QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

The process of home buying includes numerous decisions. Selecting the best home inspection company involves many questions. Answers to the most common questions we receive about our services can be found below. If you do not find your answer, or would rather talk with a live person, call us anytime, we will be happy to answer all your questions.  

All our inspections are performed or reviewed by a Registered Professional Engineer. It takes about 10 weeks to become a Certified Home Inspector, and about 10 years to become a Registered Professional Engineer. There is a huge difference in the training. Because we are Registered Professional Engineers, we provide you with an accurate picture of the condition of the home; we tell you whether anything we find is a major or minor item; and we tell you what it should cost to restore every item identified during our investigation. A Certified Home Inspector cannot legally provide that service.

Because all our Engineers are caring people, we perform every investigation, and provide information associated with every investigation, from a perspective of what would we want to know if we were buying the home. That means we assist you in determining the condition of the home, assessing whether an item is a major or minor item, determining which items you should ask the seller to correct, which items you should correct yourself and the cost associated with the correction of every item identified during the inspection.

We recognize the time you invested locating the house you desire to make your new home. We also recognize most people do not buy a home on a regular basis, so you may not be familiar with the processes involved. Because we are intimately involved with the process of home inspections on a daily basis, we have an immense amount of knowledge in the field. We utilize our knowledge of the field of home inspections, and our expertise as Registered Professional Engineers, to do everything within our power to assist you in making that house your new home. Because we are technically proficient, knowledgeable in the process, and legally able, we will assist you in determining the accurate condition of the house, selecting the items you should put on your BINSR, and choosing which items you should correct yourself so you will have a smooth and successful transition into your new home.

As a Realtor you invest many hours showing your client houses, until your client finally decides this is the house. When you move into your inspection period you should select an inspection company which recognizes every house has defects. The company you select should be technically capable and legally able to inform your client when an issue is a major item, which should be included on the BINSR, and which items are small, easy and inexpensive to correct, and which should be corrected by your client. Simply put a Home Inspector cannot legally provide that service! Because we are Registered Professional Engineers, we can and do provide that service!

Equally as important is the care we take in assuring your client completely understands the inspection process; its purpose; and its desired outcome. Many inspection companies operate from a perspective of it is their job to prove their value, and in so doing they point out items which are not even a concern, while sometimes missing those which pose a valid concern.

We approach every inspection from the perspective of what would we want to know if we were buying the house. That means we will provide your client with an accurate picture of the condition of the house. Yet we do not stop there. Arming your client with the condition of the house, without helping your client understand what to do with that information, is a recipe for disaster. We utilize our proficiency as Registered Professional Engineers to assist your client in determining what should be included on their BINSR, and which items your client should fix themselves. We do that because if we were buying a house we would want to know how to use the information obtained from an inspection. At the conclusion of our field investigation your client will know the condition of the house, and your client will have a list of items which reasonably should be included on your client’s BINSR. That list will be determined with care, and only include items which are reasonable and appropriate. It is not an exhaustive list of all the findings during the inspection. Why do we provide this service? Because if we were the client, we would want to know what is reasonable and what is not. And if we were the Realtor, we would want the inspector to help us bring to fruition the goal of locating a new home for our client, while informing the client the condition of the home, and what to do with that information.

All we ask is you allow us to perform your next inspection. We are not asking for all your inspections, just your next inspection. Come to the inspection; see how we treat your client; and how we make your role as the Realtor so much easier than any other inspection company. Then go and sell houses. You will never need to attend another inspection because you will know first-hand how we assist you, and your client, in solidifying the deal on the house your client selected to make your client’s new home! 

We provide Engineering Grade Home Investigations across the entire Yuma and Mohawk Valleys, from San Luis to Fisher's Landing, and from Winterhaven to Dateland.

While the standard in the industry is to “upcharge” for older homes, up-charging is not consistent with our core value of treating every inspection from the perspective of what would we want if we were buying the home. Knight Vision Inspections does not upcharge for older homes.  

