How to Choose a Home Inspector in Ohio
What to look for when hiring a home inspector, from licensing and experience to reports, reviews and inspection practices.
Not all home inspectors are the same. While Ohio home inspectors must meet state licensing requirements and follow established Standards of Practice, experience, inspection methods, reporting quality and attention to detail can vary considerably from one inspector to another.
I’m Pete Mizeres, founder of Detailed Home Inspections. After more than 20 years in the home inspection industry, I’ve learned what separates an experienced, effective home inspector from someone who simply meets the minimum requirements.
If you’re buying a home in Cleveland, Northeast Ohio or elsewhere in the state, here are some of the most important things I recommend considering before choosing your inspector.
1. Verify That Your Home Inspector Is Properly Licensed
Start with the basics. Your home inspector should be properly licensed to perform home inspections in the State of Ohio and should carry the appropriate professional insurance.
Ohio establishes Standards of Practice that define the scope of a home inspection, including the systems and components inspectors are expected to observe and report on.
A standard home inspection is primarily a visual, non-invasive evaluation of accessible components of the property. This generally includes areas such as the roof, exterior, structure, foundation, electrical system, plumbing system, heating and cooling systems, attic, interior and other accessible components.
Understanding these standards is important because a home inspection is not a guarantee that a property is free from defects. It is a professional evaluation of the visible and accessible condition of the property at the time of the inspection.
Read the Ohio Standards of Practice →
2. Look for Meaningful Home Inspection Experience
A license tells you that an inspector has met the state’s requirements. It does not necessarily tell you how much real-world inspection experience that person has.
Home inspectors encounter an enormous variety of properties, construction methods, repairs, defects and unusual conditions throughout their careers. Developing the ability to recognize these conditions consistently takes experience.
In my experience, approximately 1,000 completed inspections represents a meaningful benchmark when evaluating an inspector’s field experience. That is not an Ohio requirement or a guarantee of inspection quality. It is a benchmark based on my own experience performing inspections and training other inspectors.
Around that point in my career, I felt that I had encountered a sufficiently broad range of homes and inspection scenarios to become highly comfortable with the inspection process.
That doesn’t mean an inspector with fewer than 1,000 inspections cannot perform a good inspection. Instead, the number of completed inspections is one factor I recommend considering alongside licensing, training, reporting quality, reviews and inspection practices.
Don’t be afraid to ask:
“Approximately how many home inspections have you personally performed?”
3. Don’t Choose an Inspector Based on Price Alone
Buying a home is a major financial decision. The difference between inspection companies may only be $50 or $100, while an overlooked material issue could potentially cost a homeowner thousands of dollars.
For that reason, I would not choose an inspector simply because they provided the lowest quote.
Instead, compare what you’re actually receiving for the inspection fee.
Consider the inspector’s experience, how they inspect difficult-to-access areas, the quality of their reports, how quickly reports are delivered, their licensing and credentials, and their reputation with previous clients.
The goal shouldn’t be to find the cheapest home inspection. It should be to find a qualified inspector you trust to thoroughly evaluate the property.
4. Review a Sample Inspection Report Before Hiring
One of the best ways to evaluate a home inspector is to look at an actual sample report.
A good inspection report should be easy to navigate and written so that a home buyer can understand the inspector’s observations without having to interpret complicated technical language.
Look for:
- Clear descriptions of material issues
- High-quality photographs
- An organized summary of important findings
- Straightforward recommendations
- Easy-to-understand language
- A report format that works well on both desktop and mobile devices
- Timely delivery after the inspection
At Detailed Home Inspections, we provide web-based inspection reports with photographs and a summary of significant findings. Reports are typically published the same day as the inspection.
We use Spectora as our reporting platform and have customized our reporting process and commentary based on years of inspection experience.
View a sample inspection report →
5. Ask How the Inspector Evaluates Roofs, Attics and Crawlspaces
Some of the most important components of a home can also be among the most difficult to access.
Ask a prospective inspector how they evaluate roofs, attics and crawlspaces.
When conditions allow, physically accessing these areas can provide information that may not be visible from a distance.
At Detailed Home Inspections, we typically walk accessible roofs when the inspector determines it can be done safely. When walking the roof isn’t appropriate, other inspection methods, including drone photography when applicable, may be used.
