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I recently read about hiring a state licensed professional engineer to do a house inspection before buying instead of a regular home inspector. I read that PE's are more informed about structures/foundations, and are more able to give estimates for repairs. Also that their contracts come with a guarantee that if there are any problems with the house that the PE missed or overlooked, they will pay something like 10% of the cost to repair. Also I assume PE's are more expensive.
Can anyone tell me about any actual benefits of a professional engineer's inspection versus a home inspector? Has anyone used one before with more confidence than a home inspector? The inspection would be on an as-is, 1900 home, so this will really need to count and be extremely thorough. Thanks!
A person who completes additional licensing is allowed to call themselves a Professional Engineer. I would NOT recommend going that route unless the home your are contemplating buying has a suspected problem. Unless it is absolute "less than land value" give away price I would not consider a house that has suspected defects in the foundation.
A PE is going to produce a report that is, by definition, worst case. It will have a SOLUTION to address the problem that MUST be implementable, but likely is NOT the most cost effective. For instance, if they come upon a broken floor joist that might, worst case, require reframing all the way back up to roof. They'd be required to estimate out all the work, even if further inspection revealed that NOT to be needed.
A general rule when looking at OLD HOMES is get some one with LOTS of experience INSPECTING old homes, not necessarily a 21th century PE that has a lot of experience engineering CURRENT homes...
If you aren't comfortable hiring a home inspector, find a remodeler that specializes in old homes. Old homes are not engineered to current standards, we already know that. You don't want to compare an old home to a new home, you'll go batty.
Old homes have issues, it is part of being an old home. The question just becomes how comfortable you are with old home issues. You want someone who knows the ins and outs of old homes. Hire that person.
Sometime back I posted a description of the right kind of guy to "inspect" an old house. He needs to be between 55 and 80, wears striped bib overalls, drives about a 1989 or older 1/2 ton 2WD pickup truck, and still uses a folding wooden carpenter's rule. Quiz him a bit and make sure he knows about modern manufactured building materials AND also knows how to mortise a door lock with a chisel, use a framing square to lay out a staircase, and how to read a rafter table. Then you'll know that he knows the ins and outs of both old and new houses!
Sometime back I posted a description of the right kind of guy to "inspect" an old house. He needs to be between 55 and 80, wears striped bib overalls, drives about a 1989 or older 1/2 ton 2WD pickup truck, and still uses a folding wooden carpenter's rule. Quiz him a bit and make sure he knows about modern manufactured building materials AND also knows how to mortise a door lock with a chisel, use a framing square to lay out a staircase, and how to read a rafter table. Then you'll know that he knows the ins and outs of both old and new houses!
Older guy might equal guy that is more at ease with the older techniques, afterall there are plenty of reason to have faith in "time tested" things. That said PLENTY of older houses have been hacked up by ill informed DIYers and unskilled contractors TRYING to cram new fangled systems into old houses. A good inspection should detail those "mismatches" too.
I recently read about hiring a state licensed professional engineer to do a house inspection before buying instead of a regular home inspector. I read that PE's are more informed about structures/foundations, and are more able to give estimates for repairs. Also that their contracts come with a guarantee that if there are any problems with the house that the PE missed or overlooked, they will pay something like 10% of the cost to repair. Also I assume PE's are more expensive.
Can anyone tell me about any actual benefits of a professional engineer's inspection versus a home inspector? Has anyone used one before with more confidence than a home inspector? The inspection would be on an as-is, 1900 home, so this will really need to count and be extremely thorough. Thanks!
As a professional engineer myself, I'll try to give you some insight.
I agree with the other posters that a professional engineer would be good to hire if you have specific concerns relating to the heating or air conditioning systems in the house, the structural condition of the house or foundation, or the adequecy of the electrical system of the house.
One advantage you have in a professional engineer is they assume incredible professional and financial liability in the work they do. The engineer is risking their license everytime they seal a document, so you can have great trust that they are doing a thorough job and is a good assesment of the condition of the house.
I would be unlikely to pay more to have a PE inspect a home than to have a regular home inspector do the inspection unless I was concerned about the structural condition of the house. In that case I would certainly hire a PE because they can make a more detailed assessment of the condition.
I haven't gotten any quotes, but how much more is PE compared to a regular home inspector?
The home is bank owned and vacant for about 9 months, built in 1900 with an addition, which by the way I have to make sure was done on permit in the first place... stone foundation, oil heating... I just don't know right now having not seen it yet if I should be concerned about foundation.
Oh, that being said, if the house DOES have major problems, like foundational, etc, that will run me more than $15,000+ish in mandatory repairs (that MUST be done or else.. I'm not talking a kitchen reno) I am not going to buy it, so in that case who would I want inspecting?
I haven't gotten any quotes, but how much more is PE compared to a regular home inspector?
The home is bank owned and vacant for about 9 months, built in 1900 with an addition, which by the way I have to make sure was done on permit in the first place... stone foundation, oil heating... I just don't know right now having not seen it yet if I should be concerned about foundation.
Oh, that being said, if the house DOES have major problems, like foundational, etc, that will run me more than $15,000+ish in mandatory repairs (that MUST be done or else.. I'm not talking a kitchen reno) I am not going to buy it, so in that case who would I want inspecting?
As some others have said, you can interview some regular home inspectors as well as the professional engineers who you found. See which ones you are more comfortable with.
As far as prices, ask for quotes from each. You may find there is a difference or you may find they are the same.
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Probably a good idea...
