Thursday, February 18, 2016

Should I use a "certified" home inspector?

Real estate experts often recommend homebuyers hire "certified" home inspectors. In the state of Nebraska there is no licensing for home inspectors, thus certification is often used as a way to verify the legitimacy of an inspector, but certification or membership to a home inspection certification organization is not a reliable measure of a home inspector's qualifications.

Becoming certified as an inspector sometimes requires little more than a membership fee and an online test that a novice could pass. There are numerous home inspection organizations that use different protocols for membership and certification, and it can be difficult for someone outside of the industry to differentiate experienced home inspectors from beginners.

Another problem with certification is verification can be difficult. I've known of home inspectors that weren't certified but fraudulently claimed to be certified and/or used certification emblems on their website and promotional literature. There isn't a policing organization to oversee or stop this type of behavior, and most consumers don't have the motivation to check the qualifications of every inspection candidate.

Many home inspectors violate ethics or just don't do a good job for their clients yet continue to remain certified. I've written the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) regarding violations of ethics of certified inspectors, but the organization has never responded to any of my communications. Individuals who've violated the organization's code of ethics or performed substandard inspections continue to remain certified. I was informed by a local ASHI chapter officer the organization doesn't respond to informal complaints, written or otherwise, or publicize a process for filing complaints against home inspectors that have violated ethics or performed substandard work, thus bad inspectors remain certified and the phone calls, emails and letters from consumers complaining about bad inspectors are ignored. Even if a bad inspector's certification was revoked, there are numerous other home inspection organizations jumping at the chance to gain new members and willing to overlook past violations of ethics or performance.

I am not certified with any of the various home inspection associations for a myriad of reasons, such as all the behind-the-scenes politics and what I consider a lack of oversight by allowing their members' unethical behavior to continue unchecked. I am however certified as a home inspector and 203(k) consultant through the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.  I don't think being certified makes me a better inspector, but it does probably give some clients peace of mind knowing my credentials, qualifications and experience have been verified by a third party.
 

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