXCLUDED FROM MY HOME INSPECTION?

The following is a list of common systems, conditions, and components excluded from your home inspection.
Please refer to our inspection agreement for more information about your home inspection scope and limitations.

* Geological conditions and soil stability, such as expansive soils and fissures
* Structural stability and engineering analysis
* Termites and all other pests
* All environmental hazards, such as mold, radon, noise, and air and water quality
* Recreational facilities, such as swimming pools, spas, hot tubs, and play equipment
* Water softeners, water filters, and hot water pumps
* Private water and sewer systems, such as wells and septic tanks
* Security systems and alarms, such as smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
* Low voltage and signal distribution systems, such as telephone, cable TV, computer wiring, audio wiring,
intercoms, and low voltage lighting
* Window treatments, such as screens, blinds, shutters, and curtains
* Fire sprinkler systems
* Lawn irrigation systems
* Kitchen and household appliances, such as refrigerators, washers, and clothes dryers
* Floor coverings, wall coverings, and interior finishes such as paint

DO YOU PERFORM TERMITE INSPECTIONS?
No. We look for signs of termites during our inspection, but we are also looking for hundreds of other things.
We believe it is better to use an experienced and licensed pest control contractor that regularly performs termite
inspections and can concentrate on that one important task. We can recommend termite inspectors that you can
hire and pay separately. We can schedule the termite inspection, if you wish.

HOW LONG WILL MY HOME INSPECTION TAKE?

The time required to conduct a thorough home inspection depends on the age and condition of the home, the
size of the home, and the type of foundation on which the home is constructed. A newer home on a slab
foundation with less than 2,000 square feet of conditioned space usually takes about 2 1/2 hours to inspect.
Most homes require between 2 1/2 and 4 hours to conduct our thorough inspection. Older homes and homes in
poor condition can require significantly more time. Larger homes require more time as do homes on crawl space
foundations.

WHEN WILL I RECEIVE MY INSPECTION REPORT?

Our narrative inspection reports with embedded pictures can take several hours to produce. We believe that our
inspection report should be as thorough and professional as our inspection. Because we take great care and
pride in our reports, we do not provide on-site reports.

Reports from a morning inspection are usually ready for email delivery by the end of the same day. We usually
mail printed reports within 24 hours. We try to have all reports available for email delivery within 36 hours after
the end of the inspection. Please let us know when you schedule the inspection if report delivery is time critical.

WHAT WILL MY INSPECTION REPORT LOOK LIKE?

Your inspection report is a full narrative report with embedded pictures. The full report usually contains between
30 and 40 pages. The summary report, presenting findings that may require immediate attention, usually contains
between 5 and 10 pages. We present our report in a professional binder that contains a free homeowner
maintenance manual.

As a member of the ASHI national Standards of Professional Practice Committee, we are careful to ensure that
our reports comply with ASHI Standards. Each finding presents a description of the situation or problem, a
brief explanation of the potential risk that the situation or problem may present, and a recommendation about
how we believe you should address the situation or problem. In some cases, we also include a description of the
current accepted construction standard upon which we base our finding.

Click here to view sample report pages

HOW DO I PAY FOR MY HOME INSPECTION?

Please have cash or a check available at the end of the inspection. Sorry, we do not accept credit cards and we
do not carry the inspection fee to closing.

HOW DO I SCHEDULE MY HOME INSPECTION?

Please call the office to schedule an inspection. We are normally available every day between 8 AM and 9 PM
Mountain Standard Time. If we do not answer, please leave a message. We will return your call, usually within a
few minutes and almost always within a few hours.

We perform inspections every day, including Saturday and Sunday. We can usually schedule an inspection with
five days advance notice, and sometimes with less notice. Please call us as soon as possible after you sign a
purchase contract so that we can schedule your inspection within the inspection period.

When you call to schedule your inspection, please have the following information ready:

* Client name(s),
* Client contact information including phone numbers and email,
* Address of the home to be inspected including zip code and street name (Street, Avenue,
Lane, etc.) The exact street name is important in Phoenix,
* Builder name, subdivision name, lot number, and builder contact information (if
new construction),
* Name and contact information of the client's real estate agent, if any,
* Report delivery method (email, postal mail, client pick-up),
* Home description including:
.....conditioned square footage,
.....year home was built,
.....foundation type (slab, crawl space, basement),
.....pool or spa on property,
.....casita, barn, storage shed, or other attached or detached building on property

HOW CAN I HELP ENSURE A COMPLETE INSPECTION?

We want to provide you with the thorough and complete inspection you deserve. Please help us by ensuring that
the following tasks are complete prior to the inspection.

1. Confirm that access to the home has been arranged by the seller or agent. We do not have a lock box key.
2. Confirm that all utilities (gas, electricity, water) are on and that components such as water heaters, evaporative
coolers, and furnaces are functioning and ready for inspection.
3. Confirm that locks have been removed from gates, doors, electrical panels, and detached buildings.
4. Confirm that a clear path exists to, under, and around the water heater, furnace(s), electrical panel, and all attic
access openings. Remove pictures, furniture, storage shelves, or owner belongings, that block access to any of
these appliances or openings.
5. Confirm that any animals will be removed or restrained.
6. Confirm that builder forms and requirements have been communicated to us so we can comply with builder
requirements.