4-Point Inspection: OK, so.....I'm confused, what is the 4 point thingy and wind something.....

Wind Mitigation Inspection: Ok, So...what about the Wind Thing.

A Wind Mitigation Inspection is another insurance inspection which provides very specific information about your home to your insurance company so that they can provide a proper rate.

The Wind Mitigation inspection is really about permit dates. Let me explain, in 2002, Florida adopted a new building code which increased the wind load design for houses. So... if you have a home built to code before 2002,that home would not have the same wind load design as a home built to code after 2002; the home build to code after 2002 would be stronger. In addition, even if your home was built before 2002 and you had a roof put on after 2002 then your new roof will meet the new codes. Well the insurance companies like that so they will give you a better premium for your insurance. We all love to save money :)

To prepare for your wind mitigation inspection, we need clear access to the attic access door / hatch.

Home Inspection: Ok, what about a Home Inspection. Let's start with the article below

 Click here for a New York Times article on what to expect from home inspectors.

What We Inspect

Our program has been designed to assure you a thorough, easy to understand overview of the conditions of the property you are about to purchase. Buying a home is not something you do every day and in combination with your realtor, we provide information critical to making an intelligent property buying decision. (See our video on our process by clicking here)

Benefits

• ●We report on, over 400 items
• ●We deliver a detailed, electronic report, on the same day as the inspection
• ●We point out major and minor deficiencies
• ●We identify any major expenditures that may be arising in the next 5 years
• ●We identify any potential safety hazards present
• ●We show you how various systems work
• ●We review and explain the conditions found

What Does a Typical Home Inspection Cover?

• ●External Conditions and Surfaces
• ●Roof, Attic, Insulation and Ventilation
• ●Plumbing and Electrical Systems
• ●Appliances
• ●Heating and Cooling Systems
• ●Foundations, Slabs and Floors
• ●Walls and Ceilings
• ●Garage, Walks and Driveways
• ●Landscaping and the way it affects the building
• ●In short, we look at and go everywhere we can without causing harm to the property, ourselves or others.

A Full Home Inspection  is a non-destructive visual inspection of all accessible areas noted above. A typical home inspection can vary from 2.5 to 10 hours depending on the size, complexity and condition of the property.

Indoor Air Quality Test

An Indoor Air Quality Test (IAQ) is a laboratory test of air samples taken from inside and outside the home. For additional information, see below.

Wind Mitigation Inspection

• ●The Original Permit Date
• ●The Roof Covering
• ●The Type of Decking
• ●The Roof Deck Attachment
• ●The Structure and Spacing
• ●The Type of Fasteners
• ●The Roof to Wall Attachment
• ●Roof Geometry
• ●The Opening Protection

Click here to find out how much money a wind mitigation inspection may save you. Discount information begins on page 15.

• ●The Condition of the Heat and Air Conditioning
• ●The Condition of the Plumbing Systems
• ●The Condition of the Electrical Systems
• ●The Condition of the Roof System

Roof Certification

A Roof Certification is an inspection of the roof system, currently required to determine age and condition of the roof system only.

** For additional clarifications on items inspected, see our "ASHI Standards of Practice for Home Inspections" by Clicking here.

Services

• ●In Depth Home and Commercial Building Inspection
• ●Wind Mitigation Inspection
• ●Roof Certification
• ●Four-Point Inspection
• ●Pre-Warranty Expiration Inspection
• ●New Construction Inspection
• ●Pre-Listing Inspection
• ●Infrared Inspection
• ●Indoor Air Quality Testing
• ●Aerial Videography / Photography

In-Depth Home Inspections

An Experienced Inspector will prepare your Computerized Home Inspection Report with easy-to-read details on:

• ●The condition of every major component from the roof to the basement
• ●Major and minor deficiencies
• ●Any major expenditures necessary
• ●What to watch out for
• ●Helpful home preservation tips
• ●Safety concerns
• ●And much much more

Your Inspector utilizes the newest technology in order to give you, our client, the highest level of comfort that your inspection was as thorough as possible without destructive testing. In addition, your inspector will compile a detailed report and will take the time to review that report with you in order to ensure that you have a good understanding of the findings and to answer any remaining questions that you may have. It is our mission to provide you the information that you will need to help you make better informed property buying decisions.

Click here to check out our video about how to use your inspection report.

Wind Mitigation Inspections

A Wind Mitigation Inspection is a verification that a home meets certain building requirements. Insurance companies have realized that if a home meets certain criteria, it will most likely sustain less damage during a wind event than those that do not meet the same criteria and in turn have passed on that savings to the home owners in the form of a reduced insurance premium. If you are interested in potential savings on your insurance, contact your carrier and see if they offer these discounts and if so, call us to schedule your Uniform Wind Mitigation Inspection. Additional information about Wind Mitigation can be found by clicking here.

