Monterey Home Inspection

Established in 1994 (dba Camelot Home Inspection Services), Monterey Home Inspection is owned and operated by Martin Hewitt, an ASHI Certified Inspector (ACI) and Master CREIA Inspector (MCI) with 30 years of home inspection experience. In California, where there is no licensing or regulation of home inspectors, dual certification with ASHI and CREIA demonstrates a dedication to ethics, education and service above and beyond the norm. Martin is currently the only Certified ASHI member and Master CREIA Inspector on the Central Coast of California.

Monterey Home Inspection specializes in the pre-purchase and pre-sale evaluation of single and multi-family residential properties on the CA Central Coast. We inspect single family homes, condominiums, townhomes, duplexes, triplexes, four-plexes, manufactured homes, modular homes, and small commercial properties.

At Monterey Home Inspection, we strive to provide every home buyer with a level of service that matches the significance of the purchase they are about to make. Be it a condo, manufactured home, or mega-mansion, we inspect every home as if we were buying it ourselves. With every home inspection comes 27 years of education, training and professional experience.

To avoid any perceived conflict of interest, Monterey Home Inspection cannot and will not perform any corrective or repair work on homes that we inspect, nor will we refer you to those who do. Monterey Home Inspection is not aligned or affiliated with C.A.R. or any real estate companies or brokerage firms. When you hire us, we go to work for you- with only your best interests in mind.

Monterey Home Inspection's service area includes: Aromas, Big Sur, Bradley, Carmel, Carmel By The Sea, Carmel Valley, Castroville, Chualar, Gonzales, Greenfield, Jolon, King City, Lockwood, Marina, Monterey, Moss Landing, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, San Ardo, San Lucas, Seaside, Soledad and Spreckels.

When it comes to hiring a home inspector, experience is everything. An inspector's professional qualifications and length of service can attest to that experience. Where licensing or certification is not a requirement, such as in California, anyone can claim to be a home inspector, and there are no laws to prevent them from doing so. As a result, unqualified and inexperienced home inspectors are aplenty. It is therefore important that the home buyer exercise due caution when selecting a home inspector.

In California, the only practical standards for home inspectors are those enacted by professional inspection associations such as the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), the nation's leading non-profit professional association for independent home inspectors, and the California Real Estate Inspection Association (CREIA).

Membership in these associations requires initial testing, adherence to a professional standards of practice and code of ethics, and ongoing educational programs. When you search for a home inspector, be certain that the individual actually performing the inspection holds membership in both of these CA State recognized guilds to receive the level of experience and knowledge that is needed for such an important investment.

Martin Hewitt, ACI
Certified ASHI Member No. 202935

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Martin Hewitt, Monterey Home Inspection's sole proprietor and inspector, is a certified member (ACI) of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). This designation is reserved only for those members who have met the highest educational, experience and ethical requirements set forth by the ASHI Certification Committee (ACC) and accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). This certification is the only program awarded in this manner for the home inspection profession. Martin has been a certified ASHI member since 1998.

Martin Hewitt, MCI
Master CREIA Inspector No. 39

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Martin is also a Master CREIA Inspector (MCI) member of the California Real Estate Inspection Association (CREIA). A Master CREIA Inspector (MCI) is the highest and most difficult classification that can be obtained through the California Real Estate Inspection Association (CREIA). This designation is only given to those inspectors that have been a member in good standing for 2 years, obtained over 250 hours of additional training/education, performed over 1000 inspections and have successfully passed the 4-part Residential Combination Inspector, California Residential Combination Inspector OR Combination Dwelling Inspector exam(s), taken through the International Code Council Examination (ICC). Master CREIA Inspectors (MCI) must also uphold (30) Continuing Education Credits for each year that they are with CREIA.

Martin is a past President of the San Luis Obispo CREIA chapter, served two years as a CREIA Regional Director, and served on the CREIA Board of Directors for multiple terms. Martin became a member of CREIA in 1995.

CREIA vets all of its members on an annual basis to ensure that they do not have a criminal background. This allows agents, buyers, and sellers to feel confident and secure knowing that the individual that's been hired to enter the home can be trusted. Why settle for less?

Typically, a home inspector is contacted right after the purchase offer has been accepted and the contract has been signed. However, before you sign, be sure that there is a home inspection clause in the contract that makes your purchase obligation contingent upon the findings of a professional home inspection. This inspection clause should specify the terms to which both the buyer and seller are obligated.

It is important to schedule the home inspection directly following acceptance to ensure that you have sufficient time to have all necessary inspections completed (including any recommended further evaluations by specialists), receive all inspection reports, and to negotiate any requests for repairs or credits, if possible. Most purchase contracts have an inspection contingency period of 17 days from acceptance, but you should double-check your purchase contract or contact your real estate agent for verification.

