Professional ASHI Home Inspectors versus Professional Engineer

Do I need an Engineer or a Home Inspector?

The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) is North America’s oldest and largest professional society of home inspectors. ASHI’s goals have always been to build customer awareness of the importance of a quality home inspection and enhance the professionalism of home inspectors. ASHI is the largest and most respected professional association for home inspectors in North America. Through ASHI’s continued efforts, ASHI's Standards of Practice—covering all of a home's major systems—are now part of many pieces of state legislation and are recognized by consumers as the authoritative standard for professional home inspection. Professional ASHI home inspectors versus professional engineer - Certified ASHI Home Inspectors are trained to objectively communicate to you, the home inspection buyer, what the house has to say. Certified ASHI Home Inspectors have demonstrated technical proficiency and report-writing skills, and they have committed to continuing education in order to achieve and maintain their member status. Certified ASHI Home Inspectors are committed to conducting inspections in accordance with the ASHI Standards of Practice; committed to abiding by the ASHI Code of Ethics and are dedicated to providing superior customer service. Certified ASHI Members deliver more than a home inspection, they deliver the ASHI Experience.

You really want no one except for a Certified Member of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) to inspect your home. When you have your home thoroughly evaluated by an ASHI certified home inspector, you are hiring a knowledgeable professional who has training and experience in the construction industry. It is the job of a professional home inspector to not only evaluate the condition of the home's major systems and structural integrity, but also to evaluate how these systems are working together and identify areas that need to be watched, repaired or replaced.

An ASHI certified home inspector gives you the Big Picture analysis of the house you are buying. If the home inspector identifies the need for an in-depth, further evaluation of a particular system or structure, something beyond the scope of a home inspection - an analysis that may take an extensive period of time to accomplish, and may be quite expensive, the appropriate professional will be referred, which may be an experienced engineer with expertise analyzing that particular system or structure. The need for this kind of expensive, detailed analysis is rare.

Choosing to go with a Professional Engineer on your own, in lieu of a Certified Home Inspector, can be a disappointing experience. The term "Professional Engineer" does not mean that the individual has training or experience conducting home inspections. Additionally, a home inspection does not involve engineering analysis. Therefore, hiring a Professional Engineer to complete a home inspection undoubtedly costs more, but it may not give you the results you desire and deserve.

It is recommended that you choose a home inspector who is a Certified Member of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), Registered Professional Inspector with the Florida Association of Building Inspectors (FABI), and ICC code certified as a Residential Combination Inspector.