Frequently Asked Questions

Price FAQs

101. How much is the inspection?
The price of an inspection depends on the heated square footage of the living space, the age of the house, whether there is a crawlspace, and how far our inspectors need to travel. In the San Francisco East Bay area, home inspection services start at $400 for a Premium Home Inspection for houses in the local area up to 2000 sqft built after 1980 without a crawlspace. You can get a quote by logging in to schedule an inspection on our website or by calling the office during normal business hours.

102. What do I need for Home inSight to price an inspection
To get a quote all you need is the square footage of the house, its age, the address, and whether there is a crawlspace.

Payment FAQs

201. What is the preferred method of payment?
Home InSight prefers checks because it makes the accounting easier and costs the least to handle. Cash is also accepted. To keep home inspection prices low, services are quoted at the cash price.

202. Can I pay with a credit or debit card?
Home InSight makes every effort for clients to pay with this convenient method. However, doing so is expensive and the regulations to protect against identity theft is cost prohibitive. Currently, Home InSight uses General Real Estate Inspectors to process credit cards for a 5% surcharge. When the economy improves, we may again offer card services, where costs can be spread over several inspections.

203. Can I pay through escrow?
Yes, but it is the most costly method due to increased risk, interest expenses, and extra handling. Home InSight does understand the cost of houses in California requires huge outlays of cash that places people under financial stress until the deal closes. To do so, please provide the contact details of your escrow agent, including name, address, phone number, email address, escrow number, and expected closing date. Also, credit card information is collected in the event escrow does not close. The process for getting paid from escrow accounts where the house doesn't close is a legal tangle requiring escrow instructions and other things that if not handled exactly right could result in not getting paid. There is a 10% surcharge for this service. If escrow doesn't close, the credit card will then be charged.

204. When do I pay?
Payment is expected on site when the inspection is complete unless other arrangements are made. Reports are withheld until payment is either received or ensured.

Report FAQs

301. What does the report look like?
A home inspection report for resale, new construction, or warranty looks the same. There is a full report with a lot of pictures, descriptions, styles & materials, etc. that when printed out could take 80-125 pages. It's designed for on-line viewing. Three or four summary reports are directly derived from it: Key Considerations, All Comments, Controls, and perhaps a Punch List. These ares small enough to be printed as needed.

Key Considerations summarizes the finding where Home InSight considers you may want to have a conversation with the Seller or otherwise think about before purchasing the house. It's intended to support Repair Requests. All Comments contains all the findings during the inspection. Almost all of them are minor and expected for the age of the house. However, there may be something in it that is important for you. In general, it's your to-do list after moving in. Controls, Cleanouts, and Filters is a summary report showing where to find these items, particularly in case of emergency. It is intended to be put in handy place in or around the kitchen for easy and rapid reference. If you're bought a house from builder and it's still under warranty, a Punch List is provided.

The Senior Home Safety Network has a different reporting format.

302. When will I get my report?
Usually, reports are delivered my the morning of the next day. If the inspector is going out of town for Scouting event for the weekend, it may be delivered electronically as late as Monday morning.

303. Where is my report delivered?
Where possible, reports are delivered electronically via email only. This helps maximize the amount of information provided while minimizing the effect on the environment.

Reports come from two places. The inspection report itself comes from HomeGauge. Your inspection report is hosted on a third-party website for access up to five years later. This report is intended for distribution. The administrative parts of the report, such a contracts, weather reports, and profiles, come from The Schedule Center. You will get an email from both places letting you know your report is available.

304. Will you print my report?
Home InSight stopped printing reports in February 2009, when a completely electronic means of storing and delivering information because available. This is in keeping with our company's desire to be environmentally friendly. However, if you don't have electronic access, Home InSight will print it for you for free. If you do have email and you want it printed anyway, we'll mail it to you for $25.

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