Do I need a Home Inspection?

YES, YES & YES!

You should, as a general rule, never purchase a home without hiring a licensed home inspector during your inspection period.

Typically in the Baton Rouge market, we negotiate a 10 calendar day inspection period that commences the first calendar day after the purchase agreement is fully executed by the buyer & seller. This inspection period allows the buyer to conduct as few or as many inspections as they would like. The seller is required to make an accommodation to the buyer and their inspectors to make their home available for inspections. All utilities are required to be on unless otherwise negotiated. Buyers CANNOT conduct invasive inspections (drilling holes in walls, removing the flooring, etc) without sellers advance permission.

So what occurs during a typical home inspection? It is important to remember that while the home inspector is licensed, they are not licensed roofer, a/c guys, foundation experts, etc. They are trained and required to note what appear to be deficiencies, damages, non-working, or sub-optimal working parts of the house. They will note these items on your report with a recommendation for further review by a specific licensed professional.

The inspector will usually climb on the roof (if he can do so safely) and do a visual inspection of the shingles, chimney, flashing & other roof penetrations. If the house is a pier & beam property, the inspector will crawl underneath the home to look at the piers, beams, insulation, subflooring, etc (there may be an additional charge for going under the house). The inspector will also make a visual inspection of the exterior of the home to review the siding, soffits, fascia, condition of the brick, etc.

Once inside the house, the inspector will test all the light switches and outlets to confirm that they are functioning correctly. He will test the GFCI outlets in all the wet areas & check to see if the outlets are grounded. He will inspect the electrical panel to make sure it is wired correctly, bonded and has the correct breakers (both brands and amps).

The inspector will test all permanently attached appliances (dishwasher, range, microwave, hot water heater & a/c system). Refrigerators and washer/dryers are typically not inspected.

The inspection will included turning on the heater and the a/c and the inspector will measure the temperature of the a/c coming in/going out of the system to ensure that the appropriate temperature differentials are in place.

The inspection will cover additional items, but these are some of the most important pieces of the inspection.

For a typical slab house with 2500 square feet an inspection should cost between $400 - $600. You'll get the report back within 24 hours to review. It's not unusual for the inspectors report to be 50 pages in length including pictures. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOUR POTENTIAL NEW HOME IS FALLING APART!!!

The inspectors are required to note everything that they see. Hopefully you have a great real estate agent (me!) and a great inspector (see below!) who can help you review the inspection report to better understand it. I always tell my clients that the report will show 3 things: Items that must be addressed immediately, items that you (the buyer) can choose to deal with post closing (not required or necessarily critical) & items that you need to watch over the short and possibly long term to possibly address at a later date.

Home inspectors are licensed and regulated by the State of Louisiana. Here is a link to their regulatory website. It will show license status, what the home inspector is required to do & if there's been disciplinary action against a particular home inspector.

Here are 3 of the home inspectors that I have worked with over the years and have provided exemplary service and reports to my clients!

Jason Hodges - Atlas Home Inspection

Clayton Weeks - C.W. Home Inspections

Peter Forrestall - Inspecting 1 Home Inspections

Reach out if you'd like to discuss the importance of a home inspection during the home buying process in Baton Rouge.

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