FAQs from our Home Inspection Clients
We encourage any, and all, questions. Here are a few that we hope that you will find useful.
Why should I get a home inspection?
Purchasing a home or investment property is often the largest single investment people will make in their lives. No building is perfect, so it is vital to be well-informed prior to making such an important decision. A professionally-trained home inspector is there to help make sure you know the property as well as possible before you commit to buying it.
The fact that the home inspector is independently contracted by you to assist in identifying potential weaknesses and/or deficiencies in a building means that you have an objective and unbiased ally during this exciting, yet often stressful, time.
What is a home inspection?
A professional home inspection is a non-invasive, visual inspection of a home’s major components including: exteriors (e.g. roofs, siding, windows and doors), foundations, basements and crawlspaces, electrical systems, plumbing, heating, central air conditioning systems, kitchens, laundry rooms, bathrooms, garages and/or carports. It is “non-invasive” in that no walls, or other existing physical structures, will be penetrated, or removed, to do the inspection, as you do not yet "officially" own the home at the time of the inspection.
Should I be present for the inspection?
It is preferred if you, the potential buyer (or future seller in the case of pre-listing inspections) are present for the inspection. Our home inspectors want to work together with you to evaluate the home and answer any questions that you may have during, or after, an inspection.
I speak Spanish, do you have inspectors that speak Spanish?
All of our inspectors understand and speak some Spanish, but we also have an interpreter that is available to accompany the home inspector, should that be necessary. There is, of course, no extra cost for this service. Tenemos un interprete que está disponible durante la inspección -esto no tiene un costo extra para el cliente. Nuestro interprete también está disponible vía telefónica para ayudarle con cualquier pregunta que usted tenga antes, durante o después de la inspección.
When will I receive my report?
A quality report takes time to prepare and we feel strongly that no corners should be cut when prepaing your home inspection report. That being said, we are typically able to email your report to you within 24 hours of the actual inspection.
How long will the inspection take?
Our typical inspections run about 2 to 3 hours, but we will be there until everything has been thoroughly evaluated and all of your questions have been answered. Obviously, the size and complexity of a property factor in to how long an inspection will take. A 900 square foot, two bedroom ranch-style home on a slab with no garage will obviously take much less time to evaluate than a Newport mansion!
How much will the inspection cost?
On Target Home Inspections has very competitive pricing. Our primary focus is to provide you with the most comprehensive, most accurate and most user-friendly report available on the market today. We may not always be the least expensive provider out there, but we are confident that we are the best! When it comes to making such a large financial commitment as buying a home or an investment property, we think providing a top-notch, no-compromise inspection is what best serves our clientele. Just keep in mind...
"Price is what you pay, value is what you get."
-Warren Buffet
Of course, we would be glad to prepare a free quote for you based on your specific needs, and then, you can decide if our services are the best fit for you. Like with all home inspection companies, factors such as square footage, single vs. multi-family properties and additional items in which you would like to have inspected beyond the typical mechanical and physical inspections (e.g. well inspections, septic systems, radon testing etc.) will add to the cost.
Why should I choose On Target Home Inspections over other home inspectors?
On Target Home Inspections, LLC is owned by a highly experienced, licensed, professional inspector who also serves as a National Technical Trainer with the American Home Inspector Training (AHIT) Institute. So, you can rest assured that the services offered by On Target Home Inspections are on the cutting edge of the inspection industry. After all, the owner is responsible for training future home inspectors all across the United States of America!
Our inspections and reports not only exceed Rhode Island's requirements, but our construction backgrounds, ongoing training, participation in professional organizations (e.g. The American Society of Home Inspectors), and our sincere desire to help our customers, sets us apart from the competition. A clear example of how we know that we are doing top-notch inspections is that when Realtors are looking for homes for themselves, their friends, or family members, we usually get the call.
What is an "errors and omission insurance”?
According to Business Dictionary.com, the term refers to: "Insurance coverage that protects professionals (such as accountants, architects, brokers, consultants, engineers, lawyers) against claims arising from their actual or perceived negligence, errors, and mistakes in the performance of service for others."
Does On Target Home Inspections carry professional errors and omission insurance?
Yes. On Target Home Inspections carries insurance to protect the company, but more importantly to protect you, our client. We strive to do the industry’s most thorough professional home inspections. Unfortunately humans, despite our sincerest desires not to be so, are imperfect. Therefore, since there is always a small possibility that something may not have been noted at the time of the inspection, a claim could result. So, the professional errors and omissions insurance is a cost we are glad to pay to help insure all parties.
May I have a copy of the policy?
Yes. Copies of our policy can be provided upon request.
Do you provide any guarantees of your work?
On Target Home Inspections strives for 100% customer satisfaction, but there are limitations to what can be observed, and thus, reported. For example, if a home’s problem is intermittent and not exhibiting itself during the time of the inspection, it cannot be reported upon, yet unfortunately, may present itself at a later date. A prime example of this is “functional water flow.” In homes equipped with wells, water from the tap may flow perfectly fine after a significant rainfall or when a new filter has just been installed, but be poor after a period of no rain or when the filter requires replacement. Of course, these conditions cannot be anticipated or controlled by our inspectors; therefore, we cannot provide a guarantee.
A quote from the American Home Inspectors Training Institute (AHIT) may help to clarify the idea of guarantees:
“While an inspection performed by a competent inspection company will determine the condition of the major components of the home, no inspection will pick up every minute latent defect. The inspector’s ability to find all defects is limited by access to various parts of the property, lack of information about the property, and many other factors. A good inspector will do his, or her, level best to determine the condition of the home and to report it accurately. The report that is issued is an opinion as to the condition of the home [at the time of the inspection]. This opinion is arrived at by the best technical methods available to the home inspection industry. It is still only an opinion.”
Have more questions?
CALL 401-454-HOME (4663) and we will be happy to answer them.
On Target Home Inspection, LLC of Rhode Island
Certified Rhode Island Home Inspector
Home Inspection in Providence county and beyond