Houston Home Inspection FAQ

We’re always happy to spend whatever extra time is needed to make you feel comfortable with the construction and operation of the home your considering. We also provide free lifetime technical support if you ever have any questions about home improvement/repair or need the name of a reliable contractor.

Here are a few of the areas a Houston home inspection by About The House Inspection Services  will include: visible inspection of the plumbing, electrical, roof, roof structure, structural systems, mechanical systems, built in appliances, A/C, furnaces, foundations, grading and drainage to name a few. Since every home is different, inspected items may vary from home to home. You also get that peace of mind that your home has been professionally inspected and that your Houston home inspector will be there to answer any of your questions.

The time spent inspecting a home is related to the size and age of the home. Most homes will take about 2.5 to 3 hours.

Your welcome to attend the entire Houston home inspection but it is not necessary. However, it is important to attend the end of the inspection so the report can be reviewed and any questions can be answered. If you are unable to attend the inspection you could ask a friend, family member or your agent to attend in your place. Even if you can’t be present at the inspection the home inspection report from About The House Inspection Services is loaded with information, photographs and a summary page with an itemized list of the areas of concern.

After on-site explanation of defects found during your Houston Home inspection, a fully detailed report including pictures, will be emailed directly to you and your agent during the inspection or no later than 2 hours following the inspection. All you need to do is call your agent to discuss the findings and plan your negotiations.

All newly constructed homes have defects, regardless of the competence and integrity of the builder or construction supervisor. Some new homes have repair lists that are long, while other lists may contain a few items. (See our “New Home Inspections” page)

The average cost for a quality comprehensive  Houston home inspection is $400, this does not include  additional fees for sprinkler systems, pool and termite inspections. Houston home inspectors that charge less than $285.00 base fee probably won’t or can’t provide much of an inspection. If you don’t pay for a quality inspection just save your money, you’ll need it for repairs to the house once you move in.

A qualified independent Houston home inspector can spend three or more hours searching for construction errors in one home. A city inspector cannot. A home inspector can spend a workday inspecting two houses. A city inspector cannot. In the long run, a thorough home inspection benefits the builder, as well as the buyer, by reducing the number of repair callbacks that might occur after the home is sold. It lessens the possibility of injury to occupants, and limits the likelihood of future lawsuits. Builders in fact, would be well advised to hire a qualified independent Houston home inspector of their own to provide a final punch list when the construction is completed.

You need a Houston home inspector. If you hire the right home inspector, you are hiring an experienced professional who has training and experience in the building industry. It is the job of the home inspector to not only evaluate the condition of the house’s major systems and structural integrity, but also to evaluate how these systems are working together and identify areas that need to be monitored, repaired, or replaced.

About The House Houston home inspectors give you the “big picture” analysis of the house you are purchasing. Occasionally we may identify the need for a costly, detailed analysis of one or more of the house’s systems or structures, in these cases we will recommend the appropriate professional in that field. The need for this kind of expensive, detailed analysis is rare.

Hiring a professional engineer on your own can be a disappointing experience. In the state of Texas a licensed engineer can perform a home inspection without being a licensed home inspector. The term “professional engineer” does not mean the individual has training or experience conducting home inspections. A home inspection does not involve engineering analysis.

Hiring a professional engineer to complete a Houston home inspection undoubtedly costs more, but it may not give you the results you desire and deserve.