I wasted $800 on a home inspection that missed mold in the basement

The inspector spent 2 hours clicking around but never opened the crawlspace hatch, and now I'm stuck with a $4,000 remediation bill - has anyone else had a bad inspector miss something obvious?

3 comments

3 Comments

fionat556d ago

What gets me is that most home inspection contracts have a clause that basically says "we're not liable for anything we miss" buried in the fine print. In my experience, that $800 you spent probably bought you a report that legally protects the inspector more than it protects you. People don't realize those contracts often cap liability at the cost of the inspection itself. So even if you tried to sue, you'd only get your $800 back, not the $4,000 remediation. It's a raw deal but that's the industry standard unfortunately. Make sure to check your contract language before you hire anyone next time.

perry.jesse6d ago

Wait wait wait. So you're telling me those contracts cap it at the refund of the inspection fee and nothing else? That's insane. I had no idea that was buried in the fine print like that. So basically you pay them eight hundred bucks to look at stuff, they miss a big problem, and your only recourse is to get that eight hundred back while you're stuck with the full repair bill. That is a total joke. No wonder people get so burned by this.

viola_garcia566d ago

$800 for a 2 hour inspection is actually pretty standard in my area. I'm playing devil's advocate here but most inspectors I've talked to say crawlspaces are considered "limited access" areas and they specifically don't open hatches that are screwed shut or blocked. The report probably had a line about that. Fionat55 is right about the contracts capping liability at the inspection fee, but that's not some dirty secret, its literally what you signed for. Next time before you pay, ask them specific questions like "will you physically enter every crawlspace and attic" and get it in writing.