Accessible attic and crawlspace areas should also receive careful attention. Conditions in these spaces can provide important information about the roof structure, insulation, ventilation, moisture conditions and other components of the home.
No inspector should put themselves or the property at unnecessary risk, so accessibility and safety will always affect how these areas can be inspected.
6. Understand the Role of Inspection Technology
Technology can be useful during a home inspection, but no piece of equipment should replace an inspector’s knowledge, judgment and physical inspection of accessible components.
Moisture meters, electrical testing equipment, drones and other tools can provide additional information when used appropriately.
Thermal imaging is another tool used by some home inspectors. In my experience, thermal imaging can produce readings that require further investigation and interpretation, which is why our inspection process does not rely on thermal imaging as a substitute for direct observation and other diagnostic tools.
When comparing inspectors, I recommend focusing less on the length of their equipment list and more on how and why they use those tools during an inspection.
7. Read the Reviews — Including the Negative Ones
Google reviews can provide useful information about a home inspection company, but don’t look only at the average star rating.
Read a selection of recent reviews and pay attention to what clients consistently mention.
Do customers describe the inspector as thorough? Are reports delivered promptly? Is communication clear? Do reviewers mention that the inspector took time to explain significant findings?
I also recommend reading some of the company’s lowest-rated reviews.
Every established service business will eventually encounter dissatisfied customers. What can be especially informative is how the company responds when something goes wrong.
Look for responses that are professional, specific and reasonable rather than defensive or dismissive.
That can tell you a great deal about how the company handles customer service after the inspection is complete.
8. Understand What Happens During the Inspection
You should be able to attend your home inspection, and we encourage our clients to be present.
However, clients may not follow the inspector around during the inspection.
An inspector needs to concentrate while evaluating electrical systems, roofs, attics, crawlspaces and other components. Constant conversation or distraction can make that process more difficult and, in some circumstances, less safe.
Our preference is to complete each portion of the inspection carefully and then discuss significant observations with the client as we move through the property.
This gives you the opportunity to see the home, ask questions and understand our findings while still allowing the inspector to concentrate on the inspection itself.
Everything that needs to be documented will also be included in the inspection report.
9. Ask When You’ll Receive the Inspection Report
Timing matters during a real estate transaction.
Ask the inspector when you should expect your completed report and make sure the answer works with your inspection and contingency deadlines.
At Detailed Home Inspections, our reports are typically delivered the same day as the inspection.
The report should give you a clear understanding of the property’s condition and identify material observations that may require additional attention.
10. Consider Additional Inspections Based on the Property
A standard home inspection may not cover every potential concern associated with a particular property.
Depending on the home’s age, location, construction and features, additional services may be worth considering.
These can include:
- Radon testing
- Mold testing
- Wood-destroying insect (WDI/termite) inspections
- Sewer camera inspections
- Well flow testing
- Water potability testing
Not every property needs every additional service. A good inspection company should be able to explain which services may be appropriate for the particular home you’re purchasing.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Home Inspector
Before making your decision, consider asking the inspector:
- Are you currently licensed as a home inspector in Ohio?
- Approximately how many inspections have you personally performed?
- Can I see a sample inspection report?
- When will I receive my completed report?
- Do you walk accessible roofs when conditions permit?
- How do you inspect roofs that cannot safely be walked?
- Do you enter accessible attics and crawlspaces?
- What additional inspection services do you offer?
- Can I attend the inspection?
- What does your standard home inspection include and exclude?
The answers should give you a much better understanding of the inspector you’re hiring than price alone.
Choosing a Home Inspector in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio
If you’re purchasing a home in Cleveland or Northeast Ohio, take the time to choose an inspector based on experience, inspection practices, reporting quality and professionalism—not simply who offers the lowest price or the longest list of equipment.
Detailed Home Inspections has served Cleveland and Northeast Ohio since 2003. Our Ohio-licensed inspection team provides residential, investment property and commercial inspections along with additional testing and inspection services.
Our goal is straightforward: provide you with a thorough inspection, clearly explain the significant findings and give you an inspection report you can actually understand.
Ready to schedule your inspection?
See your price and choose an available inspection time online.