A. The rule of thumb is to expect the home inspection to last about one hour for
every 1,000
square feet of house space. The actual time required may vary
depending on the number of
problems or concerns the inspector finds, and
various other factors. Since Gold Medal
Inspections gives you a free walk
through and brief after the inspection, you should expect
to add the time it
takes to explain our findings to you and answer any questions you may have.
This usually takes between 30 and 45 minutes. For example, a 2000
square foot house would
normally takes between 2.5 and 3.0 hours total time.
A. Costs vary among home inspection companies. Most inspectors will attempt
to determine the
time they think it will take to inspect the house and write the
report. This time will normally
vary depending on the square footage, age of
the house, location, type of foundation, and
various other factors. Our normal
charges vary between 11 and 15 cents per square foot for a
house with a
“slab” type foundation, although, we do have a minimum charge of $275
for a single family dwelling regardless of house size.
If a house has a “Pier and Beam” type foundation (which requires an
inspector to crawl
under the house for part of the inspection), you can expect
to pay an extra fee of between $85
and $110--or more, depending on the
size and age of the house and the difficulty involved.
A "Sprinkler System" is also an optional system to which additional
charges will normally apply. These charges normally vary from $30 to $65,
depending on the time we expect it will take to check the system.
A "Swimming Pool" will also incur an additional fee of between $85 and
$150 or more depending on the size, age and condition of the subject pool.
We have a Cerified Pool Inspector on staff ( certified by the National Swimming
Pool Federation, NSPF)
Call or email us to get a quote for your house.
Please check our home
page to find any special price offers in effect when you want your
inspection.
A. No. Gold Medal Inspections can make all the arrangements and conduct the
inspection without your presence. However, it’s always preferable to have the
client present at the end of the inspection for a walk-through and discussion of
our findings.
A. Yes. See the above question and answer. We send all of our inspection reports
via email attachment, fax, or regular mail (as you request). We accept cash,
check or several credit cards making payments as easy as possible whether you
live in the Houston area or elsewhere. We can give you an explanation of our
findings via telephone. We do inspections for out of town buyers quite often and
have solutions for those problems unique to the buyer’s (or sellers’s) absence.
A. Yes, absolutely. If you can’t be at the inspection for any reason, you can still
get an inspection review by phone with the inspector who did the inspection.
A. Yes and No, We always look for anything that can damage or destroy the
inspected home, or
cause harm to people. However, the State of Texas
requires that only a licensed
termite (Pest Control) inspector can perform a termite
inspection and produce a written report. In order to
obtain a termite inspectors
license, candidates must usually be connected with a commercial
termite control
business for a long period in order to qualify and stay qualified. We wish to
stay unbiased in our findings and have elected to not obtain a termite, pest or
mold inspectors
license at this time.
Should we find any evidence that we believe is conducive to, or points to, the
possible
presence of destructive insects, animals or biological activity, we will
recommend that you
obtain an inspection from the appropriate licensed
inspector. You can call any licensed pest control company you wish. Or, we
can refer you to several
termite inspectors. They are well qualified,
charge competitive fees and have a good reputation.
If you wish, we can make the arrangements for a termite inspection as a courtesy. We receive no payback
for these referrals.
A. Yes. But, because of the additional time it takes to accomplish and the special
training required to be a Certified Pool Inspector, it is an optional inspection
and commands an additional fee. These fees vary between $85 and $150
depending on the size, age and condition of the subject pool. Call us for a
quote. We do not do pool repairs and remain independent form companies who do
so as to give you and unbiased opinion on your pool condition.
A. Yes. We usually inspect new houses in three phases:
Foundation (prior to pouring concrete); Framing-Pre Drywall, plumbing, and
electric (prior to the addition of dry wall-sheetrock), and then the Final
inspection where we check everything working together (when everything is
complete-electric, plumbing, appliances and all mechanical devices hooked up,
utilities on and working).
A. The short answer is that these inspections take a lot of time and planning
and are therefore expensive.
The long answer is We try to coordinate these inspections with the
builder, who may, or may not, be cooperative. We try to see the plans so we
can compare what is supposed to be, and what actually is, on site.
It is sometimes challenging to coordinate our inspections with the changing
situation with the builder’s time schedule. The builder is relying on his
subcontractors and material suppliers to deliver “on time-as promised”. We, in
turn are reliant on the builder for our scheduled inspections and to make sure
our inspectors are available when needed. This can make for a fluid situation
and can be tedious for all concerned. However, it is the only way you can be
sure your new house is being built correctly and to give the builder an added
incentive to do it right.
Our current minimum fees for doing a three phase inspection is as follows:
Foundation $200, Framing-Pre drywall $225, Final $275. These charges
would apply to a house of 2500 square feet or less.
Please send us any other questions you might have.
