Home inspectors use many factors to determine the cost of a home inspection. Items such as the finished square footage versus unfinished areas and travel time. Other considerations are: Does the home have a basement or crawlspace? The property’s age, the number of rooms, and the list goes on. Other more important factors, such as the cost of certification, insurance, continuing education, and advertising fees, play a huge role in determining the fee a home inspector may charge.
Hire a Certified Inspector
Some home inspectors are not licensed or certified because some states (like Virginia) do not require home inspector certification. These home inspectors will be able to charge a much lower fee due to low overhead costs. However, the old saying goes, “You get what you pay for.” This does not mean these home inspectors can’t provide quality, professional, or knowledgeable home inspections. However, determining that a home inspector has the necessary skills and background to protect your family and financial future is difficult.
Check Qualifications and Rates
We recommend the following websites for home inspector qualification verification: Department of Professional and Occupational Regulations, or InterNACHI. Home inspectors who are willing to put in the time, prove their knowledge of home construction, and get certified or licensed are the home inspectors who are going to provide the best protection for your family. Their fees will be much higher than non-licensed or non-certified home inspectors. A licensed or certified home inspector will charge $400 to $475 for a 2,500-square-foot home, while a non-certified home inspector may charge $250 to $300 for the same home. Licensed and certified home inspectors must answer to governing bodies, but non-licensed or certified home inspectors do not. So, when you have an issue with your licensed, certified home inspector, you have a course of action you can deploy without the cost of an attorney, an option not available with non-licensed or non-certified home inspectors and with Walk and Talk inspections.
Think of the Cost of a Home Inspection as an Investment
The most important question here is: What is the safety and well-being of your family and your financial future worth? This is not an area where penny pitching should be considered. If the sale price of the home is $350,000, then the cost of a home inspection is a meager one-hundredth of a percent, 0.001 to 0.0015%, which is a bargain when compared to a 5 to 6% realtor’s commission of $12,500 – $15,000.
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Aztec Home Inspections offers inspections to homeowners, including plumbing and sewer scope inspections, in Waynesboro, Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, and the surrounding areas. Contact us to request our services.