If he's not a member of the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI), he might just be!  Other home inspection associations have no entrance requirements.  Blind people, children, psychics (who claim to "sense" if a house is ok) and even pets have joined other associations.  NACHI is the only association that front-ends its membership requirements.  We turn down more than 1/2 the inspectors who want to join because they can't pass our exam or fulfill our membership requirements.

NACHI Inspectors:

• Have to pass NACHI's  Online Inspector Examination  every year.  (This general, not association-specific exam is open and free to all).
• Have to complete NACHI's online Ethics Obstacle Course. (This open book Ethics course is open and free to all)
• Have to take NACHI's online Standards of Practice Quiz (This open book Standards of Practice course is open and free to all)
• Have to sign an affidavit.
• Have to carry E&O insurance (if their state requires it).
• Have to abide by NACHI's Standards of Practice.
• Have to abide by NACHI's Code of Ethics.
• Have to fulfill NACHI's Continuing Education requirements.
• Have to periodically attend local Chapter meetings.

• Buying a home? The process can be stressful. A home inspection is supposed to give you peace of mind, but often has the opposite effect. You will be asked to absorb a lot of information in a short time. This often includes a written report, checklist, photographs, environmental reports, and what the inspector himself says during the inspection. All this combined with the seller's disclosure and what you notice yourself makes the experience even more overwhelming. What should you do?

• Buying a home is probably the most expensive purchase you'll ever make.  This is no time to shop for a cheap inspection.  The cost of a home inspection is very small relative to the home being inspected. NACHI certified inspectors earn their fees many times over.  They do more, they deserve more, and yes they generally charge a little more.  Do yourself a favor...and pay a little more for the quality inspection you deserve.

• The biggest purchase you'll ever make deserves a certified professional. InspectorSeek helps you find NACHI certified home inspectors in your area (or the area of your new home).

• Negligent referral language has the client agree that a real estate agent is merely a sales person and will not be named in any inspection-related lawsuit. 

• We use a hold-harmless clause in our pre-inspection agreement (with our client).  Unlike indemnification insurance which only pays for the legal defense of a real estate agent who gets sued over an inspection, our hold-harmless clause is even better in that our client pre-agrees not to file suit against the agent at all.