About this video. The person on screen is an AI-generated avatar in my likeness. The voice is mine, cloned from recordings of my own voice, and the edit adjusts the sound. The image and voice may therefore differ from my real appearance and speech. The text is written and approved by me, and I am fully accountable for it. This method lets me publish regularly; it changes nothing about what is said.
Hello. You’ve decided to get an inspection. What’s left is the part no one explains: how to choose the person.
The question, as people ask it: “how to choose a good home inspector”
How to choose an inspector: association, insurance, sample report, exclusions
Before you hire an inspector, there are four things to check. And it’s done over the phone.
If you decide to hire a home inspector, here’s how to choose one. There are four checks I can name for you, and they’re done before you sign anything. The full list of criteria is published by the OACIQ, on its website.
One. Membership in a recognized professional association. Ask for the name of the association and the membership number. Then verify it yourself with the association. A name on a business card can be checked in two minutes.
Two. Professional liability insurance. Ask whether it’s in force, and ask for written proof.
Three. The standard of practice and the sample report. Ask which recognized standard the inspection follows, and ask to see a sample report before you hire the person. A report is something you read. You’ll know right away whether you understand what’s written in it.
Four. The exclusions. An inspection service contract normally contains a list of what is not covered. Ask for it in writing, and read it before the visit, not after.
Those four checks — no one can do them for you. It’s your contract, and it’s your decision.
The questions to ask before hiring someone
Five questions to ask over the phone, before you even book an appointment with an inspector.
Five questions, over the phone, before you even book an appointment.
One. How long have you been doing inspections, and is it your full-time occupation.
Two. How long does the visit at my place take, in hours.
Three. Do you go up on the roof, or do you look at it from the ground. And under what conditions you don’t go up.
Four. Do you enter the attic and the crawl space, or do you look from the opening.
Five. How soon do I receive the written report after the visit.
Write down the answers. You’re not required to hire the first person you talk to. Call more than one, and compare the answers.
What an inspection doesn’t cover: the exclusions and the limits
The biggest source of disappointment isn’t the inspector. It’s what the mandate didn’t cover.
Before choosing someone, you need to know what the mandate covers. Because the biggest source of disappointment isn’t the person. It’s the gap between what the client imagined and what the mandate provided for.
A pre-purchase inspection is visual. It covers what is accessible and visible on the day of the visit. What is buried, embedded or behind a finish is not part of it: the French drain, the insulation inside the walls, the plumbing in the partitions, the structure behind the drywall, what’s under the slab.
Some elements require a test in an accredited laboratory, and that can’t be done by eye, by anyone.
The conditions of the day matter too. Snow covers a roof and a lot. A basement full of boxes blocks the walls. A locked access stays a locked access.
And an inspection is not an expert assessment. When something requires a cause or a calculation, it’s an engineer or a trade that takes over.
All of this is written in the mandate and in the report. It’s read before, not after.
Inspection report or a specialist’s written opinion: two different documents
An inspection report and an engineer’s opinion are not the same document. Here’s the difference.
An inspection report and a specialist’s written opinion are not the same thing. They’re two different documents, and people confuse them all the time.
A home inspector works as a generalist. They look at the whole house, what is visible and accessible, and they record what they observe. When an observation goes beyond their field, their report can say so and refer you elsewhere.
A specialist’s opinion, on the other hand, covers one single thing. A structural engineer gives an opinion on a foundation crack or a modified joist. A roofer gives an opinion on a roof. A master electrician who is a member of the CMEQ gives an opinion on a panel or on wiring. An accredited laboratory analyzes a sample and issues a result.
So here’s what’s true both ways. An inspection report doesn’t replace those opinions. And those opinions don’t cover a whole house.
If you want an answer on one specific element, you call the specialist for that element.
Should you attend the inspection, and what to do during it
An hour moving boxes is worth more than one “inaccessible” line in the report.
It’s the day itself that gains or loses the most value.
