You’re comfortably working from home when someone knocks on your door. Upon opening it, a man informs you that he represents an insulation or post-disaster company. He explains that he just completed an inspection at a neighbor’s house and discovered mold in their attic. Then, out of the goodness of his heart, he offers you a free inspection. A free home inspection? Seriously? How is that possible? Stay with us as our inspectors take a closer look at the real cost of a so-called free home inspection…

Right from the start, it’s important to clarify that nothing is ever truly free. That said, a company may indeed offer a service at no direct cost, calling it an inspection. However, this does not necessarily mean that the inspection is actually free. More often than not, the cost of the inspection is simply passed on in another way—hidden in the price of another service, for example.

One of the most common scenarios our clients share with us is precisely this: someone rings their doorbell offering a so-called free attic inspection. You’ll agree that no one spends their days wandering through residential neighborhoods offering free home inspections! That simply doesn’t happen, for the simple reason that it’s not a viable business model.

So why do some companies offer this type of service for free? Because they want to sell you something else.

In our example, the representative knocking on your door with the tempting offer of a free inspection likely wants access to your attic, hoping to find traces of mold. They will then take a few pictures to show you the severity of the situation and, since they just happen to be in your neighborhood these days, offer to decontaminate your attic in record time!

While we certainly don’t want to cast doubt on the integrity of any company or the professionalism of anyone, it’s fair to question the real cost of this inspection. If not its cost, at least its true value…

After all, the goal of a genuine building inspector is to provide an accurate and impartial assessment of the situation. The key word here is impartial. How can one claim to be impartial if the purpose of the inspection is ultimately to sell another service, such as attic decontamination? Moreover, a respectable inspector does not go door to door offering free services. Their inspection service is their livelihood. If they have another service to sell you, then they are no longer strictly an inspector, and we have reason to doubt their impartiality.

So, if you have concerns about your attic’s condition or if you’re skeptical about a representative who shows up at your door unsolicited, take a step back and think. Do your own research and contact a building inspector you trust—not the one who unexpectedly knocks on your door offering a free home inspection…