Guides

Home inspection guides

Start with home inspection software (how to choose) or software for licensed inspectors (day-to-day workflow). Also covered: reports, checklists, field systems, and buyer basics. The career path is the journal post how to become a home inspector. Buyer pages are educational—they are not a way to book an inspector or sign up for Prinsto.

• Buyers

  What is a home inspection?

  A home inspection is a visual, non-invasive review of a house’s major systems—structure, roof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and interiors—performed by a licensed inspector so buyers and owners can decide what to repair, negotiate, or investigate further.

• Buyers

  Buying a home inspection

  When you buy a home inspection, you hire a licensed inspector during your contract contingency to document the property’s condition so you can negotiate repairs, budget for work, or walk away with better information.

• How to choose

  Home inspection software: how to choose

  Home inspection software is the category of tools licensed inspectors use to schedule jobs, capture findings in the field, and deliver a client-facing report—choose by field capture, publish control, pricing model, and branding, not by which logo looks modern in a screenshot.

• Inspectors

  Software for licensed home inspectors

  Licensed inspectors need one login for the job in front of them: a mobile checklist, photos and voice on the right section, and a branded report that stays unpublished until they say so—that is what home inspector software should optimize for.

• Inspectors

  Home inspection reports

  A home inspection report is the written record of what the inspector observed—usually organized by system, with photos and recommendations—so the client can share findings with agents and contractors.

• Inspectors

  Home inspection checklist

  A home inspection checklist is the list of systems and items an inspector reviews—roof, structure, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, exterior, and interiors—so nothing obvious is skipped and the report stays consistent.

• Buyers

  Schedule a home inspection

  To schedule a home inspection, contact a licensed inspector as soon as your contract allows, confirm the property address and access, and lock a visit time plus when the written report will be delivered.

• Inspectors

  Joining ASHI as a new inspector

  ASHI is a professional association, not a license. Your state (or lack of a state license) still decides whether you can inspect for a fee. ASHI decides whether you can use their logos, sit in their education, and later show up in Find an Inspector.

• Inspectors

  Tools every home inspector should use

  A working home inspector kit is PPE, a flashlight, moisture meter, electrical testers, a camera or phone, and inspection software that keeps photos and notes on the same job as the client report.

• Inspectors

  How home inspectors find clients and grow

  Home inspectors grow by delivering a clear, on-time report that agents will send again, then making that proof easy to share—not by buying random leads first.

• Inspectors

  How to assess appliances in a home inspection

  In a home inspection, appliances are checked visually and by a representative operate when it is safe: look for leaks, rust, missing anti-tip brackets, damaged cords, and whether the unit turns on—then note age, brand, and that a full diagnostic is beyond a general inspection.

• Inspectors

  Inspecting a furnace: gas, electric, and other heat

  To tell if a furnace is gas, look for a gas meter or propane tank, a dedicated gas pipe and shutoff at the appliance, a vent or flue, and a burner compartment—electric furnaces have heavy electrical supply and no combustion vent, and heat pumps move heat with outdoor equipment instead of burning fuel.

• Inspectors

  How to spot water damage in a home inspection

  Spot water damage by looking for stains, peeling finish, swollen trim, efflorescence, soft flooring, rust at fixtures, and musty odor—then trace whether the source looks like a roof, plumbing, grading, or condensation, and say when you cannot confirm it is dry today.