Most inspection companies charge trip charges. Most trip charges are dependent upon how far the property to be inspected is located from the headquarters of the inspection company; Knight Vision Inspections does not charge a trip charge for investigations.  

We perform every inspection from the perspective of what would we want to know if we were buying the property. With that in mind our investigation, and the reports which follow, are very detailed. If you do not attend the inspection, it is easy for you to lose the big picture and get bogged down in the details included in the reports. At the conclusion of the site inspection, we will show you pictures, and provide you with a presentation of our findings. During that presentation we will inform you which items are major items; which items are minor items; which items you should ask the seller to correct; which items you should correct yourself; and we will answer any and all of your questions. Your attendance at the inspection insures you have an accurate understanding of the magnitude of each item, which will appear on the inspection reports. While you will receive the inspection reports whether or not you attend the inspection, we have found it is much easier on you when we explain our findings in person, in lieu of leaving you to wade through the detailed reports to extract the information, which is most pertinent to you.  

For the majority of houses, you should arrive at the inspection half an hour after the inspection is scheduled to start. 

While we do everything we can to arrive at the time scheduled for your inspection, sometimes there are delays, which we cannot control. In those instances, our office will call you to let you know we are running behind, and when we anticipate arriving at your inspection. In those rare instances, we strive to advise you as much in advance as possible.  

For the majority of houses, the inspection process takes about an hour.   

The time it takes to perform a thorough investigation of the home is directly related to the skill and technical proficiency of the person performing the inspection. All our inspections are performed by Engineers. It takes years of training to earn the title "Engineer", and about ten years to become a Registered Professional Engineer. The companies which take 3-4 hours to perform home inspections are providing inspection services from a Certified Home Inspector. It takes about ten weeks to become a Certified Home Inspector. There is a substantial difference in the training, skill level and technical proficiency of those companies and that of our Engineers.

So you know the reason the other companies advertise a good home inspection must take 3-4 hours is because their time is all they have to offer. In order to make their services appear to be better than their competition, they promote the idea that a good home inspection takes 3-4 hours. Therefore, when you are selecting an inspection company you feel they did a great job because of the time they invested. Be very careful here. Think about this. If you were life threateningly ill, would you select the doctor who would spend the entire day with you attempting to figure out what you should do to save your life? Or would you prefer the skilled physician, who was proficient enough to diagnose your illness, and direct the correct treatment to save your life in less than an hour? To us the choice is easy.

We recognize the time constraints associated with your inspection period. If you call us as soon as you have a signed contract, we will always schedule your inspection in sufficient time for you to create your BINSR. 

Because we perform each and every inspection from a perspective of what would we want to know if we were buying the home, we include each and every item which should be given some consideration. That does not mean every item we include on the inspection reports should be corrected. It means we include all the information we would want to know if we were buying the house. When we identify an item, which should be given consideration, we include in our reports how much it should cost, and how long it should take, to correct that particular item. That means when you receive an inspection report from us, you will know everything we would want to know, and how much it would cost to correct every item. You may or may not choose to correct that item, yet you will be well informed, and have the financial understanding of the cost to correct each item. 

No. A Certified Home Inspector is not technically proficient, and therefore cannot tell you what is wrong. According to the Standards of Professional Practice for Arizona Home Inspectors, when a Certified Home Inspector identifies an area of concern, the Certified Home Inspector must specifically state the item should be corrected, monitored or evaluated by a qualified party. In most instances the Certified Home Inspector will state a qualified contractor should review the issue to determine what should be done. Because a Certified Home Inspector cannot tell you how to correct any deficiency found during the inspection, the Certified Home Inspector also cannot tell you how much it should cost to restore that item. 

An Engineer is skilled and technically proficient. Therefore an Engineer can analyze the issue, determine what should be done to correct the deficiency, and tell you how much it should cost to restore that item. Having a home inspection performed or reviewed by a Registered Professional Engineer is a true advantage to you as a home buyer.   

