Home inspections Toronto | Home inspectors Toronto I Cost

Home inspections Toronto | Home inspectors Toronto | Cost

So what is it home inspection of a typical Toronto home, how much does it cost and what do we do during the three or four hours that we spend in your future home?

Home inspection is a visual examination of the accessible features of the property. The two key words are: visual and accessible. These two words mean that we do not perform any destructive testing. We only dismantle things that can easily be reassembled, and anything that we take apart we replace ourselves immediately after examination. For instance removal of electrical panel cover or furnace maintenance cover is included in the scope of home inspection.

During the inspection, we examine the following systems and components of the property:

Roofing. This includes shingles, roof penetrations and their flashing, soffit and roof vents, fascia board and trim, skylights, gutters and downspouts. And yes, we do go on the roof whenever it is possible.

- Exterior. We inspect lot grading and drainage, wall finishes, windows, doors, exterior steps, driveway and walkway, porches, decks, balconies, guard rails and hand rails, attached garage and retaining walls.

- Structure. House foundation – basement, crawl space or slab-on-grade, beams, floor joists, support columns, rafters, collar ties, attic trusses and roof sheathing. We make every effort to traverse attic or crawl space whenever it is safe to do so.

- Electrical. Overhead service entrance, main disconnect, distribution panel and wiring, grounding and bonding, breakers and fuses, outlets and receptacles, lights and their switches, ground-fault and arc-fault protection.

- Heating. Forced air furnace, hydronic boiler or heat pump, ducts and pipes, registers or radiators, heat recovery and energy recovery ventilators, filters, valves, local controls or central thermostats.

- Air Conditioning. This includes central or window air conditioner, electrical disconnect, condensation and refrigeration lines. We always measure temperature differential to verify that the unit functions as intended.

- Insulation. Blown or spray foam insulation in attic, basement and crawl space, vapour barrier or moisture barrier where visible.

- Plumbing. Main water shut-off valve, supply and waste piping, hot water heater, water pressure and flow, all plumbing fixtures, traps, vents, valves and hose bibs. For rural properties located on well and septic we can help you to find specialized contractors and arrange their services at the same time as our inspection.

- Interior. Bedrooms, closets, hallways, bathrooms, kitchens, counter tops, floors and interior finishes of walls and ceilings.

Each system or component, including the method that was used for its evaluation, is described in detail, complemented by the inspector’s recommendations and notes.

Home inspections Toronto|Home inspectors Toronto | Cost

Since a home inspection is a service and not a commodity inspection fee depends on a number of variables, such as type of inspection, location of the property, age and area of the house, type of foundation, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens etc.

At Home Inspections 4U we offer two types of residential home inspections: Standard and Premium.

Every Standard home inspection takes on average 3-4 hours and is conducted according to the Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics of American and Canadian Associations of Home Inspectors. Standard inspection is essentially a visual inspection which includes certain limitations that must be clearly determined in the inspector’s contract.

However, we are so confident in our service that we are willing to offer you 90 Days warranty on all inspection findings backed up by the third party provider.

We will take another step to ensure your safety and provide you with the information on Recall Check of all appliances that will remain in the house absolutely free.

Finally in the unlikely event that you will not be completely satisfied with our services, we will provide a full refund of your fee.

After completion of the on-site inspection, our clients will receive a comprehensive computer generated narrative report, complimented with digital pictures of the deficiencies that have been discovered.

Our Premium inspection includes everything from the Standard one plus a complete infrared thermal imaging scan of all mechanical and electrical equipment and building envelope for the purpose of finding invisible defects such as moisture from leaky showers, missing insulation in exterior walls, air leakage that will effect your comfort. Our Premium inspection takes on average 4-5 hours.

Indoor Air Quality investigation can be added to either type of the inspection upon request.

Ten Tips to Speed Up Your Home Inspection

People often ask whether only “old” Toronto houses (built over 20 years ago) require a home inspection, and whether it is wise to spend money on an inspection of a brand new (or almost new) house? Unfortunately, new houses today sometimes have more problems than older ones, and not all of these problems are covered by the New Home Owner’s Warranty. So it is always wise to spend a little extra on a professional home inspection to get a clear picture of the deficiencies in your future residence.

Tips for selecting a good home inspector from the article in “Toronto Star”

So as you probably understand by now the cost for each inspection is different. Nevertheless we would like to give you a general idea of the fee that we charge. For the standard home less than 1999 sq.ft, less than 30 years of age and completely unfinished basement our fee starts from $435. Travel surcharge of 85 c/km will be applied to the portion above 100 km round trip from our office to the property. This charge will be added to the quoted inspection fee.

Factors such as crawl space foundation, an additional kitchen or bathroom, finished basement and fluctuating gas prices may slightly influence the cost of the inspection. Taxes are not included.

Remember – there is no value in cheap service.

There is a common misconception that all home inspections are the same. This cannot be any further from the truth.

Home inspection is a very unique field. Home inspectors are professionals who combine years of experience with an extensive training and education.

The cost for a home inspection is negligible compared to the price of the home in the cities like Toronto, Mississauga or Richmond Hill. That is why don’t try to save $100 on the professional services. Hire the best home inspector that your money can buy – the Certified Master Inspector. Save thousands of dollars on discovered deficiencies, not $100 on the inspection fee.

And if our professional fees are too high for you…

Even though home inspection is often called Technical, it is not technically exhaustive. In our inspection, we view the house as a whole system rather than focus on its separate components.

In the course of the inspection we educate our clients on various issues related to the maintenance and care of their largest investment. That is why we require your participation in the home inspection. You will be given a unique opportunity to interact with the knowledgeable inspector and to learn about various features of your new home.

Please remember that a home inspection does not guarantee a flawless house, but rather provides an independent, professional opinion on the condition of the house at the present moment.

Before you call us at (416) 909-6467 for an exact quote of the inspection for your particular property call around and get some more quotes. You will be surprised what an array of prices you will be getting. Ask the other inspectors about their services, professional experience, background and report. Then call us at (416) 909-6467. You will understand why we are different and charge higher fees. We conduct home inspections seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Toronto, Mississauga, Richmond Hill and other Ontario cities that can be booked one to two days in advance.