If you are reading this page
then you HAVE TO BE looking for help finding the right home inspection company
and the right home inspector. We want to help you in your quest.
For a typical 4 bedroom home in this area you most likely have received quotes
from $150 to nearly $500. So what gives? How can prices differ so much?
Aren't all home inspectors the same? Isn't one home inspection the same as the
other home inspection? Don't all home inspectors do the same things? Well, much
of the answer lies in the fact that Utah doesn't require a home inspector to be
licensed! This is a scary thought when you realize that anyone can
hang out a sign, or put together a brochure and
claim
to be a home inspector. Home Inspectors will brag about how they used to
be a building contractor and now they consider themselves qualified to be a home
inspector. How can one home inspector only charge $150 and the other
home inspector charge $500 for the same house? Don't ask a home inspector
why he/she is the most expensive but
ask the other guy why he is so cheap.
Ask
what is he
not doing or offering
that we offer to all of our clients?
In the words of John Ruskin, "It is unwise to pay
too much, but it is unwise to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a
little money; that is all. When you pay too little you sometimes lose
everything. Because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing you
bought it to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little
and getting a lot. It cannot be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is
well to add something for the risk you run and if you do that, you will have
enough to pay for something better."
Here is what we suggest you do.
PRINT the following 30 questions then call all
of the home inspectors in our area (we will gladly provide you with a list of
our competitors over the phone) one by one and ask them these questions and
record their answers. Compare their answers to our answers and then you will
know which inspector best fits your needs. We at Pillar To Post Professional
Home Inspection of course want your business but we want you to be satisfied
with the home inspection company you choose. Better to lose a customer than to
have a customer that wished they had used a different home inspection company! We are
very confident that you will discover that Pillar To Post Professional Home
Inspection is your best choice!
Frequently Asked Questions?
- How long have you been in business?
- How many inspections have you personally performed?
- Do you live here locally?
- Are you licensed?
- Are you a certified home inspector?
- Where can I verify that you are a certified home inspector?
- Are you insured and what kind of insurance do you carry?
- Are you required to take continued education classes?
- Do you have references that I can contact?
- Are you a full time home inspector?
- Do you publish a price sheet?
- What about hidden extra fees for crawlspaces, distance, etc...?
- How long does an inspection take?
- What kind of report do you produce?
- Do you include photographs in the report?
- Can I see a sample report?
- When will I receive the home inspection report?
- Do you have an agreement I must sign?
- Can I see the agreement before I hire you?
- Can I attend the inspection?
- How does it work if I cannot attend the home inspection?
- Do you offer a discount for cash?
- Do you do any kind of home repairs?
- Do you accept gifts or money from anyone involved in the home transaction?
- Do you give a copy of my home inspection report to my Realtor?
- What happens if a major defect is found in the home?
- Do you measure the square footage of the home?
- Do you have a guarantee?
- Have you ever had a claim filed against you?
- Do you consider yourself someone I should hire?
[We are in our fifth year in business as a certified home
inspection company while Pillar To Post Corp has been in business for nearly 12 years.
[I have personally performed 2985 inspections.]
[Yes. We live in Enoch which is near Cedar City.]
[No. If an Utah home inspector says that he/she is licensed ask him/her if they are speaking of a ordinary business license or a contractor's license. NO UTAH HOME INSPECTOR has a Utah State home inspector license because that license does not exist.]
[Yes. I passed the Pillar To Post's extensive training and passed their final exam at the top of my class. I have also passed the requirements and the exam of the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI).]
[That is an easy one to answer. Simply click on the bright yellow NACHI logo found on this page. It will take you directly to the NACHI website where you can see that I am a certified home inspector. You can also phone Pillar To Post Corporate Office at 1-800-294-5591 for proof of my certification.]
[Yes. We carry THREE KINDS of insurance. We carry general
liability insurance which covers the house and occupants in case I
accidentally knock over a vase for example. We carry referral
insurance to cover the Realtor that is referring our services. We
also carry E&O (errors and omission) insurance.
To date, not a single insurance claim!.]
[Yes. I need to take at least 24 hours of continued education
classes each year. Some of the classes I took were, gas
furnaces, foundation cracks, rafter and trusses, stucco, tile roofs and more. Learning is never ending.]
I am also licensed by the State of Utah to teach continuing
education classes to real estate professionals.
