The real estate industry promotes ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) and E&O insurance for home inspectors. Consider these two points before you decide on a home inspector:

1. ASHI isn't the only game in town. There are other organizations that are equally qualified to certify inspectors. Don't bow to a real estate agent thumping the ASHI bible. There are serious ethical considerations involved, both public and not-so-public.
2. E&O insurance can act as a litigation magnet. Disgruntled consumers are more likely to go for the deep pockets if they know they exist. In cases of larger inspection companies, the protection makes sense, but not for 1-man companies, who can control their activities and costs. It's a vicious circle; overall, the push for E&O drives up the end cost of the service.

Home Inspectors
Consumer information about an unregulated industry. From CBC Marketplace, 5Apr94.

How To Hire a Home Inspector
From Realty Times, 20Aug99.

InspectChex
Checklist [PDF format] for choosing and checking your home inspector. From Insight Inspection.

Inspecting Home Inspectors
NJ licensure, from the New Jersey Law Journal, by Tom Krautler, 5Oct98.

Inspectors Bring Forensic Skills To The Job
Don't hire a contractor when you need a professional home inspector. From Realty Times, 7Dec00.

NABIE Position Paper on Licensure & Inspection
Position paper opposing additional licensure requirements for professional engineers and architects involved in the practice of building inspection, released by the National Academy of Building Inspection Engineers, a chartered affinity group of NSPE.

Private home inspectors
Good presentation of arguments for hiring a home inspector for new construction, if you ignore the favoritism to ASHI. From Inman News, 10Nov00.

Rebuttal to Dateline Exposé
From Barry Stone, the House Detective.

What does it take to become a home inspector?
Notes on becoming a Professional Home Inspector, form Electrospec.