First, maybe you should spend some time reading what has been written, before going on your tirade. You have made some mistakes. I do believe that most home inspectors are honest, as I believe that is the case in most industries; however, I accept that their can be those that are less than reputable. This is normal life.

Second, someone who has to resort to insults to make his point has a weak argument. We are in business Willie (and I am not ashamed of being a professional businessman and having a business background). I make decisions based upon what is best for my business, which I see as being best for my clients. As someone who is running a business, we have to deal with the fact that there will be unhappy clients, and we need to discover a way to make things right. Whether this is your intention or not, you make the point that people with complaints are what is wrong, which is not how a professional deals with this situation.

Third, you do not know my experience level, so please do not make assumptions. Knowledgeable home inspectors are aware that the home inspection industry is run under different rules in each state. For example, in Texas, our inspections are required to meet a minimum standard of practice, and we are currently required to take an ethics course, so yes I do hold myself to that level, but I go beyond it. My goal is to help my clients, so I try to find ways to accomplish that goal. This is why I write this blog, and why I study the building industry. If most home inspectors are part of one of the national organizations, that would be news to me, since I have never seen any documentation to verify that fact. Most home inspectors that I know are part of more state organized groups.

For the other people commenting on this post, I do not think that you are nuts. I typically do not permit comments that are simply insulting others, but I find Willie’s remarks as a problem which should be exposed. Commenting without reading through shows a lack of attention to detail, a quality home inspectors need. Proclaiming others who have misgivings about our industry to be the problem is failure in comprehension on your part Willie. The home inspection industry will have its critics, and as responsible business people we should address these concerns. We have to acknowledge that there will be the less than perfect home inspector (after I wrote this post, an experienced home inspector, who was part of a national organization, made the news here for producing poor reports to help out the real estate agents he was courting). You, dear reader, have the right to be satisfied with your service. You have the right to pursue grievances. You should have a home inspector who respects you. You should have a home inspector who strives to do the best job fr you.

Alright, so what do we do in your situation? Many states do have some type of oversight of the behavior of contractors or home inspectors directly. My “Info on Inspectors” page has many agencies listed. (I have had trouble going through and finding this on a few state web sites, so if you see that your state is not listed, please leave me a note, and I will update the page). Contact the agency, and find out how to file a complaint. Many of these services are being automated to be handled online. If you felt that a Realtor was involved, then there may be a state agency overseeing their behavior. If there is no state agency, then there may well be a Realtor Association, which would have the means to handle the dispute.

You are right. No business should be serving its own interests; this is a path which cannot only lead to failure. We are here to serve our clients. Home inspection is not a business that obtains a great many repeat clients; however, my business does obtain referrals from previous clients, so I see that as a repeat in a way. I like to remind myself that I am here to serve my clients. That icon by my name in the comments appears across this site and on my other business documents. It is a variation of my family crest. You will see most home inspectors have a home as the symbol for their business. The two leaves are Bochum leaves, and in German mythology, they are the symbol of protection. The crest meant that my family protected people on either side of the river Ladbeck. I use this version of the crest to remind me that it is my responsibility to protect my clients.

Thank you for sharing.