Insurance Required Inspections

In Florida, most insurance companies required a 4-Point Inspection for older homes (10 years or more). In addition they may also ask for a Wind Mitigation Inspection.

The 4-Point Inspection is typically required and covers the 4 home systems. (see explanation below). Make sure that your home inspection pricing includes the 4-Point inspection, otherwise you will be paying twice for the same thing.

The Wind Mitigation Inspection is typically an option, however, this inspection can save you a lot of money in certain instances. The three big areas of savings in the Deland / Deltona area are:
Hip Roofs
Hurricane clips or straps with at least 3 nails
A roof that was permitted with a permit application date after March of 2002.

Roof Certifications

When an insurance company needs a verification of the age of a roof and no documentation exists, an inspector is sent to do a Roof Certification which is an estimate of the age and condition of the roof.

Four-Point Inspection

A Four-Point Inspection is an inspection focusing on four primary areas of the property, the Roof, Electrical, Plumbing and Heat and AC. This type of inspection is primarily done for insurance companies on older properties in order to verify that the four systems noted above are in acceptable condition. Acceptability is determined by the insurance company, the inspector only reports what they see. A Four-Point Inspection only focuses on the 4 points noted above and is nowhere near as detailed as an In-Depth Home Inspection.

Pre-Warranty Expiration Inspection

Have you bought or built a new home within the last year, and your warranty is about to expire? Hire us to do a Pre-Warranty Expiration Inspection. We will do a thorough inspection which can be given to your warrantor in order to notify them that there are issues that need to be addressed under warranty, saving you money in the long run. If you have not notified your warrantor of any issues, prior to the warranty expiring, you will end up paying for the repairs yourself.

New Construction Inspections (Owners Agent)

Having a new home built? Hire us to look at the things that building inspectors are not required to look at. We do not replace your code inspector. As your agent, we look at the home differently than a code inspector does. We check everything that a Home Inspector checks (see in-depth home inspection above) but we also look at the architectural location of light fixtures, switches and outlets and make recommendations to you, our client about potential issues. If the opportunity arises, call us before you make a deal with your builder and we can help you set yourself up for success. It is our goal to work with our client and the contractor for a successful outcome.

In addition to our inspection services, during construction we are happy to be your independent party to discuss issues with whenever needed, just call us.

It's important to realize that most builders required paperwork before allowing a home inspector on the site. Your contract with the builder will most likely contain language concerning home inspectors, which should be reviewed. Typically the contractor will want to have a copy of our insurance (sometimes with them being named as certificate holders), workman's compensation certificates and a copy of our license. Sometimes this paperwork can take up to 3 days to acquire and then the contractor has to approve the home inspector which can take several days. Allow at least a week for this process to take place, just to be on the safe side.

We have several levels of New Construction Inspections:

1) A final Inspection

2) Interim Inspections and a final inspection, typically 2 to 3 interim inspections will work however we are here to meet your needs.

Call us for additional information and pricing.

Pre-Listing Inspection

A Pre-Listing Inspection is an In-Depth Home Inspection except it is performed for the seller instead of the buyer. The idea of this inspection is to level the playing field between the buyer and the seller. Now, both parties have a better understanding of the property, reducing the gap between the bid and ask price of the home and thus reducing the time that the property takes to sell, once an offer is presented.

Infrared Inspection

Infrared cameras have the unique ability to view a property from a different prospective. The infrared spectrum detects the slightest differences in temperature, rather than light, which gives the infrared cameras the ability to detect insulation problems, locations of beams inside of walls, leaks, etc, depending upon the conditions. Contact us today to see if infrared will help detect your issue. For an example of the benefits of infrared, see "Benefits of Infrared" in the side bar at the top of this page. You can also view our video on Infrared by clicking here.

Mold Assessments

We are Licensed in Florida to perform Mold Assessments and Certified by the International Association of Certified Indoor Air Consultants (IAC2) follow the IAC2  Standards (the standards), which can be found by clicking here. We perform non-invasive visual examinations of readily accessible, visible, and installed systems and components of the building listed in the IAC2 Standards of Practice. In addition to a complete visual inspection, we perform at least 3 air samples at the building according to the standards (A sample air quality test can be found by clicking here). (see note below)

NOTICE:

Florida Statute 468.8411 paragraph 3 states ""Mold assessment" means a process performed by a mold assessor that includes the physical sampling and detailed evaluation of data obtained from a building history and inspection to formulate an initial hypothesis about the origin, identity, location, and extent of amplification of mold growth of greater than 10 square feet."

 According to the Florida Statutes 468.8411, paragraphs 3, cited above, Florida Licensed Mold Assessors are required to be used when the size of "mold or mold-contaminated matter is greater than 10 square feet" Unlike other inspection firms, we are also State of Florida Licensed Mold Assessors and can therefor perform any additional mold testing requested. For additional information please click here