The process

What actually happens during an inspection

No vague quotes and no surprises on the day. Here is the whole sequence from your first call to the follow-up questions — how long each part takes, what we need from you, and what the report will and will not cover.

FL DBPR License HI19048  ·  InterNACHI® CPI

Request an inspection

Tell us where the property is and what you need. We’ll call to confirm the time.

Typical range $300–$1,000 depending on square footage. No obligation.

Booking inspections across Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties.

(757) 240-9407
Start to finish

The seven stages

Most residential inspections move through all of these inside about a week.

  1. You call or send the form

    Tell us the property address, the kind of inspection you need and your deadline. If you are under contract the closing date drives everything, so lead with it. We quote an exact price on this call — not a range, a number.

  2. We schedule

    Most inspections are booked within a few days. Insurance inspections against a policy deadline and buyers inside an inspection period get priority. You will get a confirmation with the arrival window.

  3. Before we arrive

    Make sure utilities are on — power, water and gas. An inspection on a house with the power off is a wasted trip because half the systems cannot be tested. Clear access to the attic hatch, electrical panel, water heater and AC handler if you can.

  4. On site

    A full home inspection runs two to four hours depending on size and age. Wind mitigation is usually 30 to 60 minutes, a 4-point around an hour. I work roof to foundation: roof covering and penetrations, attic and insulation, structure, exterior and grading, then interior systems — electrical, plumbing, HVAC, appliances.

  5. The walkthrough

    If you are there, the last half hour is the useful part. I will show you what I found, in person, and separate the things that matter from the things that are just worth knowing. Seeing a problem beats reading about it.

  6. The report

    Same day or next day. Photos, plain-language findings and clear severity so you know what needs action now and what is maintenance. Insurance forms come completed and signed, ready to hand to your agent.

  7. Afterward

    Call whenever. Clients often ring a week later with a contractor's quote in hand asking whether it is reasonable. That conversation is part of what you paid for.

Scope

What an inspection is — and is not

A home inspection is a visual, non-invasive assessment of the systems and components that are accessible on the day. That definition matters, because it sets the boundary of what any inspector can honestly promise.

I do not open walls, lift flooring, dismantle equipment or move your belongings. I cannot see inside a sealed wall cavity, under a slab, or behind stored boxes in a garage. If an area is not safely accessible — a roof too steep to walk, an attic with no clearance, a crawlspace that is flooded — I report it as inaccessible rather than guess.

What I will do is use what is visible, plus moisture meters and thermal imaging, to find the evidence that something is wrong behind a surface. That is the difference between a checklist and an inspection.

InspectionTime on site
Wind mitigation30–60 min
4-point45–60 min
Wind mit + 4-point60–90 min
Full home inspection2–4 hrs
New construction2–3 hrs
11-month warranty2–3 hrs
Manufactured home1.5–3 hrs
Multi-unitPer unit

Report delivered same day or next day in every case.

On the day

What we need from you

Four things, and the first one is the one that ruins inspections when it is missed.

Essential
Utilities onPower, water and gas. Systems cannot be tested without them, and we would have to come back.
Access
Attic, panel, water heaterPlus the AC handler and crawlspace hatch if there is one. Move stored items clear where you can.
Keys
Gates, sheds, garagePlus alarm codes, and dogs secured before we arrive.
Context
Anything you already knowPast leaks, recent repairs, the thing that made you nervous. It helps us look harder in the right place.
Process questions

Questions about how it works

A full home inspection is two to four hours depending on size and age. Wind mitigation is typically 30 to 60 minutes, a 4-point around an hour, and the two bundled together 60 to 90 minutes. Multi-unit properties depend on the number of doors.

Same day or next day in every case, with photos and plain-language findings. Insurance forms come completed and signed, ready to hand to your agent.

You are welcome and I would encourage it, especially for the last half hour when I can walk you through what I found. That said, plenty of clients cannot attend and the report is written to stand on its own.

Then half the inspection cannot happen. Electrical, HVAC, water heater and appliances all need utilities live. If the property is vacant, confirm with the listing agent that power and water are on before the appointment, or we will have to reschedule.

Where it is safe and the covering can take it, yes. Steep pitch, wet tile, fragile shingle or a height that cannot be safely reached means I inspect from the eaves and from ground level with binoculars, and I will tell you in the report that is what happened rather than implying I walked it.

You will hear it from me on the day rather than discovering it in the report that evening. Anything that affects safety or materially changes the value of the deal gets flagged verbally before I leave.

Not precisely, and any inspector giving you firm repair numbers is guessing. I can tell you whether something is a minor fix or a major system, which trade to call, and whether it is urgent. Contractors price the work.

No, and that is deliberate. An inspector who also sells repairs has an obvious incentive to find them. I inspect, you decide, someone else does the work.

More answers on the full FAQ page.

Book an inspection

Call or send the form and we’ll confirm a time and an exact price.

Call or text
(757) 240-9407
Email
[email protected]
Serving
Lee, Collier & Charlotte counties
Based in Fort Myers, FL
Hours
Mon–Fri 8:30am–6:00pm
Sat–Sun 9:00am–4:00pm
License
HI19048