Serving Alabama
Birmingham, Montgomery, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, Demopolis, and Cullman

Most Asked Questions

• What Is A Home Inspection?
• Who Is The Client?
• Why Should Home Sellers Get A Home Inspection?
• What Are The Order Of Events? (What Do I Need To Do?)
• What Separates Ace From The Rest?
• How Much Will It Cost Me?
• What Is Inspected?
• Can A House Fail Its Inspection?
• Why Can’t I Do The Inspection Myself?
• What If Several Problems Are Uncovered?
• Does The Inspector Fix The Problems?
• Why Does The Inspector Refer A Specialist?
• Is There Any Warranty And What About Appraisals?

What Is A Home Inspection?

A home inspection is a visual inspection of the structure and components of the home to see if there is anything that is unsafe or improperly working. Think of the home inspection as an “x-ray” of the home’s functional parts. It gives you a picture of the true apparent condition and hopefully, a bill of “good health”. If not, proper contract language can be written by your real estate professional to have any major defects or unsafe conditions corrected prior to closing.

With the high price of homes today it is wise to get the home inspected. Remember the old saying, “it’s better to be safe, than sorry”. We deliver two copies of the report and most importantly, peace of mind!

Who Is The Client?

A home inspection client is the interested party who orders and pays for the home inspection. The home inspector performs the inspection for either the home buyer or the home seller.

Why Should Home Sellers Get A Home Inspection?

More and more sellers are getting there home inspected before listing it on the market. The main reason being for full disclosure. You, the seller will have shown that you did not conceal anything about the home. Money will also be saved by knowing the defects ahead of time and not after the buyer’s home inspection discovers costly repairs during negotiations. Defects found early before the buyer comes along allow you to shop for a contractor and not deal with last minute inflated estimates that the buyer could present.

What Are The Order Of Events? (What Do I Need To Do?)

1. Upon calling ACE Home Inspections, LLC, you will be asked several questions about the home to determine how much the inspection will cost, where the property is located, and when to schedule the actual inspection. You are certainly welcome and advised to attend the inspection, but are not required to. You will be advised that all utilities must be on and all pilots lit before the inspector arrives.
2. Before the inspection can begin, a contract must be read and signed. If you plan on attending the inspection, it can be read and signed at that time. If you can’t attend, then you may download a copy of the contract from this website or have a copy faxed to you. Read and sign the contract and fax it back to us.
3. Payment is expected at the time of the inspection and before the report is presented. Checks, money orders, or cash is accepted.
4. The inspector will be able to give you a ballpark figure on how long the inspection will take. A typical inspection runs anywhere from 2 ½ to 4 hours depending on the size of the home. Again, you are advised to attend the inspection, and are welcome to follow the inspector and ask questions during the time of the inspection.
5. Before leaving the inspection, a meet will be set within 24 hours with the inspector, realtor(s) and yourself. Two copies of the inspection report will be delivered and discussed at the meeting. Feel free to call us at anytime with questions you may have before, during, or after the home inspection.

What Separates Ace From The Rest?

At ACE Home Inspections, LLC we believe in putting the client first. We will to the best of our ability arrange inspection times and meets at our client’s convenience. At ACE we believe in customer service before, during and after the home inspection. You are always welcome to call with questions concerning your inspection. Our service is a long-term investment. At ACE we also think are custom reporting software is second to none. Our reports contain high resolution digital pictures that clearly reveal what and where the problem is and also we not only list the home’s defects but feel it appropriate and only fair to point out the good things about the home. Our report also includes handy maintenance tips and suggested upgrades when needed. Your home insurance company may require certain information such as electric service size, type of wiring and type of water piping to name a few before a policy can be in force. Our report lists all this needed information and much more in our detailed styles and materials area for each section of the house inspected. ACE gives you the ability to download your report 24 hours a day from this website. The report downloads to you in HTML format. This means that it takes only moments to gain access to your report after entering your username and password, unlike others who download a much slower, take forever, .PDF report file.

How Much Will It Cost Me?

The cost of a home inspection depends on a number of factors. There are many methods in use to determine cost. Some derive a price from the total square footage. This can be very confusing because some include basements in the square footage and some don’t. Some use a certain percentage of the home list price which can become unfair based on the type of area the house is in, for example two identical houses in two different areas can list for two different prices. At ACE Home Inspections, LLC we calculate the majority of the cost of the inspection based on the number of bathrooms, number of heating and cooling systems and whether there is a garage, basement, or crawlspace, thus making what we think is a more realistic pricing system. Inspections typically range from $300 to $400. Call or email us for an exact quote today.

What Is Inspected?

The report is based on the inspection of all the major systems and structural elements of the house. Some items inspected are the roof, siding, eaves, gutters, landscape, driveways, walkways, foundation, decks, porches, balconies, garages, structural, doors, windows, interior rooms, basements, crawlspaces, heating systems, cooling systems, fireplaces, chimneys, attics, and insulation. A complete listing of “what is inspected” and “what is not inspected” is listed in the Standards of Practice for Alabama home inspectors. This can be downloaded in the Useful Links section of this website along with the Code of Ethics for Alabama home inspectors.

Can A House Fail Its Inspection?

No. A home inspection is not a code inspection. While the inspector will be familiar with the local building codes, the objective is to describe the apparent physical condition of the house and reflect the findings in the report.

Why Can’t I Do The Inspection Myself?

If you are involved in buying or selling a house, it’s impossible for you to remain completely unemotional about the house, and this may cloud your judgment. The professional home inspector is a disinterested third party that can be totally objective about the condition of the home. Also, even the most savvy do-it-yourselfer will not have the level of training, knowledge, and expertise as a professional home inspector who must pass state and national exams and be involved in continuing education programs.

What If Several Problems Are Uncovered?

Our report will tell you the apparent condition of the house. No house is going to be perfect. It is up to you to decide how any problems the inspection uncovers might affect your decision to purchase. If major problems are found, you may want to try negotiating with the seller to have them repaired before closing the deal, or the seller may lower the price. In the end, the decision rests with you, but knowing about potential problems, before you buy, gives you the power to negotiate and make the best decisions. Even if the seller won’t budge and you still elect to purchase the home, at least you will know what will need to be repaired and how to plan your budget accordingly.

Does The Inspector Fix The Problems?

No. The Code of Ethics of Alabama prohibits home inspectors from doing repair work on properties they inspect. This prevents there from being conflicts of interests. The inspector’s responsibility is to provide an unbiased, objective third party report on the apparent condition of the home at the time of inspection. Please refer to the Code of Ethics for Alabama home inspectors on the Useful Links page.

Why Does The Inspector Refer A Specialist?

Having a home inspected is like having a physical. Think of a home inspector as a generalist, similar to a family doctor. If a major problem is uncovered a specialist will be referred. For example, if wiring problems are detected within the main breaker panel, a licensed electrical contractor will be referred for further evaluation and repairs or if structural problems are detected in the foundation, a structural engineer will be referred for further evaluation and repairs.

Is There Any Warranty And What About Appraisals?

No, a home inspection is not protection against future failures. Remember that things happen!

Heating systems and Air Conditioners could breakdown and need repair at any given time. A home inspection tells you the condition of the home at the time it was inspected and is not a warranty against future breakdowns and defects. If you expect protection from future failures then you may want to consider looking into a home warranty from an established insurance company. A home inspection is not an appraisal determining home value. ACE will not give you advice on whether you should or should not purchase the home or what you should pay for the home.