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FAQs
At Hat Property Inspections I do my best to answer all of your questions. Below you will find a list of some frequently asked questions. If you have any questions do not hesistate to contact me.
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A typical inspection should take 2.5 to 3 hours to complete. This can vary, given the current condition and size of the home, the accessibility of mechanical systems, and so on. As a courtesy to sellers, I recommend that they be informed of the timeframe in a pre-purchase home inspection situation.
I inspect the major systems of the house. These include the Roof, Exterior, Structure, Electrical, Heating, Cooling, Plumbing, Insulation, and Interior. My goal is to identify any existing major problems that would affect a typical buyer's decision to purchase. I will not identify minor or cosmetic defects such as minor damage to flooring, wall and ceiling finishes.
My typical fee for an inspection is <$545>. However, some factors will affect the fee, larger homes and older homes take longer to inspect, so the fee is higher. If you are comparing home inspection firms, the fee charged should not be the deciding factor unless the level of service offered is identical. Remember, you are considering a major purchase and your choice of home inspector should be based on getting the best value, not just the best price.
- Complete home inspection conducted by a master tradesman.
- High resolution thermal imaging
- Comprehensive interactive cloud based, home inspection report full of colour pictures.
- Summary of significant issues from a cost and safety stand point.
- Action list for deficiencies, to assign costs to any significant issues listed in the report.
- Free life time subscription to the HomeBinder (home maintenance and Re-call) program
- A wealth of supplemental information & diagrams about the home's major systems.
- 460 page home reference library e book including a home set-up & maintenance program.
- Technical support for as long as you own your home.
Definitely! I encourage you to attend. The inspection is a valuable learning experience for most homebuyers.
You don't have to take notes during the inspection. I will document everything in a written report. It's much better to follow the inspector through, listening to my comments to make sure you understand. It's also a great opportunity to ask questions and to clarify anything that confuses you.
Yes you do receive a written report. Hat Home Inspections uses Horizon, it is an interactive cloud based inspection report containing a wealth of supplemental information & diagrams about your homes major systems. The report comes as a downloadable PDF and all of the information is printable. Recommended repairs and their implications are clearly documented with colour pictures. The report includes a summary of significant issues from a cost and safety stand point for quick referance. It is delivered within 24 hours after the inspection.
No. A home inspection is a professional opinion based on less-than-complete information. It's a little like getting a check-up from your doctor. It improves your odds of good health but there is no guarantee or warranty. Some problems can only be discovered by living in a house; they cannot be discovered during a home inspection. For example, some shower stalls leak when people use the shower but don't leak when you simply turn on the shower. Some roofs and basements only leak when specific weather conditions exist. Some problems will only be discovered when carpets are lifted, furniture is moved or wall, ceilings and finishes are removed. As such, I cannot and do not offer a warranty on the house.
I am a graduate of the Carson Dunlop Home Inspection Training Program, the CDW Commercial Property Assessments training program and the Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program. I am a Certified Canadian Master Electrician (2003) and a local electrical industry professional with 29 years of hands-on experience and knowledge of the local construction industry. I also keep my skills current with continuing education programs.
I am ready to serve you quickly. However I recommend that you allow at least 48 Hours notice to arrange for an inspection.
Yes I am a member of the Alberta Professional Home inspectors Society (APHIS) and the Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologist (CARST)
A Commercial Property Condition Assessment is primarly designed to give lenders information about the property. It is different from a home inspection, I will perform a property document review (drawings, maintenance records, etc.), perform a visual, walkthrough survey of the property, prepare cost estimates for recommended major repairs or replacements, give estimates of remaining useful life for building components, contact the local building department and local fire department to check for building or fire code violations, and to ensure that a certificate of occupancy was issued for the building and document all the findings and costs for recommended repairs in a written report.
About 2 weeks. The process takes alot longer than a home inspection, there is alot of off site research that goes into a Commercial Property Condition Assessment. It can take time to receive the inforation requested and to complie it with the site information.
Radon is a radioactive gas, it is naturally occurring created as a part of the radioactive decay of Uranium. It is found almost everywhere in soil, rocks, and water.
Breathing in Radon gas has been proven to cause lung cancer, it is the 2nd most common cause of cancer in North America behind smoking.
Radon enters your home anywhere the foundation is in contact with the ground, foundation cracks, plumbing penetrations, sump pits ect... and the negative pressure of most homes due to the inside air being warmer than the outside, can draw Radon into your home.
Alberta is classified as having the potential for high Radon levels. The glaciers that flowed through Alberta spread Uranium across the province, any home could be built on a "hot rock" The cold climate in Alberta puts us at a higher risk of Radon gas than people in warmer climates, the negative pressure of most homes due to the inside air being warmer than the outside, can draw Radon into the home.
Sadly, this is not true, you cannot tell if you have high Radon from your neighbours’ measurements, the only way to know if you have Radon in your home is to test for it. The levels from house to house can be very different.
The age and type of building material does not have a direct correlation to the Radon levels in a home. Airtight energy efficient homes, old drafty homes and everything in-between all can have high Radon levels.
The only way to be sure is to test your home. Health Canada recommends a long-term test, minimum 91 days in the heating season, to properly measure the average Radon level in your home.
If you have high radon levels it can be fixed. An active soil depressurization system can almost always reduce the Radon level in your home to below the Heath Canada guidelines.
No not in Canada, but it is a part of the real estate transaction in many parts of the U.S.A
Get an initial home energy assessment, complete the home upgrades that qualify for the grant, get a second home energy assessment to prove the upgrades where done, then the grant funding will be available to you.
Yes, there is a $600 grant toward the two energy assessments required. When you have completed the qualifying repairs the $600 grant will be available to you to cover most of the cost of the assessments.
No not really, A heat pump works like a refrigerator using only electricity to transfer heat from a cool space to a warm space and vice versa. In Alberta’s cold winters a heat pump may not be able to adequately heat your home without substantial and costly insulation upgrades to your homes walls and ceiling. However, it is possible to accomplish this level of insulation to allow a heat pump to adequately heat your home, but it is very expensive.
wes@hatpropertyinspections.ca