Rodent Inspection Insurance

A thorough rodent inspection is not typically covered in the traditional home inspection services because the home inspector will need to move materials in an intrusive way to inspect for rodents or rodent damage. Adding this skillset to your list of highly-qualified services is a profitable investment for your business and allows you to warn your clients before making an investment mistake. With the proper training and certification, you’ll be able to identify damages caused by rodents, a current rodent infestation or how the current situation could become a rodent recipe for disaster. There are many benefits to adding rodent inspections to your home inspection service.

  • Offer a needed service to your clients and provide more value than a basic-level home inspection which will set you apart from your competitors in the area.
  • