HouseMaster... "The Home Inspection Professionals"

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FAQs


*How long does an inspection take?*
	Inspections of standard residential dwellings take about three hours to complete the physical inspection and to provide a computerized report printed on-site. The amount of time increases exponentially with the difficulty of the project. Environmental testing such as radon screening, water analyses, soil sampling and petroleum storage tank tests require approximately a week after the testing/sampling for the laboratory test results to be returned to our office.

*How long in advance do I need to schedule an inspection?*
	Generally, you will need to allot a couple of days to schedule an inspection. But that's not to say we cannot accompany shorter timeframes. The real estate market can be fickle and slots open up from time to time, and sometimes we can even schedule an appointment for the same day. Additionally, we have a large pool of engineers and inspectors to draw from and perform inspections seven days per week. We have developed our schedule to fit our customers' needs.

*Should I be present at the inspection?*
	It is advisable for you to be present at the inspection because many of the issues that we will report on can better be explained while the element is available for your personal review. Additionally, we will be advising you about items that will require maintenance and the proper procedures for performing that maintenance. Unfortunately, that does not always translate well in an inspection report. If you cannot be present, however, we will arrange a teleconference with the inspector for a full explanation of the report for no additional expense.

*Can I request a specific inspector or engineer?*
		We encourage you to request a specific engineer or inspector. The majority of our business is generated by word of mouth. Many of our clients have become accustomed to working with specific inspectors and engineers, that they recommend them by name. We are proud of the fact that our inspectors have personalized their inspection procedures to support our individual clients' needs. Please feel to request an inspector by name, and we will do our best to fit your schedule with his.

*Do you include pictures in your report?*
	Absolutely not. We are engineers... not photographers. Our responsibility is to verbally represent the condition of the property and to specifically report on cause and cure. Someone once said that a "picture is worth a thousand words". Frankly, the issues that we must relate to our customers are not represented in a digital photograph. After reviewing thousands of inspection reports from a forensic point of view, it became apparent to us that the inspection reports that included photographs were notably "bald" regarding written content.

*What does an inspection cost?*
	Most home inspectors provide standardized pricing for their services and provide "package" specials. We cannot commodify our services in that manner. We tailor the inspection and ancillary testing to your specific needs and the individual property elements. Many home inspectors will provide a low price to entice business and then add additional services during the inspection. Our firm does not provide "estimates" for our services; our pricing is all inclusive. You will not be sold additional services on-site. Call us for a free quote.

*Do you charge more to perform inspections on weekends or evenings?*
		Absolutely not. We understand the individual needs of our customers and recognize that everybody has a different schedule. For that reason, we staff our engineers and inspectors so that a wide range of hours are available. We are available most evenings during Daylight Savings Time and all weekends. Unfortunately, those time slots fill up rapidly, so if you know in advance that you will require specific time slots, please allow for extra scheduling time.

*Many inspectors claim to be "certified." What does this mean?*
	Actually, it may mean very little. There are many trade associations for home inspectors. Many do not certify anything beyond membership in the individual organization (generally obtained simply by paying a fee). There is no meaningful control over these "certified" inspectors' qualifications or expertise. All of our engineers and inspectors are duly licensed and insured. We also maintain insurance well above the regulated minimum requirements.

*Are all of your inspectors engineers?*
	No, some of our inspectors come from backgrounds other than engineering, such as insurance inspections. However, we have many engineers including civil engineers, mechanical engineers, industrial engineers, and chemical engineers. We also have licensed professional engineers on staff. Our PE's only perform structural and code compliance inspections, however. Regardless of the inspector evaluates your property, you can rest assured that he has met our strict employment criteria and has over ten years experience under his belt.

*Do I need a structural engineer to inspect my house?*
	Structural engineering is a branch of civil engineering, and its applications are extremely diverse. A great deal of what structural engineers do involves designing things to be built, and then helping to build them: buildings, bridges, tunnels, towers. They need to know about the forces that act on structures—the stresses put on a bridge by heavy traffic or on a high building by strong winds, or on any structure by seasonal temperature changes or earthquakes.


*What type of insurance do you carry and do you offer a guarantee?*
	We carry all of the insurance required to operate a business, such as general liability insurance and workman's compensation insurance. As a firm that offers advice as a service, we also carry Errors & Omissions Insurance, which is required in New Jersey but not in New York. Additionally, we offer a written Guarantee with every inspection performed. Our E&O insurance carrier is so confident in our abilities it allows us to offer an exclusive guarantee.

ENCO Home Inspection, LLC is a wholly, independently owned and operated franchisee of DBR Franchise Systems, Inc. The information and views provided within these web pages have no reflection on DBR, and DBR is held harmless from any statements, views, comments or otherwise.

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