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1-800-ENGINEER
Long Island Home
Inspection Engineers
1-800-364-7632
   
Why do I
need a home inspection?
Before buying a home or building, it is critically important to identify problems
that may exist and repairs that will have to be made. This enables you to
plan financially. And it avoids expensive surprises such as a leaky roof or
unstable foundation. A quality inspection can provide a basis for planning
and budgeting the next 5 years of ownership. At the very least, an inspection
provides peace of mind. It's comforting to know that the home or building
you're buying is safe and sound, and the largest investment of your life is a
sensible one, based on being well informed.
Should I be concerned with
qualifications of the person who inspects my home?
Absolutely! You want a PE (Professional Engineer). The home inspection
industry has been recently diluted in New York State allowing individuals
with a minimum of a high school diploma to perform home inspections. Please
note, these individuals are not engineers and are restricted in the level of
structural inspection they can perform.
Not
every Home Inspector is a (PE) Professional Engineer. Make sure
you request a "Professional Engineer" or PE when you need a home
inspection.
Be careful many of these non-engineers advertise themselves as Engineers,
which is a felony. Please refer to the following link
to verify NYS College educated and licensed professionals including, Doctors,
Dentist, CPAs, Engineers, etc. http://www.op.nysed.gov/opsearches.htm
What exactly is a Licensed
Professional Engineer (PE)?
The P.E. (Professional Engineer) designation is issued and regulated by the
NYS government. NYS assures that practicing individuals are properly
educated, trained and experienced to serve the public.
To obtain a NYS license to practice professional engineering, an
individual, at a minimum, must satisfy all of the following requirements, (in
the following sequence):
1. Four years of college level engineering
education.
2. Four years of professional engineering
experience.
3. Successful completion of a sixteen hour technically
exhausting board examination, administered by NYS.
By law a Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) is the only one who can
legally render an opinion on the structural stability of an existing
building.
See for yourself, here are several links from a Home Inspectors
Association quizzing their home inspectors on what to do if you see
structural defects during the inspection. The right answer for both
structural questions is informing the client they must call a (PE)
Professional Engineer to inspect structural defects. That’s another
inspection fee!
http://www.nachi.org/bbsystem/viewtopic.php?t=4166
http://www.nachi.org/bbsystem/viewtopic.php?t=4053
Should I hire an
“Inspector” recommended by the Real Estate Agent?
We believe this is a conflict-of-interest and we will answer this question
with a question.
If you were buying a used car, would you have the vehicle checked by a
mechanic that was recommended by the used-car sales agent?
Real Estate Agents make their money on commission by selling property.
Never lose site that Real Estate Agents are sales-people. No
sale…no commission. Some agents may have a list of three inspectors
who have been carefully screened not to be commission killers. The list,
however, will be long enough to protect the agent from any referral liability
should the buyer blame the agent for any inspection mistakes.
This gives the RE agent the perfect combination of:
- No liability for the referral;
- The buyer "chooses" an
inspector the agent prefers;
- The buyer’s choice is limited to
an inspector who will not hurt the sale and the commission.
Rest assured of the following:
- We treat our clients as family.
- We will not let you purchase a lemon.
- We do not seek RE Agents referrals.
When Do I Request An
Engineer?
The best time to consult an engineer is right after you have made an offer on
your new building. The real estate contract usually allows for a grace period
to inspect the building. Ask your professional agent to include this
inspection clause in the contract, making your purchase obligation contingent
upon the findings of an Engineer.
Do I really need to be
present at the time of the inspection?
Absolutely, by following the engineer you can ask questions and get a first
hand look at things you might not have thought were important. Although
our written report is very detailed our engineer can go over each and every
finding with you at the site.
Do your Engineers carry any
type of insurance?
Each of our Engineers maintains $1,000,000 of liability insurance, as well as
$1,000,000 of errors/omission insurance.
What If The Report Reveals
Problems?
If our Engineer finds problems in a building, it does not necessarily mean
you should not buy it, only that you will know in advance what type of
repairs to anticipate. Also, a seller may be willing to make repairs, or
lower the selling price because of the problems discovered by our
Engineers. If your budget is tight, or if you do not wish to become
involved in future repair work, you may decide that this is not the property
for you. The choice is yours.
If The Report Is Favorable,
Did I Really Need An Inspection?
Definitely! Now you can complete your purchase with peace of mind about the
condition of the property and its equipment and systems. You may have learned
a few things about your property from the inspection report, and will want to
keep that information for your future reference. Above all, you can rest
assured that you are making a well informed purchase decision and that you
will be able to enjoy or occupy your new home.
Can
I Inspect The Building Myself?
Even the most experienced building or homeowner lacks the knowledge and the
technical expertise of a professional engineer. Our engineers are well versed
with the critical elements of construction and with the proper installation,
maintenance and inter-relationships of these elements. Above all, most
buyers find it difficult to remain completely objective and unemotional about
the building they really want, and this may lead to a poor assessment.
1-800-ENGINEER
Serving Nassau, Suffolk & Queens Counties
Office:
(718) 576-1291
(631) 462-2743
(516) 620-6747
1-800-364-7632
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