Home inspectors need to distinct and separate skill sets. They have to have a very broad technical base about buildings. It is not enough just to be an expert in plumbing but they also must be knowledgeable about electrical, roofing, structural, mechanical, concrete, insulation, weatherproofing, etc. The breadth of knowledge is amazing.

They must also be excellent communicators, both spoken and written. My state SOPs say a home inspection is a WRITTEN evaluation. So the home inspector must be able to take the information gathered during the physical inspection and convert that into a written document that A)meets the state requirements for reporting, B) and informs the buyer about the condition of the home. Ideally the report conveys the information in a very simple manner that is easy to understand.

A home inspectors job is to find all the negative things about a home and write them down. Very few people really want to hear about all the negative things. Or at the very least, they want to hear that the negative things are minor, cheap to repair, and don't really matter anyway. That is seldom the case.

I am on my associations peer report review committee. I view other inspectors reports to determine if they meet the state requirements. My reply has 2 sections: how well it meets the state mandated reporting requirements, and how to improve the understandability and readability by a layperson.

Most reports overlook a few of the state mandated requirements due mostly to the item not being in the subject house. Even if there is no trash compactor, it still must be documented in the report. The area that often needs the most work is the readability and understandability of the report.

Most times the problem is not that it is too alarming or not alarming enough, it is just plain poorly written. Descriptions don't describe. Locations are confusing. Not enough information is included to pick out the defective item from a host of similar items (which bedroom has the problem?) Writing is a skill that improves with practice and refinement. Not all home inspectors have the necessary practice or desire to write well.

If the inspector has the deepest techncial knowledge base but can't translate his findings into a well written document or express them to the client in a clear and concise manner, then they are only doing half the job. Many home inspectors have sample reports on their websites. If you are looking for a new home inspector, get a sample of the report. Longer reports are not better if they don't add value. Shorter reports are not better if they are leaving out information.

One time I had an agent complain during the inspection that everything I was pointing out was not important and it should not be in the report. Her regular inspector was much better. During the re-inspection she complained that there was not information in the report and that her normal inspector would have listed more detail. She was afraid I would kill her deal during the inspection but during the re-inspection she want to show the client that she was working hard.

My biggest complaint with home inspectors is that some of them seem a bit lazy when it comes to following through on something in particular.

For instance, they may note that deck support posts are "on the ground" and not "on concrete footings" Then their report software writes a bunch of stuff warning about the dangers of posts coming in direct contact w/ soil, and the buyer is all worried. You then submit to the seller a corrective proposal stating that there will be concrete footings installed (in our area, 48" deep) or a credit of X amount given to the buyer."

Come to find out, the seller merely covered the area under the deck with pea gravel and/or mulch, and if the inspector had taken about 5 minutes and brushed away the mulch/gravel, he would have seen the concrete footing, plain as day.

This kind of thing is just an annoyance, but it makes the inspector, the buyer and the buyer's agent look dumb...

I understand inspectors claim they are not going to be "uncovering" things such as carpet-covered floors to make sure the floor is not rotten, or they will not cut thru sheetrock to make sure some plumbing thing is OK....but sheesh, you tell me they can't take a few minutes to scrape away mulch and/or gravel to see if there may actually be a footing under that brand new porch post????

My most recent inspector gripe was the time it took to complete the report. We had 14 days from contract signing to have the inspection completed and the results (if they influenced the purchase) to be reported back to the seller. Inspection was conducted on day 14, and the results not received back for an additional 3 weeks.

Unfortunately, the inspector discovered significant defects that made the buyer decide to withdraw his offer. But as the dates were totally out of whack with what was agreed upon, there is now a significantly unhappy seller who wants to retain at least some of the earnest money.

This could have been totally avoided had the inspector completed his report in a timely manner.

3 weeks? Holy cow - we usually have the report within 24 hours, even on weekends.

North Carolina licensing requires a written report within 3 days unless specific other arrangements have been made. Most inspectors I deal with email the report the following day.

3 weeks is unacceptable. Find a new inspector.

Neudot, did the inspector commit to getting a completed report to you on or before day 14? When representing a buyer, I have never had to wait longer than one day to get a report in writing. 3 weeks would unacceptable in most anyone's book!

I agree that the time frame was unacceptable. This inspector is not one I would choose, but the choice was made by the buyer, not me. I have never had one delivered within a day, but 3 days or so would be workable. Three weeks is not.

It's unfortunate that, even with today's technological advantages, this still occurs. I have to wonder about the accuracy of a report that is being compiled two or three days after the inspection, based on "notes" that were taken on site.

I enter all information directly into the report as I am inspecting each system. My reports are delivered via email on the same day as the inspection - usually within 2 hours after completion of the inspection.