Inspections

Serving the San Francisco Bay area since 2008.

Your home or condominium might be the most expensive investment you will ever make.

You want a thorough and reliable property inspection before you can confidently decide to buy or sell your home, make home energy efficiency improvements, or replace your roof. We also recommend an inspection of your building at least once a year.

Eco Smart has a trusted partner that performs quality property inspections. Bay Area Home Inspections (BAHI Inc.) is proud to offer you a security blanket made out of knowledge, technological advancements, and personalized service. Their services include home buyers inspections, home sellers inspections, construction inspections, termite inspections, home energy efficiency inspections, fireplace inspections, roof inspections, earthquake preparedness inspections, mold air testing, asbestos testing, and lead detection. You will receive an independent, unbiased view of any problems and possible solutions.

What is a property inspection?

Quality property inspection is a visual inspection of the structure and its components that documents all items that are not performing correctly or items that are unsafe based on existing conditions and code compliance. If issues or symptoms of an issue are identified, the home inspector will include a description of the problem/issue in a detailed written report and will recommend further evaluation or repair alternatives. Prior to closing escrow, you must consider whether or not repairs are needed now and who’s going to pay for them. With Bay Area Home Inspection’s custom APR’s (Approximate Pricing for Repairs), it is easy to understand fiscal implications and priorities in which repairs must be completed. They help you make the right decision at the time you need it the most. They also have multiple strategic partners that are Licensed Architects, Licensed General and Roofing Contractors so you will have a strategic advantage over disclosures presented to you at the time of transaction.

Why is it important to get a property inspected?

  • Emotions are often high during a home buying process, making it difficult to imagine any complications with a prospective new home. A responsible buyer must have a property inspected to identify all of the problems possible with the building before moving forward with the costly transaction.

  • Once your inspection is performed, do not wait for the agent to review the inspection and make a list of items you think the seller should address and present them to the agent in a timely manner, as most of the transactions have time windows attached to them.

  • While the inspection is not meant to be a negotiating tool, in many cases, it becomes one, so having your inspection company recognized by the State of California as a Licensed General Contractor or having your inspection report approved by one helps you validate your findings.

  • If you are a buyer, never rely on the seller’s inspection reports, as they could be biased or incomplete.

What should you not expect from a home inspection?

  • A home inspection is not protection against future failures. Different issues arise over time; components like air conditioners and heat systems can and will break down. A home inspection attempts to reveal the condition of the components at the time the components are inspected. Always remember that your inspector is not in a position to open up walls or remove finishes. For protection from future failure, you may want to consider a home warranty.

  • A home inspection is not an appraisal that determines the value of a home. Nor will a home inspector tell you if you should buy this home or what to pay for this home, as these questions are outside of the inspector’s scope.

  • A home inspector will not pass or fail a house you are interested in as some homes are built before code revisions and are not obligated to comply with the current building code. California State Licensed home inspectors are required to point out any immediate safety concerns and report them to the seller and any realtors present, as this affects all parties. A home inspector thinks “safety,” not “code,” when performing a home inspection.

TESTIMONIALS

  • Mark and Lisa, homeowners

    “We were looking for the house and were about to purchase a nice Victorian near Pine street, we were very pleased with the way house looked and everything seemed right but decided to have it inspected, we found Bay Area Home Inspections, scheduled an inspection and quickly had our house checked out, from the moment we called we were surprisingly shocked by professionalism and knowledge of our inspector. Our inspector Erast has walked us through the house noting things that we wouldn’t notice ourselves, everything was explained to us and it turned out that we were in for a solid buy, inspection report came in 24 hours. We’re still enjoying our Victorian, thank you Bay Area Home Inspections.”

  • Adam Hayes, multiple properties

    “I was looking for a property to invest in in San Francisco. We were searching for a great value but did want to do some of the work ourselves to save some cash, found few properties that could potentially fit our needs, and needed to get them inspected to make sure the key components were good. Stumbled upon Bay Area Home Inspections and scheduled with them. In a week I had all of the properties checked out, got a bulk deal. Only one of the three fixer-upper properties was up to my standards and I went for it. Was a great investment, thank you Bay Area Home Inspections. Fast, efficient and informative experience.”