Home Inspection Services - What is really needed? (Katy: insurance, buying a home)

[kathymargaret]

We are in the process of buying a home in Katy and we are looking at home inspections !

Home inspection , Sewer inspection, Full termite inspection and report , Sprinkler inspection, Mold inspection , Pool inspection and consultation is costing me about 2165$ ?

Is that about right or steep?

Is there anything else I need to be adding in ?

First time buyer so Id appreciate all your inputs and thank you in advance !!!

[Ghost Town]

4 years ago I paid $350 for the home inspection with infrared camera (very detailed report) and $150 for thermite inspection. I guess there's no limit if you really want to pay more...
But I don't have pool.
If I remember correctly, the bank didn't require inspection. That's for you.

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by kathymargaret

We are in the process of buying a home in Katy and we are looking at home inspections !

Home inspection , Sewer inspection, Full termite inspection and report , Sprinkler inspection, Mold inspection , Pool inspection and consultation is costing me about 2165$ ?

Is that about right or steep?

Is there anything else I need to be adding in ?

First time buyer so Id appreciate all your inputs and thank you in advance !!!

Each Inspector will use their own methods of calculating their fees. I will caution you not to do what so many do and that is use the fee as the first determining factor on choosing the Inspector. Instead find several Inspectors you feel you can trust. Then obtain sample reports and contracts for comparison. An Inspector's report can tell you a lot of what to expect from their services. Unless you have picked all dregs then you will see a large difference between the good and the dreg! Once you have narowed it down then use the fee aspect as an additional choice.


As for what you need for inspections in your due diligence period it comes down to what you are comfortable with and the house itself. Without a doubt I would recommend the home inspection, Wood Destroying Insect inspection (WDI or termites and other critters), irrigation system inspection (sprinkler), and the pool inspection if you have either. The sewer and mold inspections can wait until at least the home inspection is performed and if there is a possible need for them as indicated by the home inspection findings. Inspectors do like to upsell all manner of additional services as obviously it makes more money for them.



As for mold it is present all around us both outside and inside of a house. It only becomes a problem when the spores land on locations that provide it a suitable ground for breeding and it flourishes. Mold tests will typically always display even low levels of mold present regardless whether it has become a problem or not.


As for the sewer inspection being performed by other than a licensed Plumber and for a very good reason they are nothing more than money makers for these Inspectors. If the Inspector is doing their job properly they may well encounter the signs of a possible need to scope and should place that in their report. You can then choose to do it if possible problems have been identified. BTW these "Sewer inspection" types typically only scope the line between the home and to the city sewer point. Few if many or any are scoping all the lines under the home. Foundation problems can cause sewer line damage under the home that can then be unreported as a result.


If you have not already done it I would recommend you request a CLUE Report from the owner and one that was retrieved on or after the day you requested it and not some old report. CLUE stands for Consolidated Loss Underwriters Exchange and is the 5 - 7 year insurance history on the home. It can tell you if major issues have occurred in the past, if the sellers disclosure has been properly annotated, and other information. The insurance underwriters will use this information to determine your premium amount or if they will even insure the home.


Good luck and let us know how it worked out for you!

[timtemtym]

We used an inspector last summer for our home purchase inside the loop. The inspector was based in Katy though. It ran $400 for a 2500 sf house. He was pretty thorough.

[jerbear30]

Beau Evetts at BE Inspected, LLC inspected two homes for us last year--one that we didn't buy and one that we did. He's thorough. I think we paid about 550 for inspection and termites. He also advised us about mold at both homes. We paid another 350 for plumber/pressure test. No pool fees. That's a total of about 900 bucks. At the first house we also paid an extra 75 for someone to check the foundation. In any case, I feel like 2k is too much, based on my own (limited) experience.

[modster]

I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from doing any inspections they think they might need or want. Obviously the structural & system inspection, and a separate wood destroying insect inspection is an absolute must. On houses that are 40 years or older, I would definitely do a hydro-static or camera test on the under slab plumbing, but not on anything newer. I also wouldn't order that until I was sure I was ok with what came out on the other inspections. I also don't think a mold test is normal. If there has been water penetration, or the exterior is primarily stucco, that might change things, but otherwise I don't know that I would do that one.