Do I need an Engineer or a Home Inspector?

    When you hire a home inspector, you are hiring an experienced professional who has training and experience in the building industry. It is the job of the home inspector to not only evaluate the condition of the house's major systems and structural integrity, but also to evaluate how these systems are working together and identify areas that need to be watched, repaired or replaced.

    Furthermore, a home inspector is a gerneralist whose knowledge base is wide, covering a multitude of house systems and components. Engineers tend to be specialists whose knowledge base is narrow, covering a specific house system or component.

                          VS. 

    Sometimes a home inspector will find an indication of a problem that requires detailed analysis. The inspector will recommend further evaluation by an appropriate professional, which may be an experienced engineer with expertise in that particular system or structure. The need for this kind of expensive, detailed analysis is rare.

    The term Professional Engineer does not mean that the individual has the training, experience, or license to perform home inspections. In fact, there are specific requirements set forth by the State of New Jersey for obtaining a home inspectors license and performing a home inspection which are very much different then the requirements to become a Professional Engineer. Therefore, hiring a Professional Engineer to complete a home inspection undoubtedly costs more, and it may not give you the results you desire.