TOPIC: Do You Want A Home Inspector, Or An Engineer?

I had a call from a prospective client.  She needed a home inspection.  Her first question was, "Are you an engineer?"

What can I say?  "No, I am not.  Do you think the house needs to be seen by an engineer or a home inspector?"

She didn't know.  "All I know is my boss told me to get a home inspector who is an engineer."

"I am sorry, I don't know any I can refer you to.  I know a lot of engineers and work with a few.  And I know a lot of home inspectors.  But I do not know anyone who is certified as both.  You probably only need an engineer if there are specific structural or soil issues that need examination.  Is that what you need?  I can refer to you engineers for that purpose, but they don't do home inspections.  In fact, one engineer I have known for over 10 years called me to do two inspections on his new home - a pre-drywall structural and a final walk through."

"What does a home inspector do that an engineer does not?"  Now, there's a good question!

"As a certified home inspector, I am trained and have long experience in the construction industry.  In addition to structure, I also evaluate the exterior, roof, all the indoor systems, ventilation, appliances - well, many things.  You should think of a house as you would a living organism - there are many systems that all work together to create a healthy house.  Sometimes those systems or parts need repairs or replacement,  But they certainly need a complete evaluation from time to time.  That is where I come in.  I give you as complete a snap shot as I can of the condition of the home on the day we look at it.  Then I give you a thorough report that describes my findings."

"Don't engineers do that?"

"Not unless they are certified as home inspectors."

"Well," she repeated, "all I know is my boss told me to get a home inspector who is an engineer.  I guess I need to keep checking around."  She did not call back.  Maybe she found what she was looking for.  Likely she found an engineer who said he does home inspections too.  But he is probably not a home inspector ... and she will probably never know the difference.

People don't know what they don't know.

The engineer acquaintance I referred to above called me do perform a pre-drywall analysis on his new home.  I was surprised to hear from him!  "What do you need me for?  You know more about structure than I do!"

His answer was very smart and very circumspect.  "Four eyes are better than two.  And I know you have a good eye.  Plus, you look at other things too."  And guess what?  I found some things, structural and otherwise, that he had not seen, agreed with and wanted corrected.  That's how it works.

So, do you want a home inspector or an engineer?  Personally, I don't know!  Which do need?

My recommendation:  A structural engineer is likely not a trained home inspector and few home inspectors are trained as engineers.  Neither is likely to do a report that would satisfy the other's criteria during an evaluation.  So, hire what you need!  But when you need a structural engineer, don't call a home inspector.  Engineers are great at what they do.  But, when you need a home inspector, you are likely to be disappointed by an engineer's point of view.

I've had this discussion before, and I explained that an engineer is actually a guy with a calculator and a sharp pencil....a problem solver.  When I inspect a home and am looking for certain conditions, I may find a condition that would require an engineer (and his calculator and pencil) to determine the extent of the issue and a possible remedy.  But as far as inspecting and identifying issues, most engineers I know will be standing in front of you with one shoe untied, has fly half down, with a leaking pen in the pocket WITHOUT the plastic protector.  They are mathematical, linear thinkers who are there to tell you if the foundation crack your inspector found is still widening and at what rate....are the split rafters and the cracked floor joists related....but not to inspect.  You'd be lucky if he found his way back to his truck when the inspection was over.

Hey Jim!  Where you been, boy?  You used your first post on this site on my comment!  I think you're right.  One engineer friend of mine is a rugby coach (played rugby in college) and not as linear as you describe.  But they are all very, very analytical! 

This girl I write about could not get her boss's recommendation out of her head though...  there is an engineer in this area who says he also does home inspections.  I doubt he is meeting state SOP criteria as he does not appear on any home inspector list anywhere.  She might end up being very dissatisfied with the final product, but what do you say when she won't get off the "I need an engineer" thing?

Hi, Jay.
Maybe after a few more probing questions you would have discovered her personal preferences for men who drive trains.  LOL

Only if they have that cool hat...

I had a customer book me and asked if I could do a roof inspection for them so they could get their house refinanced.  I got there, and boy was the roof in bad shape!  Sagging, missing supports, too many layers, additional HVAC suspended from rafters, you name it.

Long story short, the lender told them in their paper work to get an engineer.  I told them I think they needed an engineer and their lender was requiring it. 

I walked away from this job thanking Lord Jesus, they gave me gas money, and said they would recommend me to everyone they could.