Doing home inspections I get this questions a lot, "how much is this going to cost me?". Giving out estimates on site can be tricky and a liability. As home inspectors we don't have enough time to fully investigate every issue we find so if I give a cost estimate there is a good likelihood that it will be wrong. I could be high but I could just a likely be estimating low, and that is something nobody wants.
When should you get a cost of repair?
First of it is good to know that every issue in your report could end up being a bigger issue than reported. Your home inspector is a generalist. They call out visual issues, but they are not able to see behind walls, below floors, or behind peoples belongings. Be sure you understand that the report is a general condition of the home and getting items estimated by a contractor before buying the home could uncover additional issues. Even the seemingly smallest issue in the report could end up being a large issue.
How To Get A Cost?
On-Site Contractor
Once I find an issue I almost always recommend a specialized licensed contractor be contacted to provide an onsite estimate before the Inspection Objection Deadline is reached.
This daunting process includes:
1) Finding a contractor that can provide an estimate before the deadline is up.
2) Deciphering the estimate and deciding if you need more that one contractor to look at the job.
3) Meeting with the contractor to get questions answered.
This is not an easy process and why some
people opt to not go through it. Again, that can be a mistake but it is also understandable.
Repair Pricer
With every Card Inspection Services home inspection a you have the opportunity to purchase a Repair Pricer report (www.repairpricer.com) which will give you an itemized, detailed report of the cost of every item in the report. With the unlikelihood of my clients calling a contractor for every repair this is the next best thing to be sure you know the repair costs for all the items called out in the report.
Repair Pricer has a proven track record of providing 98% accurate cost estimates to their clients. While they do not guarantee their estimates because of the variables and underlying issues, they are considered the industry standard in home inspection report estimations. And you get all this in 24 hours or less.
Home Advisor
HomeAdvisor Truecost Guide (www.homeadviser.com) can also provide you with estimates through their database of over 300 types of projects, 1 million reported costs, and real costs from real people. They update their costs daily and can even put you in touch with a contractor if you need them to. The downside is you have to research each deficiency yourself.
Getting an idea of how much the items called out in your report are going to cost is just as important a getting the inspection done in the first place. At Card Inspection Services I will help you walk through the inspection report and guide you through the process of getting repair estimates and analyzing cost estimates to determine if they are providing a complete estimate.
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