# How to choose a home inspector in Houston Source: https://thehoustonhomeowner.com/trades/home-inspector Publisher: The Houston Homeowner (https://thehoustonhomeowner.com) > Verify the inspector holds a TREC Professional Inspector license, ask whether they will walk the roof and attic and check the slab and drainage, and add a sewer camera scope on any Houston house built before the 1980s. ## License Texas licenses home inspectors through the Texas Real Estate Commission. A Professional Inspector may work on their own. Real Estate Inspectors and Apprentice Inspectors must work under a Professional Inspector's supervision. Inspectors must follow TREC's Standards of Practice and use the TREC report form. Look the license up on the TREC website before you book. Verify at: https://www.trec.texas.gov/apps/license-holder-search/ (Texas Real Estate Commission) Permits: No permit applies to an inspection. If the report flags work that needs a permit, the Houston Permitting Center can tell you whether past work on the house was permitted. ## Walk away if - They cannot give you a TREC license number, or the number belongs to someone who will not be on site. - They will not walk the roof or enter the attic and offer no reason why. - The sample report is a checklist with no photos and no narrative. - They were recommended by the seller's agent and will not say whether they do most of their work for that agent. - They promise a report in under an hour for a full-size house. - They offer to do repairs on the house they just inspected. TREC rules limit this for good reason. ## Ask before you hire - What is your TREC license number, and are you a Professional Inspector? - Will you walk the roof, enter the attic and open the electrical panel, and what would stop you? - Can you add a sewer camera scope, and do you run it yourself or bring in a plumber? - Do you check slab elevation or look for foundation movement, and how do you report it? - Can I see a full sample report from a house of similar age? ## Houston specifics Houston houses sit on slab foundations over expansive clay. The clay swells in wet months and shrinks in drought, and the slab moves with it. A good Houston inspector looks hard at the slab, the drainage around it, the doors and floors inside it, and the trees near it, because all of them tell the same story. Drainage is the second thing. Lots here are flat, rain is heavy, and water that sits against the slab is the start of most foundation trouble. Ask the inspector to comment on grading, downspouts and standing water, not just the house itself. Age matters more here than in many cities. Houses from before the mid-1970s often have cast iron drain lines under the slab, and those lines rust from the inside until they collapse. The standard TREC inspection does not include a camera in the sewer line. Pay for the add-on. A sewer scope costs a fraction of what a tunnel-and-replace job costs later. Flood history is a Houston question. Ask the inspector to point out water lines, replaced drywall at a uniform height, and mismatched flooring, which are the physical signs of a past flood. Then check the address against Harris County Flood Control District maps and the seller's disclosure. An inspector cannot pull flood records, but a good one knows what a flooded house looks like. ## Reading a home inspection report A complete Texas report is on the TREC form, with every item marked inspected, not inspected, not present or deficient, and a narrative with photos for each deficiency. It names the water heater and HVAC equipment with approximate ages, describes the electrical panel brand and any safety concerns, reports roof covering condition and remaining life as an estimate, comments on the slab and drainage, and lists any system the inspector could not access and why. Add-on reports for the sewer scope, termite inspection and pool should be separate documents from the people who did them. ## Frequently asked **Do home inspectors need a license in Texas?** Yes. The Texas Real Estate Commission licenses home inspectors. A Professional Inspector can work independently, and the license number appears on the report. **Should I get a sewer scope with a Houston home inspection?** On any house built before the 1980s, yes. Houston's clay soil shifts, and older cast iron drains corrode under the slab. A standard inspection does not include a camera inspection of the sewer line, and that line is one of the most expensive repairs a Houston house can need. **Will a home inspector tell me if the foundation is bad?** An inspector reports visible signs of movement such as cracks, sticking doors and sloped floors, and may take elevation readings. For a verdict, the report will point you to a licensed engineer. Treat an inspector's foundation note as a reason to look harder, not as a diagnosis. --- The Houston Homeowner is an independent publication. We do not accept payment for placement, rankings, or reviews, and no home service company owns or sponsors this site.