Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a home inspection take?

A home inspection usually takes 2.5-3 hours, but it depends on the size, age and condition of the home. Homes over 3000 square feet could take longer.

How much does a home inspection cost?

You can view our pricing guide for current pricing.

Should I attend my inspection?

We encourage you to attend the entire inspection.

Most home buyers find it helpful and get value from the added context of looking at issues while discussing.

If you have limited availability we recommend arriving 2 hours after the start of the inspection. If you can’t attend (or don’t want to) we will call you to discuss.  Regardless you will receive the written inspection report within 24 hours of the inspection.

I work 9-5, are you available nights or weekends?

Rarely. We reserve this time for family.

Our regular schedule is Monday – Friday with an inspection at 8:30am and another at 12:30pm, we typically have some flexibility with start times.

Can you get me in on short notice I only have X days to get my inspection done?

Yes. Short notice is routine in the home inspection industry, it’s common for buyers to need an inspection completed within 7 days.

Can a property fail an inspection?

No. A home inspection is basically a laundry list of issues with a home. Every buyer has different wants and expectations for their future home. Any single issue may be a deal breaker for one person and a non-issue for another.

Is Brightside Home Inspections a franchise etc. or a locally owned small business?

We are 100% a locally owned small business, built from scratch in Camillus.

What is the difference between a home inspection, a code inspection and an appraisal?

A home inspection: Is a visual, non-invasive evaluation of a property. It relates to the homes safety, operation and condition on the day of the inspection. Home inspectors do not concern themselves with building codes or home values.

A code inspection: Verifies that a house complies with minimum building standards. Code inspections verify that recent construction or remodeling was completed to the current local code standards. This typically applies to a home you already own.

A home appraisal: Determines the value of a home. This is typically performed at the request of the bank that will hold your mortgage to confirm your purchase price makes sense.

Do home inspectors need to be licensed?

Yes, in New York state home inspectors must be licensed. We are also required to have liability insurance and receive continuing education.

When will I receive my home inspection report?

Within 24 hours of the inspection; usually it is emailed the same day as the inspection.

What if the inspection reveals a problem?

All homes have flaws, there is no such thing as a perfect home. Fortunately, every home problem has a solution. Solutions vary from routine homeowner maintenance to basic handy-man repairs to $25,000 repairs that only an experienced contractor should perform.

What is included in a home inspection?

Our comprehensive home inspections will review the home from the basement to the roof, which includes the following major systems and areas:

• Structure & Foundation
• Roof
• General Exterior & Grounds (siding, windows, grading etc.)
• Electrical System
• Heating & Cooling Systems
• Insulation & Ventilation
• Plumbing System
• General Interior (kitchen, bath, ceiling, wall, floor etc.)
• Appliances

Within each of these major systems there are dozens of items and components that are inspected, we have a 217 point inspection checklist. We also offer additional services not included in a home inspection but that can aid in determining the safety of a home such as radon testing and thermal imaging.

Do you have Supra key access to unlock a lock box?

Yes.

Is a radon test included in a home inspection?

No. Radon testing is outside the scope of the home inspection, but is an additional service we offer.

Do you test for lead paint?

No. Lead paint testing is outside the scope of the home inspection. At the time of writing there are no home inspectors in Syracuse that offer this service. This is because as long as the lead paint is painted over (or has been since the 70’s) the lead paint is considered encapsulated and not a hazard. The exception to this would be during remodeling if a project cuts into walls or ceilings.

There is a 69% chance a home has lead paint if it was built before 1960 per the EPA.  Lead paint was banned by the federal government in 1978 but was banned by New York state in 1970.

If you are concerned about lead paint it is recommended that you hire an environmental contractor.

What is excluded from a home inspection?

There are a number of items that aren’t inspected during a home inspection. Most of those items include:

• • Pools and hot tubs & components
  • Septic systems & components
  • Well water systems & components
  • Underground Municipal Sewer Lateral (available as an additional service)
  • Outbuildings (aka sheds, barns etc.)
  • Wood Destroying Insects (according to the Pest pros we don’t have termites in CNY)
  • Asbestos confirmation (needs to be done by a lab)
  • Radon testing (available as an additional service)
  • Lead paint confirmation
  • Mold confirmation (needs to be done by a lab)
  • Electric Generators
  • Cosmetic issues
  • Central air conditioners when it is below 65 degrees
  • Geothermal Systems
  • Wood Burning Device Flues (aka the inside of wood fireplace chimney)
  • Solar Systems
  • Snow Covered Roofs

What is a sewer scope?

A sewer scope is an inspection using a special camera that is pushed through the sewer lateral. The sewer lateral is the drain pipe that connects the house’s plumbing to the city sewer system. It runs underground from the house to the street.

Any age sewer lateral can experience issues but homes built before the 1990’s are more at risk. Tree roots, poor installation, low quality material, and the passage of time can increase issues with any drain pipe material. Since the pipe runs underground sewer lateral repairs are costly.

Issues at the sewer lateral can lead to raw sewage flooding a basement.

A sewer scope is not a service that we personally perform, we schedule an experienced company that we have a relationship with to perform this service during your home inspection.

Inspector’s Note: In many areas of the U.S. sewer scopes are standard practice when purchasing a home, for some reason that is not the case in CNY (especially given our old housing supply). Since I’ve seen multiple homeowners with $10,000 bills for sewer lateral replacement and sewage cleanup I feel this should be done on every home purchase. I personally would not purchase a house without a sewer scope inspection.

P.S. Home owners insurance does not typically cover sewer lateral replacement unless you get ‘buried utility’ coverage

Still have questions? Give us a call at 372-0965