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7 Things You Must Know Before Hiring a Home Inspector in Acadiana
Choosing the wrong inspector can cost you thousands. Here's how to choose the right one.
Choosing the wrong inspector can cost you thousands. Here's how to choose the right one.
Choosing the wrong home inspector can cost Acadiana home buyers thousands of dollars in missed defects. Acadiana Home Inspectors in Lafayette, LA recommends evaluating any inspector on seven criteria before booking: experience and volume, education and training, certifications, technology, report quality, pricing transparency, and client reviews — all of which Acadiana Home Inspectors has documented since 1995.
Buyer Beware
A blind inspector isn't literally blind. It's what the industry calls an inspector who doesn't see what's right in front of them — because they don't have the experience, training, or time to look properly. In Acadiana's housing market, hiring a blind inspector can cost you far more than the price of a better inspection.
Here are the seven things you need to know before you book.
Nobody has more invested in the quality of an inspection than the person whose name is on the business. At Acadiana Home Inspectors, Keith Blanchard (LHI #10752) and Andy Stanford (LHI #10916) are the inspectors — not employees, not franchisees, not subcontractors.
A quality full-time home inspector performs 200–300 inspections per year. That volume develops the pattern recognition — the "inspector's instinct" — that catches issues a less experienced inspector walks right past. Ask any inspector you're considering how many inspections they perform annually.
Being a contractor is not the same as being a professional home inspector. Home inspectors evaluate all systems and components of a home — not just one trade. That requires formal training in inspection methodology, not just construction experience.
Ask where the inspector trained. Did they attend an accredited inspection school like AHIT (American Home Inspectors Training Institute)? Or did they take an online correspondence course? The difference shows up in your report.
Certifications matter — but they're not a substitute for experience. What certifications tell you is that an inspector can pass a test. What experience tells you is whether they can inspect a home. Look for both.
In Louisiana, home inspectors are required to hold a state license (LHI). Keith Blanchard holds LHI #10752 and IAC2 indoor air quality certification (IAC2-94289). Andy Stanford holds LHI #10916.
A professional inspection requires professional tools — moisture meters, outlet testers, laser thermometers, and more. These tools find problems that visual inspection alone can miss. An inspector showing up with just their eyes and a flashlight is leaving things on the table.
Ask for a sample report before you book. A professional inspector's report should be 30+ pages, written in plain English, organized by system, color-coded by severity, and full of photos. If an inspector can't or won't show you a sample, that's your answer.
Acadiana Home Inspectors delivers detailed full-color home inspection reports. View our sample report →
No. A cheap inspection may be the most expensive decision you make as a home buyer. Inspectors who charge significantly less than the market rate are typically less experienced, less equipped, or rushing through too many inspections per day. Missed defects don't disappear — they just become your problem after closing.
Ask for references. Look at Google reviews. Read what actual clients in Acadiana say about their experience. A professional inspector welcomes this — because they know what their clients will say.
Here Is Why You Can Trust Us
"If you or someone you know is purchasing a home and needs a quality home inspector in Lafayette, LA, be sure to give Acadiana Home Inspectors a call. We find more. We tell you more. We give you more."
"This inspection was thorough, professional in every aspect and provided a detailed excellent and concise report. The report was much more than I anticipated it would contain. I would use Acadiana and recommend them without any hesitation."
Acadiana Home Inspectors is a licensed home inspection company in Lafayette, LA, serving 11+ cities across the Acadiana region since 1995. Owner and inspector Keith Blanchard (LHI #10752) and licensed inspector Andy Stanford (LHI #10916) bring AHIT training, IAC2 indoor air quality credentials (IAC2-94289), and Acadiana-specific inspection experience since 1995 to every property they inspect. To schedule your inspection or read client reviews, visit acadianahomeinspect.com or call (337) 326-5772.