HOME BUYER INSPECTIONS

You get one real look at a house before it is yours, and in Arizona that look has to happen fast. A buyer's inspection is that look. We go through the house the way you are going to live in it, photograph what we find, and hand you a report you can use to decide whether to go ahead, negotiate, or walk away.

Is it worth it to hire a home inspector?

Yes, and the reason is timing. Most Arizona resale contracts give the buyer a 10 day inspection period. Inside that window you can ask the seller for repairs, renegotiate the price, or cancel and get your earnest money back. Once it closes, most of that leverage is gone. The inspection is how you use the window instead of watching it run out.

It is also the only point in the sale where someone is paid to look at the house for you. The listing agent works for the seller. The appraiser works for the lender and is checking value, not condition. Your inspector works for you.

Does Arizona require home inspectors to be licensed?

Yes. Arizona certifies home inspectors through the State Board of Technical Registration. To get certified, an inspector has to complete 84 hours of classroom training, pass the National Home Inspector Examination, do 30 inspections alongside a certified inspector, clear a fingerprint background check, and carry errors and omissions insurance or a bond. The certification renews every year.

You can look up any inspector's certification on the Board's website before you book. If someone cannot give you a certificate number, keep looking. Our inspections follow the Arizona standards of practice.

How do I find a good home inspector?

Start with the report, because the report is what you are actually buying. A good one shows a photograph of each problem, says exactly where it is, explains why it matters, and tells you what kind of contractor should fix it. Ask to see one before you book. Here is our sample report.

Then ask these five questions.

How long will the inspection take?

A proper inspection of a typical Valley home takes 2 to 4 hours. If someone promises 45 minutes on a 2,000 square foot house, they are not spending time in the attic, and the attic is where Arizona homes hide their ductwork.

Can I be there?

The answer should be yes. You will learn more walking the house with your inspector for an hour than from any report, and you can ask about the things that worry you while you are standing in front of them.

Who else do you work for?

An inspector who depends on one agent for referrals has a reason to go easy on that agent's listings. We are independent. We work for the buyer who hires us and nobody else.

What is not included?

Every standard inspection has limits. A good inspector tells you up front what they do not cover and when you need a specialist, instead of letting you find out later.

How many homes have you inspected here?

Local experience matters in the desert. Tile roof underlayment, attic ductwork, monsoon damage and shifting soil do not look the same here as they do anywhere else. We have completed more than 25,000 inspections across the Valley since 1999.

What we look at on a buyer's inspection

The roof, the attic and its insulation, the structure and foundation, the exterior and grading, the electrical panel and wiring, the plumbing and water heater, heating and cooling, and the interior, windows and doors.

In Arizona we spend extra time on the three things the climate is hardest on. The air conditioner and its ductwork, because they run most of the year in an attic that can pass 130 degrees. The underlayment beneath a tile roof, because it wears out long before the tile does. And the way water drains away from the slab, because the monsoon will test it every summer.

What happens after the inspection

You get a detailed report with photographs within 24 hours. The next step in Arizona is the Buyer's Inspection Notice and Seller's Response, known as the BINSR, where your agent lists the repairs you want and the seller has 5 days to answer. Getting the report early gives you time to decide what belongs on that list. Wondering what an inspection costs? Here is our Arizona home inspection cost guide.

Buying a brand new home? Read how our new construction inspections work, and why the 11 month builder warranty inspection matters. Selling instead? A pre-listing inspection puts you ahead of the buyer's inspector.

Call (480) 585-6456 for your free inspection quote today, and get on the schedule with the best home inspection team in the Phoenix area.