What A Reliable Home Inspection Looks Like In Ohio

One inspection story can tell you everything about the kind of professional you are hiring. We just got back from a job in Dayton where another home inspection company was reportedly fired after refusing to complete parts of the agreed package and then trying to tack on extra fees at the house. That moment is exactly when buyers feel trapped, and it is exactly why we keep coming back to a simple standard: if we say we will do the radon test, place and retrieve the radon monitor, and run the sewer scope, we do it the right way and we do not play games.

We break down what “reliable home inspection in Ohio” should look like for buyers and real estate agents: clear inspection agreements, transparent add on pricing, and a service mentality that treats each client like their concerns matter. We also talk through how we run a thorough inspection, how fast we aim to deliver the report, and why we offer practical testing options like radon testing, mold testing, VOC and indoor air quality testing, chimney scope inspections, and sewer scope inspections. If you are buying in Columbus, Dayton, Delaware, or Lewis Center, this is the kind of checklist thinking that keeps surprises from showing up after closing.

We also get into seasonal realities that affect results, especially pools and hot tubs. A winterized pool is not the same as a functioning pool, and de winterizing at the wrong time can create expensive damage. We share a smarter path: verify who serviced the pool, ask for records, and avoid spending hundreds just to fill a pool for peace of mind when better evidence may already exist. We close with why inspectors should stay neutral, avoid scare tactics, and give you facts you can act on.

If you found this helpful, subscribe, share the episode with a buyer or agent who needs it, and leave a review with the one question you always wish inspectors would answer.

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Transcript

Welcome And Quick Setup

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Let people know what we do.

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Hey everybody, Jim and Laura here.

SPEAKER_02 0:04

Hello everyone.

A Fired Inspector And Broken Promises

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Alright, so last week I went to Dayton, did an inspection. I was not the first home inspection person there.

SPEAKER_02 0:14

No, you were not. You were the second.

SPEAKER_00 0:16

There was another company who was who'd been there the week before or a few days before. Yeah, but they got their asses fired. Yes, they did. And I you I heard it was because they didn't want to do the sewer scope or or they didn't bring their equipment to do it.

SPEAKER_02 0:37

You heard it was a radon, which was they refused, so they refused to come back out to pick up their monitor, so they just refused to place it in the first place. So like there's there's a couple different things apparently that company did not do.

SPEAKER_00 0:50

They went out there, did was doing the inspection and said, Hey, we're not doing this. We're not gonna drop off the thing you we agreed to do for you, but if we do it, we're gonna charge you extra $50.

SPEAKER_02 1:02

Instead of, you know, one of the things.

SPEAKER_00 1:04

And the buyer's like screw y'all. No, yeah, yes. Forget that. You guys said you do this, now you're not not doing it. And next company, you're gonna you wanna try to charge me extra money on top of what we had already agreed in the inspection agreement, because inspection agreements are supposed to be signed before you go out there. So anyway, we went out there, or I did, placed placed the radon, did the uh sewer scope, but it just amazes me, and and that got all done that that day. I mean radon's two days, but but yeah, that that's a normal process. Went back out, picked up that radon monitor already. Life is good, and and I picked up three other radon monitors that day, and then play and then placed another test somewhere else. So we we've been busy, but it kind of blows my mind how often you'll hear of companies say they'll do something, but then with that once they get out there, they're gonna drop the ball or change things a little bit to try and get trying to eke out more money out of the clients, or I don't know, maybe they're just too lazy to drive back to Dayton to get to get their their radon test.

SPEAKER_02 2:12

If you're not gonna do it, don't say you're going to.

SPEAKER_00 2:15

Well, we've done that before. Like I say, Cleveland, like listen, we can go up there and do an inspection.

SPEAKER_02 2:20

But we can't do the radon. But we tell them up front. Like we don't sit here and play games with them and go, listen. You know, we'll we'll come up and we'll do the radon and we'll do all this, and then we get up there and we're like, ah, psych, we're not gonna do the radon. You need to find someone else. That's unprofessional.

SPEAKER_00 2:35

I it it it screams a little bit of desperation. Like, go go go do this part, and then if it doesn't pay, at least we got this part done.

SPEAKER_02 2:42

Right. And and that's that's not what the client wants, that's not what their need was. You you need to take care of the client.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

There's some groups on Facebook where I'll see somebody will say, Hey, I need a home inspector. Who who do you recommend? And you'll see like a couple companies. It seems to be constantly the same companies going, me, me, then they'll name themselves re like repeatedly on the same post.

SPEAKER_02 3:06

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_00 3:07

Oh, that's sad. And I'm like, it it it seems desperate. I understand you need to get your name out there. That's cool. Maybe say, hey, we we have openings this week. And that's nothing wrong with that, but man, just it's a scream desperation to me. Which I get, I get it's it's it's it's a weird year so far. We're up this year above last year.

SPEAKER_02 3:33

We've had some better weeks this year than we've had in years, so doing much better.

Service Mentality And One Stop Testing

SPEAKER_01 3:40

Yes, now habitation investigation is the way to go for a home inspection in Ohio. Trusted licensed home inspectors for your needs from radon to mold to warranty for a grade home inspection, you really can't go. Visit home inspections in Ohio.com.

SPEAKER_00 4:06

You always need to be able to keep uh time slots available, which we're we're looking at.

SPEAKER_02 4:12

We're having problems with. We're we're gonna hire by the way.

SPEAKER_00 4:15

We can use uh another home inspector. So if you know a home inspector that wants to join uh habitational investigation, please send them our way because we can use somebody. We definitely could. We want somebody licensed, Columbus, Dayton area, Delaware, Lewis Center, somewhere around we're gonna get a majority of their work. That's fine.

