If an inspector is handling more than 3 or 4 appointments in a day, beware:
He may have a “helper” or employee on site with him, who may not inspect as thoroughly as he does.
He may pay a secretary to write the inspection reports based on his field notes, leaving a lot of room for errors.
He may be rushing through each inspection for maximum profit, trying to do too much in a day. In any of these events, defects and details may get left out of the inspection report. It makes you wonder what else might be wrong that didn’t make it to your inspection report…
What about on-site reporting?
The physical act of inspecting a home and taking notes takes nearly 3 (or more) hours. An inspector who says they provide an “on-site” report may spend as much or more time writing the report than actually inspecting the home and defects may get missed, or you may end up with an unprofessional or confusing report, even if special report forms are used.
The other important point is that when you inspect a house, minor defects in one or more areas may point to a common defect or condition (such as old plumbing, ceiling stains and a spinning water meter). Elaborating on the defects or conditions might be needed, but cannot be done once an onsite report is filled out & completed. Find more useful tips from these Articles.
What about professional tools & equipment?
Most inspectors carry a flashlight, an outlet tester, maybe a ladder, and if you’re lucky, a digital camera. But if the point of getting a home inspection is to get more information about that home, the home inspector should have an array of tools at his disposal.