Q1-Ans: A professional engineer can only be licensed by the State if he holds a 4 year engineering degree with a minimum of 5 years of practical experience in the field. A certified home inspector can be certified by the State without any formal degree so long as he passes an open book examination in building codes. Practical experience is not required. Many home inspectors are certified by online associations by simply answering multiple choice questions on the internet, and paying a membership fee. The home inspector associations are not regulated by the state. A homeowner can be assured of the qualifications and experience of a licensed P.E. inspector. Since certified home inspectors are not qualified to do structural inspections, they will end up recommending the homeowner to hire a licensed structural engineer if there is a structural problem in the house. This means a homeowner will have to pay an additional fee for a licensed P.E.

Q2-Ans: Not necessarily. Although, a licensed P.E. will not be the least expensive, oftentimes, the fees are comparable to most certified home inspectors. A homeowner will save considerable money if the house has a structural problem, since the structural inspection is included as a part of the home inspection when it is performed by a licensed P.E.

Q3-Ans: Generally it takes about 3 hours or slightly longer for an older home.

Q4-Ans: A hand written report is given to the client on the same day. A typewritten report, which focuses on problem areas and recommendations, is usually mailed the next day.

Q5-Ans: Yes. A homeowner is encouraged to accompany the inspector during the inspection process to visualize the problems and learn about maintenance.

Q6-Ans: Yes. A licensed P.E. will be glad to show his state license certificate. For your convenience, our license number is published above and can be verified with the State.