SPEAKER_02 4:38

That that that is going, and we have been busy in Dayton, which is we have been insanely busy in Dayton, which is yeah, crazy to me.

SPEAKER_00 4:46

So anyway, some companies will drop the ball, and we make every effort to never drop the ball. Never ever. In fact, we do more things than most other home inspection companies do.

SPEAKER_02 5:01

I think that's from our social work background. And a lot of our inspectors feel the same way about taking care of clients, so it works well.

SPEAKER_00 5:11

Well, the way we we would find inspectors is they'd have to have like a service mentality.

SPEAKER_02 5:18

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 5:18

I mean, because you this and this this is where you're you're taking care of the client. Every client is gonna be a little bit different. They all have concerns about the house or the Some have more skills than others. Yeah, some have more concerns, fewer skills than than others, but just because you you're skilled doesn't mean you want to take on the work of a banged up house.

SPEAKER_02 5:36

Right.

SPEAKER_00 5:37

So they want to know information about the house, and that's how that's how we provide services doing um thorough inspection, taking our time doing it, get the report out later on that same day, usually that that night. And then, of course, we can do radon, mold testing, VOC, air quality testing. We do chimney scope, sewer scope. Yes, yep. We are pretty much your one-stop shop for pretty much everything you would need.

SPEAKER_02 6:04

Except for septic inspections.

SPEAKER_00 6:05

Yeah, except we don't do that. That's a county health department, they'll tell you who they recommend for that.

Pools Hot Tubs And Winter Risks

SPEAKER_00 6:10

We could even do hot tub and pools, but the pool, dude, it has to be de-winterized. I had somebody want me to do an inspection the other day, and it was still winterized.

SPEAKER_02 6:19

The cover's still on it, the pipes no water in the pipes.

SPEAKER_00 6:24

Um, if there was water in the pipes, I don't know, dude. It got the got down like 20, 29 degrees the other day. That's how you that's how you break filters.

SPEAKER_02 6:32

Right.

SPEAKER_00 6:33

By having them full of water when they freeze and expand. Just like the water expands and push it can push in your foundation, it can pop out a filter on a pool and cause lots of damage.

SPEAKER_02 6:43

The best thing to do for a full pool is to see who winterized it if a company came out and did it and talk to them and get their records on the pool because they've probably serviced it. So that's that's your in your best interest.

SPEAKER_00 6:57

Oh, yeah, because they and they have records of how they're doing it. Now, people are servicing themselves, the homeowners, I get it. I do too. It's not it wouldn't be rocket science to do that, but it matters do you have the equipment and the time and the desire to do it, especially if you're selling your house. Do you really this time of year, do you really want to de-winterize your pool and then you're never going to use it yourself?

SPEAKER_02 7:20

Well, and then not only that, but like it's not cheap to haul water in to fill it up. Whether you're on, you know, like a well water or something, you're you're most people have fire trucks haul in water to fill up their pool.

SPEAKER_00 7:34

Yeah, how much we had somebody who filled a pool up just so we can inspect it. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 7:40

It was between 500 and a thousand, but I can't remember.

SPEAKER_00 7:43

Okay, to fill the pool up.

SPEAKER_02 7:44

To fill the pool up, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:45

Okay. So it it it is.

SPEAKER_02 7:47

It's because the client was freaking out about it and they decided that they would go ahead and fill it up.

SPEAKER_00 7:53

Yeah. So to me, a pool is like one of the things you you love the day you get it, and you love the day that you get rid of the thing because it's just a maintenance issue.

SPEAKER_02 8:03

But you never even knew how to do the hot tub. So you were so good at it. You are so good at it. I know.

SPEAKER_00 8:09

I I admit I did have trouble maintaining the chemical balance in the hot tub, which is why the next one we get is gonna be salt water. It's gonna be saltwater. In fact, we should start looking for it. We should start looking for one. I know you want one.

SPEAKER_02 8:21

I want one for wintertime where I can sit out in the snow.

SPEAKER_00 8:24

Yes. That was that was the best. That was so cool. In the hot tub while it's snowing outside. And you're just sitting there nice and warm. Here comes snow come down your face. So nice. That was that was cool.

Neutral Reporting And Final Advice

SPEAKER_00 8:35

So, anyway, if you are a home buyer or an agent and you need inspections done, like you're not doing the silly stuff of waving the home inspection, give habitation investigation a call because we we will not drop the ball. We try and get everything done quickly for the parties involved, and and that that's about it, really. We do thorough job, and we're not gonna screw anybody anybody over. We don't man, we're we're not like chicken low. We're not gonna scream the sky is falling, the sky is falling. The foundation is caving when it's just a little crack.

SPEAKER_02 9:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:12

So we have to keep things in perspective.

SPEAKER_02 9:15

We're we're not going to get hired if we're drama queens and we're going and making mountains out of molehills. It it is what it is. You let the client make the decision. They're the ones that knows their skills, the they know their friends, they know who they can bribe with beer and pizza to come and help do stuff. Yes, you know, that it is what it is, and that's exactly what we tell people. This is what's going on. You guys need to make your choice, talk it over with your agent.

SPEAKER_00 9:41

Home inspectors truly are the neutral party in the whole real estate transaction. So we got paid to inspect. We don't get paid based upon if it sells or not.

SPEAKER_02 9:50

Right.

SPEAKER_00 9:51

Truly impartial. So I think that's it for this one. Thank you, everybody.

SPEAKER_02 9:56

Bye. Bye bye.