A knowledgeable consumer makes our best client.   Our clients are delightfully surprised by the difference between their previous inspector or professional engineer's work and that of the AwfulPicky.com experience... an inspection, "Done Right For You" TM.

Why does a difference exist between inspectors, between their inspections, and between what they report?  

Shouldn't all inspections report exactly the same conditions?  see page bottom for a personal experience

Unlike your medical doctor, who must follow the medical professions standards of practice and standards of care,  home and building inspectors do not have such requirements:

• Standards of Practice vary between inspectors, (no standard is required to be followed in the State of Michigan and NAHI, ASHI, and Inter-NACHI standards of practice are not as good as you or I would like)
• NAHI, ASHI, and Inter-NACHI inspection standards of practice have only inspection scope requirements, but no direction or specifics on how good are good conditions, or how bad are bad conditions, or what are all the unsatisfactory conditions needing reporting. (scary eh!)
• Standards of Care vary between inspectors, No standard of care is required to be followed in the State of Michigan by inspectors, so any E & O insurance carried by the inspector is not necessarily there to protect you. (You're over a limb and uninsured, even if the inspectors carries E & O insurance if the inspector plays a quirk in the laws).

Unlike your medical doctor, who must follow the medical professions code of ethics,  home and building inspectors are not required to follow or even have a code of ethics:

• Ascribing to and following a Code of Ethics is not required in the State of Michigan.  The NAHI, ASHI, or Inter-NACHI codes of ethics sound good, but if you think unethically you will find many ways to be unethical inspecting under these codes. These codes of ethics all allow potential conflicts of interest to your detriment once you understand the environment and interplay of the profession with the real estate and political communities.

Use your new awareness to critique the other "professionals" you use in your daily life. Be-aware and beware.

At AwfulPicky.com, we ascribe to a higher standard for our clients. If you are looking for the cheapest price, please go elsewhere, but do keep in contact with us and call us a year from now and let us know how your experience unfolded.

The best of luck, good fortune, and share the truth.   

Call Jerry at 248.224.0258

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Unknown to me, a client hired both me and a well known franchise inspection firm to independently inspect the same recently built home.  (I assume the client wanted to be assured of thoroughness. Its nice to be wealthy)

The immediate post inspection results reported by the client: 

• The client liked the franchise inspector's report binder better than mine, (so I have improved mine immensely after reviewing all the competition's).
• The client points out that the franchise inspector's poking a hole through the rotted roof area I had previously identified and reported as a potential roof leak problem was a good and impressive inspection technique. (The action violated the "do no harm or damage" required of inspectors in respecting the seller's property).
• The franchise inspector did not mention the poor quality of the partially remodeled basement which obviously violated fire and electrical safety  regulations and code.

The ultimate post inspection results reported by the client weeks later:

• The client discovered a week after closing that the other inspector appeared to be more of a cheer leader for the home's sale especially with the real estate agent present. An outstanding township building permit brought the code official to the home. The code official condemned all the work in the partially remodeled basement area.  The remodeling work, including the electrical and fire stopping has been totally removed at the client's expense.
• The client has since hired me to perform a phase one energy audit, and he routinely consults with me.  He has not made any further contact with the other inspector.