We Measure Building Performance

Closer Look Inspections provides residential building performance evaluations for homeowners. We are not a home inspection company. A building performance evaluation is an in-depth look at the performance of all components of your building to assure that they are functioning as designed. We measure building parameters using N.I.S.T. certified, state of the art equipment to determine if the systems of your home and the structure are performing properly. This gives you true value in determining the operating condition of your home. If you are purchasing a home and your home inspection findings are unclear or if you have lingering doubts about the home or the systems in the home, call us for a full evaluation of the home after you have taken possession.

Typically, the home inspection process involves hiring a home inspection company that performs a cursory walk through of the home prior to closing the deal. Many companies are  referred by real estate agents and many home inspectors rely on those referrals. These inspections are cursory in nature. In the pre-purchase inspection transaction, inspectors that are too detailed are labeled as "deal killers"  and they may not get referrals because they are too detailed or thorough. This is why we feel that there is an inherent conflict of interest in such referrals and that inspection companies that solicit such referrals may be biased in their opinions. Many inspection companies that are found spending all of their time soliciting real estate referrals may not have time for training in their own profession. This would explain why there are so many unqualified inspectors in the marketplace. 

We are an independent building performance contractor specializing in building performance measurements and verification. It is in the best interest of the consumer to understand the potential problems in the homes they live in or have purchased. Our team of highly qualified professionals is equipped to measure and evaluate the performance of your home. We can perform these services from plans at the design stage, during construction, by commissioning the completed building or through an on-going performance contract which leaves the performance of your home to us. We have programs available in which the conditions in your home are monitored 24/7 and HVAC system is inspected and maintained annually. The services we offer are for both new and existing buildings.

Inspection Q & A's

Q: The home is being inspected by the city or by FHA, do I still need to have a private inspection?

A: YES. The city building inspection may not cover many items which could be of interest to you as the purchaser. Some city inspections are nothing more than a drive by inspection, depending on where the home is located. FHA inspections, again, may not look at all of the items of interest to the purchaser of a home. A private inspection will be much more in-depth and thorough. A private inspector will go through the home with you and explain the systems, maintenance, replacement costs and other factors which are critical to making an informed decision. Consumers should ALWAYS do their homework before hiring an inspector. Simply relying on a referral from your real estate agent may prevent you from hiring a fully qualified inspector. Remember, the agent (whether representing buyer or seller) has a vested interest in the sale of the home and therefore may want you to hire a less investigative or experienced inspector.

Q: Do I need an engineer?

A: Engineers are a critical component of the design team. However, the engineer performs the bulk of their job in the office designing the components of the building, evaluating design intent, etc. They are rarely involved in the actual construction process or in measuring the performance to determine if that design intent has been met. Engineers and performance specialists work together to assure that your home performs as the engineered design intended it to perform. The fact is that unless you measure the performance of a building, you are simply guessing. C.L.I. Group offers both engineering and architectural support when needed. This is generally not required on residential projects.

Some Advice About Home Inspections

Q: Should I Get One?

A: Yes. Take the time to find a well qualified home inspector to walk through the home with you to determine if any major defects are present. During this walk-through, the inspector will explain systems, maintenance and system operation in your home. If you hire an independent and experienced inspector, the experience is well worth the $200-300 they charge. (The key words here are independent and qualified). It is becoming increasingly difficult to locate inspectors that do not solicit their business through real estate offices. Take the time to find an independent inspector. It will help to assure that you receive an inspection worth paying for. If you think there is not a conflict, you may want to spend some time reading through the Independent Home Inspector's of North America web site. It is also important to understand that as an unregulated industry, anyone can print a business card and be in business tomorrow, regardless of their their experience or training. This may not change much even if current efforts to license inspectors is passed into law. There are currently two bills that have been introduced to license home inspectors, both fall short because neither addresses the CONFLICT of INTEREST between inspectors and real estate agents. In fact, both bills have ties to real estate agents.

Q: Does ASHI, NACHI, NAHI, SPREI, etc. membership mean an inspector is qualified?

A: Absolutely not. Membership in these societies and organizations alone does not mean an inspector is qualified. First, these are professional societies where inspectors network, get information on the profession and learn more about being better inspectors (hopefully). Their purpose is not to train inspectors or provide the inspector jobs. These organizations are not unions. It is wise to look at all of the inspectors experience, certifications, memberships, etc. when choosing the inspector that is right for you. Also, it is important to remember that many inspectors, irregardless of their affiliations, also belong to local real estate boards and heavily rely on real estate referrals. This may create a conflict of interest which you would be wise to avoid. An inspector that relies solely on referrals from the real estate community may fear losing referrals or being labeled a "deal killer" if his findings are considered too harsh. This is a BIG problem that most consumers are not aware of. You will rarely find the most experienced inspectors or those that have never been sued at the top of any referral lists.

Q: Are home inspectors building experts?

A: Generally speaking, No. Most home inspectors are generalists. They (some) know enough about the building to perform a cursory (limited, lacking depth) inspection of the home. If you wish to have the home evaluated in a more in-depth manner you will want to hire a building performance professional that has the experience and equipment to measure the performance of the building. Try to avoid inspectors that offer additional services such as mold testing, energy audits , etc as part of their inspection. Their offerings are simply add-ons and probably will give little useful information. Stick with inspectors that perform the service you hired them for, inspecting the home in an unbiased and professional manner. There are many inspectors that offer to do everything, but their qualification say they should not be doing any of them, including inspecting homes. It is our feeling that the certifications that many of these inspectors attain are not from nationally or internationally accepted authorities, but are from companies taking advantage of every consumer concern that comes along. These companies create overnight certifications for every concern that comes along (e.g. mold, energy, roof leaks, etc.). The promotion of such credentials was another factor which made our decision to disassociate with these organizations an easy one.

Here are a few other pointers you may want to consider before having a home evaluated.