Martin Hewitt, Monterey Home Inspection's sole proprietor and principal inspector, is well qualified to inspect your home. If the time has come to have your home inspected, don't be shy about giving him a call to set up an appointment. He will be more than happy to discuss the inspection process with you, and to address any additional questions or concerns that you might have.

Martin Hewitt, ACI, MCI

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martin@homeinspectionservices.com

Following are some of the systems and components ("items") that are inspected and reported on during the course of our inspection. These items are examined for material defects that would significantly affect the value, desirability, or safety of the home:

1. Foundations, basements and underfloor areas - including but not limited to: foundations and support components; ventilation; insulation; access openings; wood separation from soil; drainage and sump pumps; seismic anchoring and bracing.

2. Building exteriors - including but not limited to: surface grade; hardscaping; site drainage; wall coverings; doors and windows; attached appurtenances (decks, balconies, porches, stairs, railings and walkways, etc.).

3. Roof coverings - including but not limited to: roof coverings; flashings; vents; skylights; roof penetrations; roof drainage.

4. Attic areas and roof framing - including but not limited to: framing and sheathing; access openings; insulation; ventilation.

5. Plumbing systems - including but not limited to: supply, waste and vent piping; plumbing fixtures, faucets and drains; water heating equipment; functional flow of water supply; functional drainage at fixtures; gas piping and connectors.

6. Electrical systems - including but not limited to: service conductors, service equipment and capacity; panels and overcurrent protection devices; service and equipment grounding; wiring; switches: receptacles and light fixtures.

7. Heating systems - including but not limited to: heating equipment; venting systems; combustion and ventilating air; energy sources and connections; distribution systems.

8. Central cooling systems - including but not limited to: cooling equipment; distribution systems; energy sources and connections; condensate drainage.

9. Building interiors - including but not limited to: Walls, ceilings, and floors; doors and windows; stairways, handrails, and guardrails; permanently installed cabinets; permanently installed cook-tops, mechanical range vents, ovens, dishwashers, and food waste disposals; absence of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms; vehicle doors and openers.

10. Fireplaces and chimneys - including but not limited to: chimneys; flues and dampers; fireboxes, hearth extensions and accessories; solid-fuel and gas-burning appliances.

For more detailed information about what it is we inspect (and do not inspect), you can download a copy of the CREIA Standards of Practice at the links provided below.

Once we've completed the inspection, the home inspection report will follow soon afterwards, usually within 24 hours. Our detailed narrative report, which includes photos, takes the guess work out of reading an inspection report, making it easier for you to better understand the condition of the home and assist you in your purchase decision. We speed up the delivery process by sending you the report via email. Or, if you prefer, we can send you a link so that you can download it directly from our website.

We urge you to compare our inspection report with inspection reports issued by the other inspection companies in the area. You may be surprised by the lack of detail or guidance that you'll find in other reports. Many of our competitors simply do not provide you with the level of information you need to make a fully informed purchase decision.

To view a sample home inspection report issued by Monterey Home Inspection, or to review a copy of the Real Estate Inspection Agreement used by Monterey Home Inspection, please click on the links below.

The price that Monterey Home Inspection charges for a home inspection is typically based on the age, type of foundation (slab or raised), and the total square footage of the home. We may also take into consideration the overall general condition, location, sales price, and ownership/rental history. Employing this type of flexible pricing structure allows us to remain competitive with many less qualified home inspection companies in the area, while providing you with an unmatched level of service and expertise for those more demanding assignments that are best not left in the hands of an inexperienced or unqualified home inspector.

Fee Schedule (Click to Enlarge)

PLEASE NOTE: For condos or townhomes without a garage, please deduct $25.00. For rental properties or for distressed or poorly maintained properties (aka "fixer uppers" or homes in need of "TLC"), please add 20%. For manufactured homes and for homes over 5000 sq. ft., please contact us for a quote or fill out the form below.

As previously mentioned, we make an effort to be flexible in order to remain competitive. The above fee schedule serves to provide you with an approximate idea of what we charge for our services, and we reserve the right to increase or decrease the price once we've had an opportunity to research the property. In any event, because every assignment is different, we suggest that you email us with the address or give us a call at 805-471-9447 so that we may research the property and provide you with a personal quote.

If you would like us to inspect a swimming pool, a spa, or any additional (secondary) structures or components, please let us know so that we can include those items in our quote.

If you would like to have us provide you with a quote by email, please fill out the form fields below and we'll respond as quickly as possible. We promise not to share this information with anybody else.