Any home inspection done in accordance with the major home inspection standards (NAHI, ASHI, NACHI) requires a structural inspection as part of the standard home inspection, a.k.a. real estate inspection. What does this mean? Well, it means your inspector will look for signs of structural problems: cracks in the foundation, damage to floor joists, settlement of the slab, broken or damaged roof trusses and roof rafters, or problems with the framing. If an inspector identifies problem with any of these, they will usually recommend a structural engineer to assess the situation.
But that doesn’t help you much. Because you want to know if the house is okay to buy.
That’s where an engineer home inspector can help. In case you didn’t know, there are specialist home inspectors who are both licensed home inspectors and licensed engineers. An engineer inspector will normally address most structural issues as part of a standard home inspection service, with no added cost, and no need to call another expert for advice. This allows you to buy more confidentially. And by all means, if you are buying an old house with non-standard construction techniques, or if you find evidence of water issues or foundation problems, get an engineer inspector from the start.
