TOPIC: Inspection Order

Wow, I'm exhausted just reading it!

(Like the "woohoo...")

lol

Does anyone have a particular inspection order that works more efficiently? Interior first, Exterior last....attic befor roof? Thanks!

I begin when I arrive at the property turning the A/C down as low as they will go, then after looking under the sink to make sure the dishwasher is installed correctly I turn it on to the rinse cycle, there is not enough time for me to wait for a complete wash cycle during the course of a normal home inspection.

I do my inspection the way my software is set up for the report.

I inspect the exterior of the house. After the exterior is completed I inspect the interior in a clockwise direction.

After asking anyone who may be at the inspection if they are cold from the A/C running I take a couple pictures of my IR Thermometer aimed at two different registers which gives me a couple photos of my Thermometer with 50ish readings to put in the A/C section of the report, that way nobody can say after the inspection the A/C was not working that day.

Then I turn the Thermometer in the house to the heating mode if there are gas forced air furnace(s) and go into the attic where they are usually located here, look over the furnaces, burners, air handlers, drip pans under the unit(s), condensation drainage pipes, etc. and measure insulation, look at the roof framing, etc; and get my a$$ out of the hot Arizona attic ASAP-)

Then of course I ask anyone who is there if they are hot from the furnace(s) operating, take pictures of my IR Thermometer aimed at least two registers showing the supply temperature "110+ degrees" to put in my report.

By this time the dishwasher has usually completed the rinse cycle, I take pictures of no leaks in the sink base cabinet, picture at the base of the dishwasher with no leaks present TODAY, and a picture of the inside of the appliance dripping wet but drained.

For some reason I get more people calling about Dishwashers than any other thing in a house, I disclaim the hell out of them and explain by AZ Law I am not even required to inspect them in the first place, so I am simply doing them a favor by running them through a rinse cycle to begin with...!!

Then I ask anyone at the end of the inspection if they have any concerns, go over my findings, leave the property and go to the next inspection, or to the office to do the report while everything is fresh in my head.

I don't take many notes, I only take pictures of things which need repair and I can remember why I took the pictures.

When I return back to do the report I put all the pictures in the report and type in the picture what the concern is, this way it makes the report idiot proof, then I add the comments throughout the report to finish it up.

Hope everyone is busy....its a rather slow market, but things will get better, hang in there...!!!

Hey Dale, how long does your inspection usually take?

Hey Dale, how long does your inspection usually take?

Hi John,

I can inspect a 2000 sq ft. house with the usual issues found in Arizona in about an hour and a half, if there are people present during the inspection add another 30 minutes generally.

I use HomeGauge software, I love Dom's software but I have been using the other for so many years I can almost do a report with my eyes closed, I have not had time to practice using Dom's is the only reason I don't use it sometimes, but the report usually takes me an hour, I do not use "Inspector Speak", I type most of the report, I'm a fast typer so it faster for me to simply type than search for auto-comments.

There is nothing I hate more than seeing a report with "Inspector Speak" making the report look like a robot wrote it...simply terrible...I think the fact I do not use auto-comments very often gets me a LOT more inspections because the reports look like I am talking to the person who wanted the inspection, rather than a robot talking to them.

Good deal, I'm still new to inspections so things still take me longer.  I take tons of notes so I wont forget anything but I'm finding that if I take tons of pics I can remember almost everything else.  And when I need to look at my notes I have them.  I have a blank HIP report that I use for my notes.  That way I don't leave anything out.