Pre-Inspection

This service is designed to help you sell your home. Stand out from the Hundreds or even Thousands of other houses for sale by having Blue Ridge Home Inspection Pre-Inspect your home. Not only will this set your home apart but a pre-inspection will uncover any hidden surprises that could affect the deal.

You work so hard to get an offer and it can fall apart unless you act quickly to get the repairs done. Once you get an offer you must act quickly! If the purchaser has a home inspection and finds problems then you must act in their timeframe not yours. You may have to make repairs that you otherwise would not want to make. You may have to take a lower price in order to keep the deal moving. In either case, you’ll almost certainly have more headaches, and spend more money, than if you’d known about the problem and had it repaired before negotiations began.

With a Blue Ridge Home Inspection pre-inspection you will get a full report with pictures to show to prospective buyers. Blue Ridge Home Inspection also offers use of our “This Home Has Been Pre-Inspected” sign to further set your home apart
Buyers Inspection

A buyer’s home inspection is the most common inspection. I’m sure you have heard the horror stories of houses that had a hidden surprise around every corner. This is easy to avoid by getting your new home inspected before you close. There are small and sometimes large defects in All Homes, you need to know what they are and only a trained professional home inspector knows what to look for such as:

Structural elements, Foundation, Framing, Plumbing Systems, Roofing, Electrical systems, Heating and Cooling Systems, any Many more areas, too many to list! Thousands of items.

Click here for a sample report.

Click here for a sample summary.
New Construction Inspection

A new construction inspection is as critical as an inspection on a 50 or 100 year old house. Many people ask, “doesn’t the city (county) inspector make sure my new home is built correctly”. The answer is they do the best they can, an inspector for the city or county may have 10-20 inspections to do per day. That is a challenge in itself. So it is easy to see how they can’t inspect to the degree that you would hope. I also hear, “I have a reputable builder”. A good reputable builder does help, but they rely on their sub-contractors who then rely on their employees. The fact is, everyone is human, mistakes happen, or things fall through the cracks. All of these sayings are true and do happen.
It is your choice if you want a 3rd party to ensure that your new home is in as good of condition as you expect. This type of inspection is a two phase inspection. The first phase is a pre-drywall inspection this is to ensure that all ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING, HVAC, INSULATION, and FRAMING systems are roughed in correctly. This could avoid HUGE problems down the road. The second phase is conducted after the city (county) has issued a certificate of occupancy (CO) permit. This inspection looks at all systems and finishes to ensure that all have been correctly installed and that all are completed in a workmanship like manor. This part of an inspection is very different from an inspection on an older home. This inspection includes all of the items in a normal inspection as well as paint, floor coverings, cabinets, and general fit and finish of all the components of the home. It is much easier to get deficiencies corrected before you close than after.
New Construction Walk Through Inspection

This inspection is basically the same as the 2nd phase of the New Construction Inspection. The second phase is conducted after the city (county) has issued a certificate of occupancy (CO) permit. This inspection looks at all systems and finishes to ensure that all have been correctly installed and that all are completed in a workmanship like manor. This part of an inspection is very different from an inspection on an older home. This inspection includes paint, floor coverings, cabinets, and general fit and finish of all the components of the home. It is much easier to get deficiencies corrected before you close than after.

End of Year Warranty Inspection

The first anniversary of your new home is fast approaching and your Builder's Warranty is about to expire. This is your last chance to have any faults in your homes construction corrected at the builder's cost. Blue Ridge Home Inspection gives your house a thorough, top-to-bottom inspection specifically focused on those areas covered by the warranty and where major repairs or alteration costs might occur. Blue Ridge Home Inspection’s written report will prove invaluable when you sit down with your builder to report and negotiate the repair of unsatisfactory conditions.
Re-Inspect

This service is to confirm that agreed upon repairs have been made, and have been made correctly. Blue Ridge Home Inspection will return and inspect any item on the summary report that the Seller and you have decided the seller will repair prior to closing. This inspection is often over looked to the buyers regret. When buying a home that is not covered under a builders warranty your walk through is usually your last chance to ensure that every thing in your new home is as it should be. If you do not check that all agreed upon repairs are made correctly you will be stuck with making the repairs at your expense. This service is availably for a nominal fee. Ask for details on this valuable service.
Radon Testing

Radon is a radioactive gas that has been found in homes all over the United States. It comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water and gets into the air you breath. Radon typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and holes in the foundation. All homes in our area have radon. This means new and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements. In fact, you and your family are most likely to get your greatest exposure at home. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer.

Testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon. EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing ALL HOMES below the third Floor for RADON.

Blue Ridge Home Inspection offers CRM Radon testing to ensure error free testing with results in 48 hours.

Surgeon General of the United States Health Advisory

“Indoor Radon is a national health problem. Radon causes thousands of deaths each year. Millions of homes have elevated levels. Most homes should be tested for Radon. When elevated levels are confirmed, the problem should be corrected.”
Mold Inspection & Testing

Mold is a topic that has had a lot of attention recently. But it is not a new problem; mold has been associated with adverse health issues for hundreds of years. Not all mold is “BAD” there are good molds that we use on a daily bases, but there are molds that you do not want growing in your home.

Mold can grow in any home all it needs is water. The most common reason for mold is a leak. It could be a small leak in the roof, a water pipe, a window; there are many ways for water to leak in a home. If there is a leak, get it fixed and dry up all the water as soon as possible. Mold can start to grow in as little as 24 hours.

There are 5 different types of mold inspections.

1. Limited Sampling: The purpose of limited mold sampling is to detect the presence of mold contamination in client defined areas of the home. This service provides a fast economical method to determine if and what type of molds are in that area. The limitations of this service are that other sources of mold may be present in the home.
2. Mold Screen: This inspection is a visual assessment of the entire home, identifies RED FLAGS for mold, and a limited sampling for mold. When RED FLAGS are found, the client will be advised and offered the chance for additional sampling. The mold screen is the most popular inspection for home sale transactions.
3. Mold Survey: This service identifies, determines cause and provides corrective measures for all mold sources discovered in the home. This service is usually used once a problem has been identified and remediation specifications need to be produced by a Certified Industrial Hygienist.
4. Clearance Testing: Clearance testing is designed to determine the success of remediation. In Clearance Testing a containment area has been established and remediation is complete in that area. This test is often used to ensure the remediation is successful before the containment system is removed.
5. Post-Cleaning Testing: Post-Cleaning Testing is also designed to determine the success of remediation efforts. The difference in Clearance and Post-Cleaning Testing is there will not be a containment area in place.