Home Inspectors...Who to Hire?

[Chase Randolph]

Hello all!

I am under contract on my first house!  It is a duplex that my girlfriend and I are going to house hack..exciting stuff!!  My question has to do with hiring a home inspector.  There seems to be two different camps.  On one hand, hiring a general inspector is great because they will cover the entire house.  On the other hand, an inspector that has a narrower focus (i.e. roof inspector, termite inspector, structural engineer, etc.) might provide better insights on specific potential issues.  

So I guess my question is this.  In your experience is it better to hire a general home inspector that is decent at a lot of things, or a home inspector(s) that specializes on one particular area?

Any and all responses are greatly appreciated!  Thanks in advance!

Best,

Chase Randolph

[Aaron Poling]

I suggest starting with a general inspector to begin with. If they pick out certain items that would require a more detailed inspection they will note it in the report. This will keep the cost down on the initial inspections, but still gives you protection if something is found. 

I suggest using inspectors that are members of ASHI or NAHI. These are two trade organizations for home inspectors and both require certain guidelines for their inspections. It doesn't guarantee you are happy with your inspector, but at least gives some guidelines that the inspectors would have to go by. 

Hope this helps! Thanks! Aaron