California Law only requires a Home Inspector to perform a general visual inspection, and does not specify what needs to be inspected. Also, there is no requirement when buying a home to get a home inspection, and it is therefore completely up to the client. This often is to the detriment of the client, who expects a thorough inspection, and if they do not do their research, may only receive a half-hour, three page report (well, a checklist really) from a non-certified inspector.

Want more of an inspection than the law requires? Get a Certified Home Inspection by Inspector Catch-it®!

What is a Certified Home Inspection?

A Certified Home Inspection includes, but is not limited to the inspection of the following components of your home: Roof, Exterior Siding, Structural Components, Basement, Crawlspace or Foundation, Doors, Windows, Interior Walls, Floors and Ceilings, Electrical System, Plumbing System, Heating and Cooling Systems, Attic, Ventilation and Insulation Systems and Components, and Built-in Appliances.

As you can see, a Certified Home Inspector is required to do a pretty thorough home inspection. Think about this: if you were making an investment that requires the safety of your family, wouldn't you want the assurance of knowing that you did everything you could to ensure your family's well-being?

A Certified Home Inspector is required to YEARLY retake and pass a General Home Inspection exam, with a score of 80% or better, and is required to continually pursue additional education to the tune of 25 credit hours per year. If a Certified Home Inspector, for any reason, does not pass the yearly exam, his certification is not renewed until he can pass the exam.

Do not fall for the Home Inspector that tells you that he doesn’t need to be certified because he took a Home Inspection Course. All Home Inspectors should take this course, and it is a just general course that does not teach the specific components that often are the source of many problems, such as the electrical, plumbing, structural and mechanical components or a home. A Certified Home Inspector will have certifications in at least the Structural, Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical Components of a home, if not more.