Holmes Inspection Company
Kansas City Home Inspector

(913) 413-6107

IAC2 Mold Certified Hud FHA 120h

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By Barry Stone | Access Media Group

Q. Barry, Before we bought our home, we called 5 home inspectors to compare quotes for an inspection. What surprised us was the wide range in prices. By shopping around, we saved nearly $200 on the price of our inspection. Why do some inspectors charge so much more for the same service?

A. Home inspectors don't charge more for the same service. In nearly every case, they charge more because their inspection services are more thorough and more comprehensive, because they are significantly more experienced at inspecting homes, and because they disclose more of the conditions that would be of concern to you as a buyer. Inspectors who charge less, particularly those who charge $100-$200 less, are generally new to the inspection business and lack the skills to perform the kind of inspection you, as a buyer, would want. They charge less because, as brand new inspectors, they are trying to jump-start their fledgling businesses. The question you should now be asking is NOT "why do some inspectors charge so much more?", but rather, "what defects did my bargain home inspector fail to disclose?"

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Dan Bowers @ Holmes Inspection Company

Ever crawl inside a fireplace and look up past the damper? Or climb up on your roof and look down the flue? There are some telltale signs that are easily identifiable that indicate you should hire a professional chimney sweep. For instance, if opening the damper leaves your face covered in soot, if you can run your pinky finger through the mortar and it falls out like sand, if you can pull bricks out above the roofline and re-align them like Lego® blocks, if you have charred wood in the attic touching the chimney…all of these are serious issues. Don’t laugh. As dangerous as these signs are, home inspectors see these issues too regularly.