Every so often you find a story making its way around about real estate inspectors, who are not competent. For the most part, you will find these stories in states which do not have a standard for who can work as an inspector. Texas requires inspectors to have many hours of education before they are allowed to take a test for a license. To keep a license, an inspector in Texas has to undergo sixteen hours of continuing education each year. When a professional real estate inspector performs his job, he has to work according the standards of practice described in Texas code. Needless to say, inspectors in Texas are qualified to examine your home.

I was inspired to write on this topic, when several clients had asked me about if I was permitted to inspect a home or about my qualifications. Last year no one asked about my credentials, but currently this seems to be a concern. To find out if a person is a licensed inspector in Texas, I suggest you take the following step, ask them for their license number, then go to the Texas Real Estate Commission's website, www.trec.state.tx.us/. There on the first page you will find a link to a license search for real estate agents and inspectors. Why ask for the number? I found that will cause a non-inspector (or an inspector who has some issue) to feed you a line as to why he cannot provide one, and I discovered that you will have an easier time locating their record. If you know them by a nickname, or some variation of their name, the license number will definitely give you the information you need, where their name could not appear.

Another sign of concern would be some information an inspector might discuss (or you should ask about). If an inspector informs you that an inspection takes one to two hours, I would be worried, unless it was a condo. A full inspection should take at least three to four hours for an average sized home. Consider all that he should be doing and you will see that two hours is too brief. For more information on what an inspection entails, you could look up the codes at the website above, or you can go to my website, www.fschulte-ladbeck.com, to read an article about understanding your report, which will go over what should be inspected. Inspectors should also be willing to inform you about how they will be conducting the inspection. You should not judge an inspector by when he provides the report though (well, maybe not altogether). Some inspectors, like myself, provide the report at the end of the inspection, while others will provide you the written copy later that day, or the next day. You need the report before your closing, so let the inspector know when you need the report. I cannot imagine an inspector not providing the report within a few days, but ask when you will receive the actual report, and if it can meet your deadline.

By the way Texas code states that I need to have my license number on documents like this, so here is my TREC License number: 9073. Try out the commission's license search with that number, so you can see how it works.

A professional real estate inspector in Texas, who writes about consumer issues for home buyers and about examining your own home. I also have a background in business management/consulting. I live and work in the Houston area.

Source: www.isnare.com