How to Hire a Home Inspector: The 4 Questions That Actually Matter

When you hire a home inspector in Ontario, ask four things: how long they have been inspecting, what professional designation they hold, what it costs and how long it takes, and whether you can walk the home with them. A good inspector welcomes all four. On my podcast, Registered Home Inspector Kyle Martiniuk explained why price should be your last question, not your first.

Last updated: July 2026

Kyle Martiniuk has been on my podcast three times now, and when I dug into my analytics he is the most consistently watched guest I have ever had. Not the biggest single spike, just useful enough that people keep coming back to it. So when he told me how home inspectors talk about the calls they get, I paid attention.

Here is the problem. Most people have never hired a home inspector before, so when they call one up, the first and only question is “what’s your price?” Kyle and his peers can spot that instantly, because it is the wrong place to start.

“They don’t know what other questions to ask a home inspector, and I get it. How often are people calling up home inspectors and needing to know how to find out if he’s good or not?”

So I asked him to lay out exactly what he would ask if he were the one hiring. Here it is.

4 questions

What to ask before you hire, and price is not the first one

3 to 5 years

Experience where Kyle says you can start to feel confident

3 hours

A real inspection slot, versus the 90-minute buzz-through

The four questions to ask before you hire

How long have you been inspecting?

Experience is the one thing you cannot teach. Kyle looks back at his own reports from years one to three and cringes. Three to five years is where he says you can be confident.

What is your designation?

Registered Home Inspector (RHI) is the one to know, through the two governing bodies CAHPI and OAHI. A real designation usually means minimum inspection counts, insurance, and continuing education.

What is the cost, and how long will it take?

Ask them together. A three-hour inspection and a ninety-minute one are not the same product, even if the price looks similar. If someone is half the going rate, ask why.

Can I come around with you?

A good inspector wants you there. If they would rather work alone and give you the highlights at the end, that tells you how the day is going to go.

There is a fifth thing, and it is a quick yes or no: do you carry errors and omissions insurance and general liability insurance? If the inspector holds a professional designation they are required to, but ask anyway.

“I look back at inspection reports I did for my first one to three years and I’m like, oh my god, I would never hire that guy.”

Why you should walk the home with your inspector

This is the one I would push hardest on. Kyle has gotten to the point where he almost does not want to do an inspection without the buyer there, and part of that is about you actually learning your future home.

“I think this should be a completely educational experience, especially if you’re a first-time buyer. Just follow me around. While I’m doing my report I’ll talk out loud, and you’ll get a verbal version of the inspection as I’m going through. People usually love that.”

Compare that to the other kind of inspector.

“There’s a lot of guys that just want to be by themselves so they can get through it as quickly as possible. Show up for the last five minutes and I’ll give you the coles notes.”

There is a self-interested reason a good inspector wants you there too. When a buyer is not on site, they never see how thorough the inspection was, and that is exactly where complaints come from.

The rushed inspector

In and out in about 90 minutes
Prefers to work alone
Gives you the highlights at the end
Priced well below the going rate, and it shows

The thorough inspector

Blocks a three-hour slot and uses it
Wants you walking through with them
Talks through every system as they go
Carries a real designation and insurance

One thing sellers miss: vacant homes spring leaks

This came up almost as an aside, but it is genuinely useful, and it cuts both ways for buyers and sellers. Kyle finds far more plumbing leaks in vacant homes than he used to, and it has nothing to do with the age of the house.

“Two ways it will start leaking way more commonly when it’s not being run: you get gaskets and washers that dry out and crack, and then you start getting little leaks.”

He runs every fixture in the house thoroughly, often five minutes at a time, and finds nothing. Then the new owners move in, use everything daily for two weeks, and suddenly three faucets are leaking. If the buyer was not on site, they wrongly assume the inspector missed it.

If you are selling a vacant home

Have someone go in at least every couple of weeks and run every plumbing fixture, faucets, showers, and toilets, for five to ten minutes. It keeps the seals from drying out, and it means the inspection reflects the real condition of the home rather than months of sitting empty.

Frequently Asked Questions

What questions should I ask a home inspector before hiring them?

Ask four things: how long they have been inspecting, what professional designation they hold, what it costs and how long the inspection takes, and whether you can walk the home with them. Also confirm they carry errors and omissions plus general liability insurance. As Kyle Martiniuk put it, most people ask price first, when it should be their last question.

How many years of experience should a home inspector have?

Kyle suggested three to five years before you can be confident an inspector has seen enough. He was blunt that he would not hire the version of himself from his first one to three years. Experience is not something you can teach, so ask directly.

Should I attend the home inspection?

Yes. Kyle now prefers not to inspect without the buyer present, and he treats it as an educational walkthrough, especially for first-time buyers. Being there means you see how thorough the inspector is and you learn your future home. Some inspectors would rather work alone and give you the short version at the end, so ask up front.

Does a cheaper home inspector mean a worse inspection?

Not automatically, but Kyle said if someone is half his price he finds it hard to see how they are being thorough. He blocks a three-hour slot and almost always uses it, while some inspectors are in and out in ninety minutes to fit more houses into a day. Let price inform the decision, not lead it.

Do I need a home inspection on a vacant home?

Yes, and it matters even more. Kyle finds far more plumbing leaks in vacant homes because gaskets and washers dry out and crack when fixtures are not used. If you are selling a vacant home, have someone run every plumbing fixture for five to ten minutes at least every couple of weeks.

Watch the Full Episode

This is from my third conversation with Kyle Martiniuk, a Registered Home Inspector who has spent over a decade inspecting homes across Toronto and York Region. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or watch below:

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YouTube

How to Hire a Home Inspector: The 4 Questions That Actually Matter