How to Find and Choose a Reliable Home Inspector in BC

There are plenty of reasons why you will need to call upon the services of a home inspector if you are involved with property in any way, but the most important reason will be when you are buying a home or purchasing a property.

Remember, a certified home inspector in British Columbia has to abide by a strict code of ethics. BC is one of only 2 provinces in Canada that require home inspectors to be licensed. You can find out more about those requirements from the Business Practices & Consumer Protection Authority through the BC consumer protection website.

Buying a home is serious business.
No matter how confident you feel, you should never buy a home or property without getting a certified inspection by a home inspector you have hired yourself. Even if the current owner provides you with a certified pre-sale inspection report, you still need to get your own before you buy. Never let yourself be pressured by anyone or to accept any report other than one produced by a certified home inspector of your choice. Always get a pre purchase home inspection before you buy -- you are making an investment!

So, how to choose a home inspection company?
Here is a list of the check list you need to cover when choosing a home inspector in BC. If you can’t find the information yourself, simply ask the home inspector directly!

1. Always ask those you know first.
It’s always good to ask people you know. Ask friends, family and work colleagues. See if they have experience with a home inspector. Listen to their experience and recommendations. You’ll probably get a recommendation because so many people have engaged a home inspector, and many of them multiple times.

2. Use the Internet and social media.
Social media has boosted the Internet -- it’s simply the biggest forum on the planet. Again, it’s due diligence to search online, even if you’ve already been given an outstanding recommendation by those whom you know.

Now you have an inspection company in mind, it’s time to check for yourself. After all, it is your investment.
1. License.
It is simply a requirement. Each individual inspector must have current and valid licensing to legally provide services. It makes sense to confirm the home inspector’s license with the Business Practices & Consumer Protection Authority. That’s just due diligence.

2. Membership in industry groups.
Better home inspectors are members of home inspection and real estate groups.

3. Professional history.
Ideal home inspectors understand construction and property long before they became an inspector. Do your homework with a background professional history check.

4. Client testimonials.
Ask the home inspector to provide the contact details of the people who stated testimonials written on their website -- you need some form of verification. First name testimonials don’t mean anything.

5. Discuss.
Talk with your home inspector. There is nothing like an informal conversation. You will know if they know what they are talking about.

What to look for:
1. Price: A good home inspector will be able to give you a quote pretty fast. A good home inspector will have a fixed base price, to which other considerations will be added. These can include the age and size of the property. Each case is unique because each property is unique.

1. Not limited to a check list: A good inspector doesn’t stop at a check list they have pre-created. You can ask for a sample report they have provided for a client in the past. A check list will be built during the inspection process.
2. Proven track record. Alright, this is a C4U Inspections blog. But we have completed more than 1,000 home inspection reports for more than 1,000 clients. That’s the kind of track record you should be looking for.

If you just want to ask our chief inspector, Lloyde Kenzle, a question on anything to do with home maintenance and home inspections, he is more than happy to oblige. It is very hard to set a fixed price for home inspections and home maintenance programs. However, we do our best to provide a reliable quote online. The more information you provide helps us with an accurate quote. 

If you have images, photos and other bulky documents, please upload them to Google Documents or DropBox and share the link in the details box below. No question is too small or silly to ask. Lloyd spends a couple of hours at his desk each afternoon after managing the days projects and will reply to you as soon as possible.

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Need more information and have questions? Contact C4U Inspections today