[We have many. You may look at the testimonial page of this website and see many
testimonials there. If you want to phone any of our clients we will provide you with their phone numbers (with their permission) and email that list to you.]
[Yes. I work as a home inspector full time. That is what I do to support my family. I do not do home inspections on the side as a side line job while keeping a full time job in case either job should play out.]
[We choose not to publish a price sheet as we feel it is important and necessary to speak with the client about the home inspection, get all of the details and their concerns
then we can offer a guaranteed price with no hidden or extra fees. We also feel that a published price sheet causes too many problems due to someone's misunderstanding of the pricing format.]
[There are none! Once we quote a fee there are no extra fees. Even if it turns out the house is larger that disclosed, our fees will never be higher than the quoted fee..]
[On a typical 4 bedroom 2 bathroom home the inspection would take
about 3 hours.]
[The inspector carries a laptop computer, color printer and digital camera and the report is generated on-site as soon as the home inspection is completed. There is NO extra fee for this on-site service.]
[Yes. A color photograph of the front of the house is in every report along with photographs if necessary of defects or concerns of the
home. Upon special request at no extra charge we also will make a slide show of the house which
typically includes 20-30 photos of the home. This slide show is especially useful for home buyers that are buying a home sight unseen.]
[The report will be ready at the conclusion of the inspection. If
you are not present we will email the report to you the same evening the inspection was performed.
Even those out of town or state will receive the report quickly!]
[Yes. It is a legal document and we will gladly answer any questions you may have about it. We will even "walk you through it" over the phone if you like. In most cases the agreement will be emailed to you prior to the inspection for you to read and sign and return to us. We cannot release the home inspection report until we have the signed agreement..]
[Yes. We can email you a copy for you to read. And feel free to phone us with any questions.]
[Yes, you are most welcome to attend if you wish to. Typically what is found is that there isn't much for the client to see or to do and they generally wish to attend near the end of the home inspection. What ever you desire to do is okay with us. The clients are NOT ALLOWED upon the roof, in the crawlspace or in the attic and they are NOT ALLOWED to move personal items, nor to operate appliances, furnaces, jet tubs, flush toilets, run swamp coolers etc... (unless the owners of the home are there and give their permission and take full responsibility). This is to protect you, the client, if something should be faulty and cause damage to the home. The home inspector has insurance to cover such problems IF he is the one that operates those items.]
[If you cannot attend the inspection then we will email you the report the very evening the home inspection was performed and a hard copy that comes in a report binder will be either given to your Realtor or mailed to you by US Mail; your choice. An invoice is also emailed to you along with the report. You may pay by mailing us a check or money order or by credit card over the phone.]
[No. We declare all of our fees to the IRS and we do not accept payment "under the table" so to speak.]
[No. Doing any kind of home repairs is forbidden by our Code of Ethics.]
[No. Our only interest in the home is the home inspection fee. We do not get any kind of kick-back from anyone. This is to avoid a conflict of interest.]
[Only if the client authorizes it on the home inspection agreement. If the client does not authorize sharing the report with the Realtors involved then we do not give them a copy of the home inspection report.]
[If a major defect is found in a home then photographs will be taken and included in the home inspection report along with a written description of what was found. Usually with a major defect it will be
recommended to have a trained professional in the field of the defect to evaluate as to the cause and cure. With major defects or just things of a concern, the inspector will do his best to explain the concerns to the client so they can then make an educated decision about the home they are thinking of buying. The inspector will not advise to buy or not to buy. The home inspection report is not a fix it list for the home owners or the home buyers, the report is an evaluation of the home. The home buyer and their Realtor should both study the home inspection report and decide on the next step to take.]
[No. That is the job of the appraiser.]
[We do have a "pay as you wait" guarantee. If the inspector is late to the home inspection he will pay you one dollar per minute that he is late. We also can guarantee that we will do the most professional and thorough job possible. As with any kind of inspection that involves a bit of forensic abilities, it is not possible to guarantee the inspector will find each and every defect or flaw in the 2 1/2 - 3 hours he has to
evaluate the entire home.]
[No. Not even one. You can contact Pillar To Post Corp office at 800-294-5591, NACHI at nachi.org, or the Utah BBB to verify this.]
[Yes. Our home inspection company is a company that you can trust. We live up to our Code of Ethics and we also live by a much "Higher Law" as well. We have been given the trust and faith by our clients and we have a very good name and reputation. We strive in all that we do to do the best we can and to always do the right thing.]
