Inspector vs Engineer

Home Inspector vs Structural Engineer

Do I need a structural engineer or home inspector?

If you are purchasing a house than most people start off with a home inspector. When you hire a quality home inspector, you are bringing a professional that specializes in looking not just at settlement and structural issues but many many other things. 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.

The home inspector is looking not just at one simple facet but the big overall picture of the home. Oftentimes the inspector will identify a specific problem with a major system of the house and then recommend the appropriate professional. Sometimes if the home inspectors find something non-typical with a structural system of the house than will recommend a professional engineer with a history in residential structure come out and evaluate the structural system. This is fairly rare though, to have to get someone with that type of detailed knowledge, but it does happen. 

Some people will hire a Professional Engineer to go out to the house before the home inspection or even during the home inspection. While they certainly can tell you a lot about what is going on at the house, oftentimes if you have a home inspector that has 10+ years of experience they are going to be able to tell you if the structure condition warrants a separate inspection by a licensed Professional Engineer.