First, Inspect the Inspector

The article on first-time home buyers (“Tales From the Trenches,” May 10) contained a disturbing common thread--negative experiences with building inspectors.

In California, there is no licensing requirement for home inspectors. As in any discipline, some inspectors are far better than others. Home buyers must protect themselves by carefully exploring the qualifications, experience and past performance of any professionals retained as part of a home purchase.

The greatest misconception regarding inspectors is that we should be licensed contractors. Certification from the International Conference of Building Officials or California Real Estate Inspection Assn. is much more meaningful.

Home buyers should ask about how long the prospective company has been in business (let them learn on somebody else’s dime) and the number of inspections done by the actual inspector who will examine the house (500 is a good minimum, 1,000 is better).

Ask if the inspector is a full-time employee or merely a part-time “hired gun.” Ask for proof of errors and omissions insurance and a copy of a sample report. Insist on a narrative report. On-site “checklist” reports are next to worthless.

Most important, go to the inspection in weekend clothes, take a flashlight and go through the entire inspection. The only dumb question is the one you don’t ask.

If the seller is to make repairs of items noted by the inspector, require that licensed contractors make the repairs and that you get the invoice to see just what was done.

Before the close of escrow, and if possible after the seller has moved out, examine the home carefully.

Turn on the appliances, run water through the taps and test the heating and air conditioning to ensure that nothing has gone wrong during escrow. Make sure all included fixtures are still in place.

If the seller has had numerous items corrected, or the items are in hard-to-access areas, see if the inspector will examine these for you. This is typically done for one-third to half the original fee.

BOB HOLMES

Los Angeles

The writer is a home inspector.

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“Tales From the Trenches” was excellent. As a home inspector, I learn a lot from the perspective of a first-time home buyer.

I agree with most of the grievances these home buyers had with the quality of their inspections. Sadly, there are some inspectors who have no construction experience or practical application to this vocation they have selected.

No inspector can be an expert in every field. When I come across something suspicious, I recommend a client obtain the services of a contractor or a specialist to thoroughly test and evaluate various components that may be a potential hazard (loose asbestos, aluminum wiring, sagging roof).

The cost of a general home inspection is a fraction of the expense for retaining the services of specific trade contractors and engineers.

Please don’t fault the inspector for missing a cracked tile concealed by an entertainment center or the inoperable electric outlet behind a heavy sofa. Some home sellers simply play a game of hide-and-go-seek with known defects because they know the inspector will ultimately be blamed.

Select a home inspector based on the recommendation of somebody who knows of several inspectors--your real estate agent. I have a question for the skeptics. Why are you placing all of your trust in a Realtor to handle the largest investment of your life yet reluctant to accept their referral to a qualified home inspector?

JOE NERNBERG

Agoura Hills