FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. Why should I hire the best home inspector, not the cheapest?

Would you hire the cheapest doctor? Buy the cheapest car?  We hope not!   At WIT, we save our clients thousands of dollars by finding problems other less-experienced inspectors miss. Company owner Joshua Westlund is a second-generation home inspector and Yale graduate. He and the WIT team have performed over 15,000 inspections in the Chicago area.  On every single inspection, we make sure our clients walk away with a deep understanding of the issues.  We provide a thorough, highly-researched report and make ourselves available for follow-up questions. 

2. What makes WIT different from other home inspection companies?

A common misconception is that inspectors inspect different things. The main difference among companies is not what they inspect but what they find when they inspect, and also how they inspect. At WIT, we:

• We walk all roofs when it's safe to do so.  Most inspectors simply look at the roof from the ground. We carry 22-foot ladders to access the roof. (Weather, roof pitch and height may limit access.) When the ladder is not enough, we use a periscope that syncs to our mobile device so that we can see every nook and cranny.
• We inspect common areas for condo buildings four stories and under.  Although many inspectors look at interiors only, we think inspecting common areas is vital because they're where you tend to find the most expensive problems. 
• We test all accessible interior components including outlets and windows.  State and national standards simply require testing a "representative sample" of interior components, which is defined as one per room.  We've done this long enough to know that the window you don't open or the outlet you don't test is the one with the problem. 

3. Why can't I find prices on your website?

Because we didn't list them!  We've tried to list prices every which way, but cost varies widely depending on the type, size and age of the property.  Additional fees also apply if there is a crawl space or if the property is in foreclosure.  There are too many variables to provide an accurate quote without being able look at the property listing online.  To get an accurate price quote, call or text the office at 312.600.8681 or email us at office@westlundinspection.com.  

4. What payment methods do you accept?

We take cash or check at the end of the inspection.  You can also pay in advance with credit card, but that carries a 3% surcharge.  QuickPay/Zellre is also a fast and easy option.

5. What happens if WIT misses something?

You probably don't scour the web reading the fine print in home inspection contracts.  But if you did, you'd find that the vast majority of them contain a clause limiting the inspector's liability to the fee paid.  In other words, if your inspector screws up, you get a refund.  At WIT, we back up our inspections with a $1,000 guarantee.  If a defect existed at the time of the inspection, and a reasonable inspector performing an inspection according to the ASHI Standards of Practice would have detected and reported that defect as significantly deficient, we will pay to remedy the defect or provide a refund up to $1,000. 

6. Does WIT carry insurance?

Yes. Unfortunately, a large number of inspectors do not carry Errors & Omissions insurance.  If an inspector misses a major defect during an inspection, suing the inspector may prove worthless, since most inspection firms don't have substantial assets beyond perhaps a truck, a tool bag and a laptop.  Why are so many firms uninsured?  Probably because (a) the state doesn't require it , (b) it's expensive and (c) buyer's aren't aware of it and don't insist on it.  We carry a $1 million insurance policy.  Even though we've performed thousands of inspections without a single lawsuit, we still believe our clients deserve the assurance that they are protected.