We cannot assist you in correcting any of the deficiencies we locate during our inspection process. With good reason, the Standards of Professional Practice for Arizona Home Inspectors specifically prohibit us from performing any repairs on your property for two years. That prohibition has a solid foundation, which is designed to provide you protection from unscrupulous companies. If a company could perform corrections, it would be possible for an inspector to locate bogus deficiencies, and/or unreasonable deficiencies, and then make money correcting those items. It would also be possible for companies to overcharge for corrections, and sell their services as an all in one package, which is not in your best interest.  

You should expect to receive your inspection reports the morning after our investigatory work is performed in the field. If we perform the field work on a Friday, you should expect to receive your reports Monday morning. Your Realtor will receive the reports at the same time.  

You will receive your reports via email the morning after the inspection was performed at the house. If we perform the field work on a Friday, you should expect to receive your reports Monday morning. Your Realtor will also receive the reports via email at the same time.  

Yes. Because we are Registered Professional Engineers, we provide foundation certifications on a regular basis. Should you have a need for a foundation certification, contact us and we will provide you with your foundation certification with the swiftest turnaround time at the lowest cost.      

An attached structures certification is different than a foundation certification, and is a required component for the transaction of some manufactured homes. An attached structures certification is not required for every purchase of a manufactured home. An attached structures certification is required when purchasing a manufactured home with structures [shades, storage rooms, etc.] which are attached to the manufactured home, when the manufactured home is purchased with certain types of financing [VA financed homes for instance]. The purpose of the attached structures certification is for the lender to be comfortable the structures, which are attached to the manufactured home, will not damage the integrity of the manufactured home. If you are purchasing a manufactured home, with financing which requires an attached structures certification, you will need a Registered Professional Engineer to perform a site investigation, and provide the appropriate attached structures certification, before close of escrow. Only a Registered Professional Engineer can provide an attached structures certification. A Certified Home Inspector cannot provide an attached structures certification.       

Yes. Because we are Registered Professional Engineers we provide attached structures certifications. Should you have a need for an attached structures certification, contact us and we will provide you with your attached structures certification with the swiftest turnaround time at the lowest cost.   

Sometimes during the transaction associated with the purchase of a house, the lender will require a roof certification. A roof certification is essentially a professional’s opinion of the life expectancy of the roof, which exists on the property to be purchased. The purpose of the roof certification is for the lender to have a comfort level the roof will not leak in the immediate future. If you are purchasing a house, and the lender has required a roof certification, you will need to obtain a roof certification from a licensed roofing contractor or a Registered Professional Engineer, who will perform a site investigation, and provide the appropriate roof certification, before close of escrow. Only a licensed roofing contractor or a Registered Professional Engineer can provide a roof certification. A Certified Home Inspector cannot provide a roof certification.       

Yes. Because we are Registered Professional Engineers, we provide roof certifications when necessary. Should you have a need for a roof certification, contact us and we will provide you with your roof certification with the swiftest turnaround time at the lowest cost.  

If you are not paying cash for your house; after your inspection, and during the escrow process, an appraisal will be performed to determine the actual value of the home. An appraisal is required by every lender. Sometimes, as a part of the appraisal, the appraiser will call out items to be investigated by an Engineer. When that occurs the lender will not close escrow until a Registered Professional Engineer evaluates the issue, and provides either a report showing the corrective action which is necessary, or a report stating the house is structurally sound. If you are purchasing a house, and the appraiser has required an Engineer’s evaluation, you will need a Registered Professional Engineer to perform a site investigation, and provide the appropriate corrective action report or a certification stating the house is structurally sound. Only a Registered Professional Engineer can provide an Engineering evaluation when requested by an appraiser. A Certified Home Inspector cannot provide the Engineering certification requested by the appraiser.