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FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
At CRD Home & Cottage Inspection we do our best to answer all of your questions. Below you will find a list of what we believe are the most frequently asked questions. If you have any questions that have not been answered below, do not hesistate to contact us.
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A typical inspection should take about 3 hours to complete. This can vary, given the current condition and size of the home, the accessibility of mechanical systems, and so on. As a courtesy to sellers, we recommend that they be informed of the timeframe in a pre-purchase home inspection situation. If there are other non-standard items added to the inspection such as Outbuildings, Private Water Systems or Septic Waste Systems, all of these things will required more time for the Inspector to finish his work properly.
We inspect the major systems of the house. These include the Roof, Exterior, Structure, Electrical, Heating, Cooling, Plumbing, Insulation, and Interior. Our goal is to identify any existing major problems that would affect a typical buyer's decision to purchase.
A typical fee for a Certified Home inspection is from $300.00 and up based on the square footage of the home. However, some factors will affect the fee. If you are comparing home inspection firms, the fee charged should not be the deciding factor unless the level of service offered is identical. Remember, you are considering a major purchase and your choice of home inspector should be based on getting the best value, not just the best price. There may be additional costs for Septic Systems, Private Water Systems (Wells & Pump's), Outbuildings, etc... Check our online booking system for accurate prices or Click-> Here for out Fee Schedule.
- Complete home inspection conducted by an experienced certified professional following 'Standards of Practice' guidlines
- Comprehensive written home inspection report.
- Technical support for as long as you own your home.
- RecallChek service for your homes major appliances.
Yes, Some properties have other Buildings or systems that are not tyically part if the Standard Certified Home Inspection. For instance, many Cottage properties have What we call outbuildings. These can be a Bunkie, Boathouse, Workshop, etc.. if they are supplied with Power, Water or any other systems connected to the main home you may consider the extra cost to have them checked for any issues during your Home Inspection.
You may also find that some homes are not on city water or sewers and will have Private Water systems such as a Well or Lake pump. If they do then in most cases they will also have a Septic or Holding tank waste water systems that you might be inclined to have inspected at the same time.
There are other optional services offered with s Certified Home Inspection such as adding FLIR Thermal Imaging to your report if you suspect problems with air leakage or heat loss that can't be detected with the naked eye.
All of these added Inspection services add time to the inspection and therefore add to the final cost of the report.
You may consider adding some or many of the extra services to your booked inspection in order to have a more detailed and through report to help you make one of the biggest choices of your life.
Definitely. We encourage you to attend. The inspection is a valuable learning experience for most homebuyers.
You don't have to take notes during the inspection. We will document everything in a written report. It's much better to follow the inspector through, listening to his comments to make sure you understand. It's also a great opportunity to ask questions and to clarify anything that confuses you.
Absolutely! You may want to bring some questions that you have regarding the home. You should also feel free to stop the inspector and ask questions as you go. If the inspector's comments or explanations are not clear, please ask for clarification.
You should dress comfortably and be prepared to spend roughly 2 1/2 hours walking through the home with the inspector. You won't have to climb on the roof or go into the attic, so your clothes won't get dirty.
We recommend that you not bring your family; this is a technical evaluation, and you will be interacting with the inspector — the fewer distractions, the better.
You do receive a written report. It would be unfair to ask you to remember all of the things we cover during a home inspection. The report includes a summary of the condition of the home and details on all the major systems of the home. It is delivered within 24 hours after the inspection, in most cases you will have access to your completed report the same day.
No. Our goal is to report on the condition of the house, indicating potential repairs and expenses. Ultimately, it is your decision as to whether or not you buy the house. The home inspection is very important but it is only one piece of the puzzle. Only you know all of the factors at play. Your real estate professional can help you here.
A home inspection is a professional opinion based on less-than-complete information. It's a little like getting a check-up from your doctor. It improves your odds of good health but there is no guarantee or warranty. Some problems can only be discovered by living in a house; they cannot be discovered during a home inspection. For example, some shower stalls leak when people use the shower but don't leak when you simply turn on the shower. Some roofs and basements only leak when specific weather conditions exist. Some problems will only be discovered when carpets are lifted, furniture is moved or finishes are removed. As such, we cannot and do not offer a warranty on the house. Home warranty programs are available from others. We would be happy to help you contact a warranty company.
Our inspectors are graduates of the Carson Dunlop Home Inspector Training Program and are certified and registered with the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors. All have excellent communication skills and hands-on experience. Their knowledge and experience are reinforced by the many inspections we perform every year. Our inspectors also keep their skills current with continuing education programs both through the company and on their own.
Yes, Our inspectors are Province licensed and members of the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors.
We are ready to serve you quickly. We have the abbility to book sameday within 4 hours of making an appointment if there is availability on our booking system. However, when the sale of a home is conditional on the results of a home inspection, we recommend that you allow at least three days to arrange for a home inspection.
Your New Home: Kick the Bricks!
As a professional house and building inspection company, one of our primary jobs is answering questions. One of the most common questions we get is "Should I have my brand new house inspected?" It's a fair and honest question. The short answer is YES. But you expected us to say that, right? Let me tell you why it's a fair and honest answer.
Risk Reduction
Let's take the emotion out of it. Let's not call it your home; let's say it's a house. A building with a roof, a structure, mechanical systems, and interior finishes. It requires a substantial investment for you to purchase this building. You are putting your money at risk. It makes sense for you to learn about the qualities of this investment before putting your money on the line.
"But what could be wrong? It's a new house?" Yes, the risk of problems is probably lower than if you bought an old building. It actually depends on the individual properties one is comparing. It boils down to illuminating the risk, rather than assuming there is none.
House vs. Home
But it is artificial to take emotion out of it, precisely because the building will be your home. So you have a financial and an emotional investment. Why is this important? Because even a small problem, like for example a leak at the kitchen sink, will elicit in you an emotional response. What happens when you notice the leak? You get an adrenaline rush, you turn off the tap or the dishwasher, you wipe up the water, you remove the soaking box of dishwasher detergent, you wonder what you should do next, you call someone you trust, you call the builder or a plumber, you wait to make dinner until the service-person arrives. A non-trivial emotional investment, for a minor problem.
For some people, that minor incident will bring on a not-so-minor bout of buyer's remorse, wherein they wonder, "What else will go wrong?" It is better for both you and your builder for the inspector to find the leak so it can be fixed immediately.
Helps the Builder
Your builder has worked hard to put your home together. It takes a phenomenal amount of coordination to turn an empty patch of ground into a dream house. With so many steps and so many hands, it is inevitable that some things will get missed. Sometimes we find electrical outlets that don't work. Sometimes we find un-insulated attics. These were not done on purpose, they just happen. If you hire an inspector to find the things that need attention, you can put the items on the PDI punch-list (the list of deficiencies generated at the pre-delivery inspection that the builder is contracted to fix), or you will have documentation of the issues and can bring them up later. This helps both you and the builder keep track of the final wrinkles to be ironed out. If there are only a few wrinkles, you will gain an appreciation of how well the house has been built.
11-month Inspection
Many of our clients choose to hire us after they move in, but before the standard one-year builder's warranty coverage expires. This has proven to be a uniquely successful strategy. The waiting period allows the newly built house to "settle-in", making a performance-based inspection more valuable.
No matter how you look at it, getting a professional building inspector to kick the bricks of your new home is a sound idea.
As seen in HOMES Magazine June/July/August 2003. Gerard Gransaull, P. Eng., Engineering Manager, Carson Dunlop and Associates Ltd., Consulting Engineers - Building Inspections, www.carsondunlop.com
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Professional Certified Home & Cottage Inspection Experts.