Finding a home inspector is not really a problem anymore.  Economic and licensing environments during the last 10 years allowed a large increase in the the population of inspectors in most markets.  Unfortunately, current economic conditions have not burned through the bottom-dwellers and weekend warriors yet.  The real struggle for a concerned agent or buyer is how to locate and hire a truly competent inspector.  I live in Texas, a mandatory licensing state, however, know that simply being licensed does not guarantee an inspector's quality.  So what is an agent or buyer to do?  You and your buyer want to be protected and you want good service.  Based on my own experience as an inspector, I suggest eight considerations in selecting an inspector. 

Understand the service you are buying.  According to most definitions, a home inspection is a visual evaluation of the conditions present and apparent at the time of the inspection.  Therefore it is not predictive, technically exhaustive, warranted or guaranteed.  A good inspector provides information regarding the conditions of the home so that the buyer has a better understanding of the property they are purchasing. Using practical insight and skills gathered from professional training and field experience, a good inspector is able to deliver information to buyers within proper context.  For example, any inspector can see a sheet rock crack, but not every inspector can correctly communicate the significance of the findings and relate that information in a useful way without unnecessarily scaring the client.

 Evaluate Inspector Routine.  Every home is different. But an accomplished, thorough and knowledgeable inspector always approaches inspections (regardless of shape, size or age) with the same organized approach.  Good inspectors conduct every inspection with a similar routine in order to ensure consistency, organization and thoroughness of inspections and reports. Inspectors that are not consistent in their routine and/or allow themselves to be distracted from their approach can easily lose track of where they have been and miss something. This sounds like a minor issue, but let me assure you, as one that has raised many young inspectors, this point separates professionals from wannabes. 

 Evaluate technical competence.  Competent inspectors require a vast knowledge of systems and structures from HVAC systems to the roof.  Good inspectors constantly seek and absorb knowledge staying current with updated systems, modes of function, and methods of installation.   That being said, great inspectors know that they can not know it all.  Fear and run from anyone that thinks they know everything about any subject as vast as your home.   

 Ask about experience.  Many agents and buyers try to judge experience based on license numbers or years in business presumably to judge competence.  While certainly a valid method of determining years in the business, license numbers are not necessarily a marker for experience.  If you want to judge experience, ask how many homes the inspector has evaluated. If the inspector is newer, ascertain what he/she did before becoming an inspector.  You may sometimes discover that the "newer" inspector has more practical experience than the one who has an older license number.  I am also not a big fan of "weekend warriors".  To be fair, a small part of my attitude is based on competition, the largest concern that I have is what pilots call "lack of currency".  To become truly experienced you must not only do a bunch of inspections, but you must do them often enough to truly set and build real world relevant experience.  Do you want to fly with a pilot that has not flown in the last three months?  Do you want to trust your client to an inspector whom has been at it 15 years, but does 35 per year or the guy at it 8 years who does 300 per year? 

 Demand good people skills.  Bad bedside manner has caused many a deal to go south.  If you boil it down, home inspectors are in the communication business.  How you communicate what you find is always as important to what you find.  There are enough calm, competent diplomats in our profession that there is no reason to settle for an arrogant, blustery inspector.  A top inspector will use clear language, very little jargon, and explain the situation calmly offering few qualifications.  He or she will also answer follow-up calls.  In addition, a customer-service-oriented inspector will welcome clients to attend their inspection.  Life is too short to deal with any inspector who has such bad people skills that you spend more time explaining his personality to your client than discussing his findings. 

 Expect good writing skills.  A good inspector realizes that a well written report is all that is left when the inspection itself is over.  It needs to accurately reflect the issues noted at the time of the inspection. It is also, at a real level, a marketing tool.  It represents the quality of my company.  For some inspectors, it proves that regardless of numbers, they are still armatures.  Good reports are generally long enough to clearly explain the issues, without burying them.  In today's marketplace, a good report is computer-generated, includes color digital pictures, and is in your hand no later than 24 hours after the event. You should be able to easily locate repair items and other concerns within the structure of the report and there should be no significant items appearing in the report that are not discussed on site at the time of the inspection. Realistically, some limitations and exclusion language is acceptable; however, it should not be excessive.

 Demand insurance.  Most agents have Errors and Omissions (E&O) insurance.  Most inspectors do not. The hard truth is that if the client feels wronged and discovers that the inspector has no insurance, the agent is often the next target.  Thus, an agent who works with uninsured inspectors is in effect insuring uninsured inspectors. Many inspectors still think that it is too expensive to carry E&O.  The average full-time inspector in the United States did about 300 inspections per year as of 2005.  According to my own experience, buying E&O insurance since 1995, it is affordable if an inspector looks at it on a "per-inspection" basis.  Many insurance companies accept a down payment and monthly payout that amounts to around $10-$15 per inspection.  Affording insurance is a matter of priorities and management, not expense.   Texas has now become a mandatory E&O state for inspectors, but this is still the minority situation.  Most inspectors, in most states run with no insurance. 

 Do not allow price to become the deciding factor.  As a rule, new inspectors try to penetrate the market by undercutting those that have been around longer.  Make sure that your client is making a decision based on factors that matter in the long term: experience, communications skills, service and quality of the inspection. Critically, today many inspectors are so desperate to survive that they are really cutting down fees.  Understand that $50 or $100 saved on an inspector can cost the buyer thousands of dollars in repair fees. 

 In the end, a great inspector is not solely decided by technical expertise.  Business and communication skills are equally as important to providing superior customer service.  Great inspectors will be around for you when you need them-for years to come.  They stand behind their work, communicate clearly and follow-up with pressing client questions. A great inspector is an asset to both you and your clients, and is an essential member of every real estate agent's extended professional team.

Selection Checklist(and preferred answers)

o   How many years have you been in business?  What did you do before?  Preferably more than 3 years.  Most mistakes are made by young inspectors. 

o   How many inspections have you conducted?   Preferably more than 400.  Inspectors are “most dangerous” in their first 300 inspections. 

o   Do you take periodic training?  Preferably yes, especially in non-licensed states. 

o   Do you mind if I attend the inspection?  If he does not want you to attend, RUN!  It is an educational experience.  He is not providing top level service if you cannot attend.  If you cannot attend, don’t worry.  The key is that it is your decision, not his. 

o   Can I ask questions during the inspection?  Once again, if he does not want questions during the inspection, RUN! 

o   When will I get my report and what format does it take?  Computer generated and delivered the same day via email is rapidly becoming the industry norm. 

o   Will the report have pictures?  This is a must.  If he can’t figure out a digital camera, how can he really be an inspector?

o   What if I have questions after the inspection?  Free advice should come for the rest of the time that you own that home.