Do business only with a home inspector who is licensed by the Arizona Board of Technical Registration. In Arizona, licensing is not optional for home inspectors. So if you deal with an inspector who does not have a license, you are doing business with someone who is breaking the law.
Certified home inspectors take a lengthy course, pass a national exam and conduct 30 home inspections in the presence of another certified home inspector.
Optional credentials that make a good home inspector even better include:
Experience in the home building or remodeling industry. Someone who has built homes or worked as a plumber, electrician or carpenter is more likely to understand the hidden ins and outs of a home’s structure and operation.
Relationships with tradesmen, like plumbers and electricians. Not everybody is a specialist in everything in the house. A home really is a combination of many specialized systems. An inspector who has worked with the “trades” often has a keen insight into how each of those systems works.
Longevity in a home-related field. Ask your inspector how many years he has worked in the “trades” or in building, engineering or architecture. The home inspection isn’t free; make sure the guy you hire has a solid background and isn’t someone who worked at a coffee shop but took the course and passed the exam.
Additional certification by an association of home inspectors. Associations like the National Association of Home Inspectors and the American Society of Home Inspectors review their members’ inspections every year.
Familiarity with Arizona. Arizona’s dry heat, pounding sun and long summer season make it unique when it comes to wear and tear on a home. Someone who has been in Arizona for a while knows how to evaluate a home based on Arizona conditions and won’t apply another state’s circumstances to your desert home.