If you’re the one who ordered the inspection, be there. Not to supervise. To hear the explanations that never make it into a written report, and to be able to ask your questions at the moment the thing is right in front of the person.
Bring a notebook. Write down the exact words they use, and the trades they name. That list is what will become your calls the following week.
What helps before they arrive: clear the access points. The electrical panel, the attic hatch, the water heater, the basement walls, the garage entrance. An hour of moving things is worth more than one “inaccessible” line in the report.
Now, the other case. If it’s the buyer who ordered the inspection, it isn’t your inspection. You give access, and you let them work. The way a seller behaves that day is heard in the negotiation that follows.
What I don’t do: no inspection, no placing, no compensation
I can’t be your broker and your inspector. Here’s why I say it myself.
On inspection before the sale, I have a limit, and I’d rather name it. It’s exactly about the subject of this video.
I’m a real estate broker. I hold a diploma in building inspection technology, and that’s what lets me name what to look at for you. But there’s a line, and it’s clear.
I can’t act as broker and as inspector in the same transaction. That’s a conflict of interest. So three things, said plainly.
I don’t sell inspections. It’s not a service I offer, and it’s not what I’m proposing to you here.
If you’re my client, seller or buyer, I’m not the one who does your inspection. On that, there’s no exception.
And I don’t place anyone. When a seller asks me for an inspector’s name, the OACIQ rule is to provide more than one name. Not just one. Several. And with no financial compensation whatsoever — I receive nothing from anyone for a referral, and I pay nothing either.
What I do is observe and name the expert. It stops there, and that’s intentional.
Who to call, and for what
I don’t do the inspection. My role is to know where to look and who to call.
- Home inspector
- Structural engineer
- Accredited laboratory
Frequently asked questions
Get a value report for your property, and a marketing plan
Get a value report for your property, and a marketing plan — comparables, features, an opinion of value
Full transcript of the video
Full transcript of the video above. Published on September 1, 2026.
Hello. You’ve decided to get an inspection. What’s left is the part no one explains: how to choose the person.
My name is Ernso Cléus. I’m a residential and commercial real estate broker at RE/MAX Crystal. Before becoming a broker, I earned a diploma in building inspection technology. I’m not an inspector and I don’t sell inspections — but I know what a serious report looks like.
There is no professional order of home inspectors in Québec. That means the checking is up to you — and there are specific questions to ask.
If you haven’t yet decided whether to get an inspection, there’s the question of the pros and cons. It is, or will be, the subject of a separate video on my channel.
How to choose an inspector: four checks
If you decide to hire a home inspector, here’s how to choose one. There are four checks I can name for you, and they’re done before you sign anything. The full list of criteria is published by the OACIQ, on its website.
One. Membership in a recognized professional association. Ask for the name of the association and the membership number. Then verify it yourself with the association. A name on a business card can be checked in two minutes.
Two. Professional liability insurance. Ask whether it’s in force, and ask for written proof.
Three. The standard of practice and the sample report. Ask which recognized standard the inspection follows, and ask to see a sample report before you hire the person. A report is something you read. You’ll know right away whether you understand what’s written in it.
Four. The exclusions. An inspection service contract normally contains a list of what is not covered. Ask for it in writing, and read it before the visit, not after.
Those four checks — no one can do them for you. It’s your contract, and it’s your decision.
The questions to ask before hiring someone
Five questions, over the phone, before you even book an appointment.
One. How long have you been doing inspections, and is it your full-time occupation.
Two. How long does the visit at my place take, in hours.
Three. Do you go up on the roof, or do you look at it from the ground. And under what conditions you don’t go up.
Four. Do you enter the attic and the crawl space, or do you look from the opening.
Five. How soon do I receive the written report after the visit.
Write down the answers. You’re not required to hire the first person you talk to. Call more than one, and compare the answers.
