Home Inspection FAQ (Florida)

Yes. A professional inspection helps identify defects, safety hazards, and costly issues, giving buyers critical information before closing.

Most inspections are not guarantees or warranties. They are visual assessments at the time of inspection. Some companies may offer limited guarantees or warranties as an added service though many of these are gimmicky sales techniques. ACI Inspections does guarantee that their inspections will meet the standards of the Florida statutes and the standards of practice of the American Society of Home Inspectors. Our goal is to far exceed these standards in many cases.

No. While AI tools can assist with education, they cannot replace a licensed, in-person inspection with professional judgment and liability standards. Homeowners insurance companies and lenders will only accept inspection reports from licensed home inspectors, architects, and engineers.

No, but they are strongly recommended and often expected in real estate transactions. Additionally, most often four point inspections and wind mitigation inspections are required. Often ACI Inspections will provide packages for a home, four point, and wind mitigation inspection at the same or similar cost to just a four point and wind mitigation inspection.

• Home inspection: Full evaluation of the property’s condition. This is a thorough inspection of over 500 components of the home structure, electrical, plumbing, exterior, interior, HVAC, and installed appliances.
• 4-point inspection: Provides minimal information on roof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC required by insurance providers. Only reporting on issues that affect insurability.
• Wind mitigation: Identifies features that reduce storm damage and may lower insurance premiums. This is a report on the wind load engineering of the home.

Yes, if the buyer is not obtaining insurance and buying with cash. However, refusal may discourage buyers or impact negotiations. Additionally, sellers would not be permitted to close on the home without a 4 point and wind mitigation inspection being performed on the buyer’s behalf if a loan or insurance is involved.

After your offer is accepted and as soon as the inspection period of your contract begins. At times sellers will not make their home available for much of the inspection period. In these cases, it is recommended to request an extension of the inspection period so that you have the full time period to perform your due diligence inspections and research. Generally the sellers can find themselves in breach of contract by not providing reasonable access during the inspection period. 

A home inspection is intended to be a sampling exercise to enable a qualified professional to render a professional opinion and report on what in the professional’s opinion are significant deficiencies related to safety and function that are evident “at the time of the inspection”.

Typically excluded:

• Cosmetic issues
• Hidden or inaccessible areas
• Pools, septic systems, mold, seawall & dock
• Termites, pests, minor deficiencies, engineering calculations
  Standards from the American Society of Home Inspectors define these limitations and minimum inspection standards.

In many cases a 4-point inspection and a wind mitigation inspection will be required to obtain insurance. Below is a list of other inspection services that can reveal the highest chance of major issues outside of what a home inspection covers. 

Depending on the property:

• Thermal imaging survey
• Sewer scope
• Termite (WDO) inspection
• Seawall & dock inspection
• Swimming pool inspection
• Mold testing

In Florida, typical costs range from $450 to $900+, depending on size and services. Nation-wide, comprehensive inspection services average about $950.

Usually the buyer, but this can be negotiated. At times the sellers will pay for a pre-listing home inspection that can be provided to interested potential buyers.

Yes. A pre-listing inspection can reduce surprises and strengthen buyer confidence. This is involved in having an intelligent strategy for selling the home while maintaining control of the process as the seller.

Typically 2 to 4 hours, depending on the property. A small condo usually will take 1 to 2 hours. An average single family home will usually take 2 ½ to 3+ hours. Luxury estates can take a team of inspectors all day to inspect.

Higher-quality inspections often provide:

• Higher negotiating power
• More thorough evaluations
• Better reporting
• Greater experience and reduced risk

While a good home inspector may cost $200 – $500 more than a short in-n-out inspection, he often will find issues that need correction costing thousands of dollars. In the end, hiring that “cheap” inspector costs the buyer thousands of dollars rather than saving them a few hundred.

In Florida:

• Roof wear or leaks
• Electrical issues including improper grounding
• Unprofessional plumbing installation
• Air conditioning systems needing replacement
• Moisture intrusion from window or wall leaks

This is a personal decision to make. We recommend never having a mold remediation company inspect or test for mold due to the conflict of interest involved. 

Whether to have this service performed depends on your situation. In many Florida homes, a mold inspection is often the better first step. A mold inspection involves a trained professional evaluating the property for visible growth, moisture intrusion, and conditions that support mold, which are the root causes of most problems. At ACI Inspections this is included when you order a thermal imaging scan as part of the home inspection.

A mold test (air or surface sampling) may be recommended when:

• There are unexplained odors or health concerns

• Mold is suspected but not visibly confirmed

• Documentation is needed for real estate, medical, or remediation purposes
• If the buyer is particularly sensitive and wants to take no chances

In general, testing without a proper inspection can be misleading, since mold is naturally present in most environments. A qualified inspector—such as those at ACI Inspections—can determine whether testing is necessary and guide you toward the most practical and cost-effective approach. At ACI Inspections, we recommend being very careful with attempting to order this type of service as misleading reporting and conflict of interest is widespread in South Florida.

ACI Inspections does offer a cost estimate range on major findings. While we do not perform any repairs, these estimates are based on common pricing of local contractors and material costs. Most inspectors nation-wide do not provide estimates but instead suggest further evaluation by specialists. In South Florida as in some other regions providing cost estimate ranges is a service that many realtors, buyers, and sellers appreciate as it saves a lot of legwork in trying to get an idea of the general cost of repairs.

This is an illegal practice in the State of Florida as it is in most other states. Ethical standards from organizations like American Society of Home Inspectors do not permit this to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest.