Central Vancouver Island's Home Inspectors
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Vancouver Island Home Inspections provides professional home inspection services for Vancouver Island, from Nanaimo to Victoria, including the Gulf Islands.

Schedule your appointment today. You'll be glad you did!

Here are a few of the most common questions we get asked.

What is a home inspection? A home inspection is a professional consulting service that determines the present condition of the home’s major systems, based on a visual inspection of accessible features. It focuses on the performance of the home, rather than cosmetic, code or design issues. Inspections are often performed during a real estate transaction but may be done anytime.

A home inspection is:
  • An in-field evaluation and professional opinion of the performance of the readily accessible installed systems in a home at one point in time
  • Primarily a visual examination
  • Intended to identify components that are significantly deficient, unsafe or near the end of their life
  • Documented in a written report
A home inspection is not:
  • An insurance policy, guarantee or warranty on the home
  • An invasive or destructive exercise
  • Intended to identify concealed defects
  • A code or design review
  • Intended to predict future performance or life expectancy
  • An environmental review or energy audit
Components included:
  • Roof
  • Structure
  • Exterior
  • Electrical system
  • Heating and Air Conditioning system
  • Plumbing system
  • Insulation and Air/Vapour Barriers
  • Interior
  • Mechanical and Natural Ventilation systems
What’s excluded:
  • Cosmetics
  • Outbuildings
  • Swimming pools and spas
  • Specialty systems including telephone, cable TV, alarm systems
How long does an inspection normally take? Depending on the property, the entire process can take up to 2-4 hours, and we strongly encourage you to attend the inspection. A verbal summary is provided to you at the completion of the inspection and your written report is available, usually on the same day.
Do I have to be there? While we cannot insist, we strongly encourage the customer to be at the inspection
What happens if I have questions after the inspection? We all have questions, and we welcome them. Not only during the inspection, but also after it has been completed. We consider our services to be ongoing. This means to us that our job isn’t done until we have answered all your questions to the best of our abilities. Feel free to contact us.
Do you tell us whether to buy the house? No, we provide you with the knowledge to make an informed decision. We understand that the condition of the home is one of many critical pieces of the puzzle when buying a property.
Can a house fail a home inspection? No. There is no such thing as passing or failing a home inspection. The sole purpose of a home inspection is to provide an unbiased representation of the state of the house. What this means is that there is no passing or failing involved. The inspector simply explains the state of the house so that the buyer fully understands the risks associated with the purchase.
What happens if a problem arises from the home inspection report? No home is perfect, which means most inspections have some form of issue reported. It is ultimately up to the homebuyer to decide what they should do if problems are reported.

Some individuals may choose a different home entirely, whereas others may negotiate certain closing costs to account for any repairs that need to be made. It is ultimately up to you, and no inspector can tell you what to do with the information they provide.