What an inspection doesn’t cover: the exclusions and the limits
Before choosing someone, you need to know what the mandate covers. Because the biggest source of disappointment isn’t the person. It’s the gap between what the client imagined and what the mandate provided for.
A pre-purchase inspection is visual. It covers what is accessible and visible on the day of the visit. What is buried, embedded or behind a finish is not part of it: the French drain, the insulation inside the walls, the plumbing in the partitions, the structure behind the drywall, what’s under the slab.
Some elements require a test in an accredited laboratory, and that can’t be done by eye, by anyone.
The conditions of the day matter too. Snow covers a roof and a lot. A basement full of boxes blocks the walls. A locked access stays a locked access.
And an inspection is not an expert assessment. When something requires a cause or a calculation, it’s an engineer or a trade that takes over.
All of this is written in the mandate and in the report. It’s read before, not after.
An inspection report is not a specialist’s written opinion
An inspection report and a specialist’s written opinion are not the same thing. They’re two different documents, and people confuse them all the time.
A home inspector works as a generalist. They look at the whole house, what is visible and accessible, and they record what they observe. When an observation goes beyond their field, their report can say so and refer you elsewhere.
A specialist’s opinion, on the other hand, covers one single thing. A structural engineer gives an opinion on a foundation crack or a modified joist. A roofer gives an opinion on a roof. A master electrician who is a member of the CMEQ gives an opinion on a panel or on wiring. An accredited laboratory analyzes a sample and issues a result.
So here’s what’s true both ways. An inspection report doesn’t replace those opinions. And those opinions don’t cover a whole house.
If you want an answer on one specific element, you call the specialist for that element.
Should you attend the inspection, and what to do during it
It’s the day itself that gains or loses the most value.
If you’re the one who ordered the inspection, be there. Not to supervise. To hear the explanations that never make it into a written report, and to be able to ask your questions at the moment the thing is right in front of the person.
Bring a notebook. Write down the exact words they use, and the trades they name. That list is what will become your calls the following week.
What helps before they arrive: clear the access points. The electrical panel, the attic hatch, the water heater, the basement walls, the garage entrance. An hour of moving things is worth more than one “inaccessible” line in the report.
Now, the other case. If it’s the buyer who ordered the inspection, it isn’t your inspection. You give access, and you let them work. The way a seller behaves that day is heard in the negotiation that follows.
My limit: I don’t sell inspections, and I don’t place anyone
On inspection before the sale, I have a limit, and I’d rather name it. It’s exactly about the subject of this video.
I’m a real estate broker. I hold a diploma in building inspection technology, and that’s what lets me name what to look at for you. But there’s a line, and it’s clear.
I can’t act as broker and as inspector in the same transaction. That’s a conflict of interest. So three things, said plainly.
I don’t sell inspections. It’s not a service I offer, and it’s not what I’m proposing to you here.
If you’re my client, seller or buyer, I’m not the one who does your inspection. On that, there’s no exception.
And I don’t place anyone. When a seller asks me for an inspector’s name, the OACIQ rule is to provide more than one name. Not just one. Several. And with no financial compensation whatsoever — I receive nothing from anyone for a referral, and I pay nothing either.
What I do is observe and name the expert. It stops there, and that’s intentional.
There is no professional order: the checking is up to you, and it’s done in writing, before you hire anyone.
Before all of that, a seller’s first question is still the value of their property. I produce a value report: the comparable sales in your area, the features that matter, and what I take from them. And I also offer a marketing plan for your property. Request it through the links below the video.
If you’re already bound by a brokerage contract with another broker, this invitation isn’t for you.
When you ask me for an inspector’s name, I give more than one, with no compensation. You choose, you pay, and the report is yours.
Ernso Cléus, residential and commercial real estate broker, RE/MAX Crystal. Your broker who knows buildings.
Read also: selling your home with a broker · all the seller tips · get in touch
Ernso Cléus, residential and commercial real estate broker — RE/MAX Crystal. Your broker who knows buildings.
