Hey all, we just bought a 45-year-old house and went through the usual home inspection process. The inspector noted many things but completely overlooked some serious foundation issues that we just discovered after getting quotes for repairs. We have two quotes, one for $41,583 and another for $56,734, which is adding a significant financial burden on us. What should we do now? Is it best to just accept this as a costly lesson learned, or can we take action against the inspector? Do they have insurance for these situations? Would it make sense to hire a lawyer for something that could take years? Any insights would be really helpful.
2 Answers
I'd recommend getting an independent structural engineer to take a look. They typically charge around $300 for an assessment and can give you valuable insight without the bias of a repair company. They will also help guide you on the necessary steps to take before installing that window you want. You’ll get a clearer picture of whether those hairline cracks are a big deal or not. Just remember, the inspector's responsibility is often limited to what was visible, so recourse might be tough.
First off, check your contract with the home inspector. Usually, they limit their liability to just the cost of the inspection itself, so that could just mean a refund for what you paid them. Also, it sounds like the inspector did flag the cracks, even if they didn't stress it enough or recommend further evaluation. If you decided not to follow up on that, it complicates the issue further.
Absolutely, getting an unbiased opinion is crucial here!