By Sarah Cox

Additional Info See ashi.org/customers/state.asp to find out which states require licenses for home inspectors and how other states are regulating the industry. Looking up Inspectors ASHI members must perform 250 inspections and pass two exams before joining. NAHI members are classified in three groups: Associate members have completed a 40-hour program or 20 inspections. Regular members have completed 100 inspections and passed one exam. Certified real estate inspectors (NAHI CRI) have completed 250 inspections and passed an additional exam.

An inspection is one of the crucial final steps when buying a home. Prospective buyers should plan to be present and engaged throughout the process, which averages about three hours for a 2,000-square-foot home. Dan Schenkel, who has previously worked in remodeling and general contracting, has been inspecting homes for the national company U.S. Inspect for the last five years. While his role is mainly to assess the structural stability and safety of a home, he often finds that his reports become bargaining tools when buyer and owner sit down to negotiate the final price.

Potential buyers often ask Schenkel, “Would you buy this home?” “If the price is right, I would buy any house,” he answers. “There is really nothing that can’t be fixed. And if the home is beyond repair and needs to be bulldozed, well, the lot’s worth something. So in my opinion there are no issues that would be deal killers. If you don’t want to do anything to a home to maintain it, then you probably should not be buying a house because they all require maintenance.”

Strategy for hiring an inspector. Asking your friendly local realtor for a recommendation is a typical strategy when hiring an inspector. Remember, however, that most mountain states do not require inspectors to be licensed, so a quick peek at the local laws, followed by a background check, will be necessary. Residents of Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Idaho, and Utah, none of which require licenses, should look to Web sites such as the National Association of Home Inspectors (www.nahi.org) and the American Society of Home Inspectors (www.ashi.org), which provide listings by zip code. The organizations’ members must keep current with industry standards and fulfill continuing education requirements, so buyers can be sure they’ll be getting experienced professionals.

What an inspection is. A buyer may want to take Schenkel’s suggestion and treat the whole process “like a seminar on your home,” with the inspector there to point out anything that could need work in the future. On a home’s exterior, an inspector will look at the following:

• Walks, steps, driveways, patios, retaining walls
• The building envelope, siding, and windows
• Waterproofing and signs of leakage
• The roof, condition of roofing materials, flashing, skylights, gutters, downspouts, and signs of leaks
• Chimney (exterior only), soffits, and drainage conditions

Weather is a factor. The effects of high winds, freezing and thawing, rain, and moisture are the main Colorado weather problems Schenkel encounters. It goes without saying that it’s best to have your roof inspected on a snow-free day: Stan Harbuck, who has been training fellow Utah inspectors for 10 years, cautions that buyers whose roofs are not examined while clear are taking a risk. Although they enjoy an arid climate, Utah residents should remember that their homes are not impervious to mold and mildew; leaky plumbing can create further trouble. One of the most common problems found in Utah inspections involves the swamp cooler, a piece of air-conditioning equipment designed to take advantage of arid climates. When installed near an exhaust flu for a water heater, this device draws in carbon dioxide-rich air and blows it into the house.

While these inspections focus on safety, it is not the building inspector’s responsibility to ensure that your home is code compliant with local government regulations. There can be a lot of variation in this area, so check your local codes. (An example of a difference is Boulder requiring that roofs withstand 90-mph winds while Denver has no such requirement.)

For a home’s interior, inspectors examine the following for safety problems:

• Moisture in the basement or crawl spaces
• Structural stability, especially where the structure is visible below grade
• Bowing, cracking, or bulging in the framing
• Structural details and the effects of the home’s settlement
• andrails on stairs, balconies, and decks
• Plumbing where visible
• Wiring, especially if it appears a homeowner has added outlets
• Heating and cooling systems
• Attic and crawl spaces, especially the ventilation and insulation

What an inspection is not. The above covers a lot, but those are visual inspections. While an inspector will not be sawing into the walls to check for termites or probing concealed plumbing, the visible nooks and crannies provide experienced inspectors with clues as to what is going on behind the walls. There is no need to bang away at the drywall just out of curiosity.

The inspection price will vary depending upon the size and age of the house. For a 2,000-square-foot home built in the last 20 years, Schenkel usually charges $275. Expect to pay more for older or larger homes. The inspection report summing up the findings will be much easier to understand if you are present and asking questions during the inspection. After that, it’s back to the bargaining table for most—armed with a good idea of what future repairs lie ahead for your home sweet home.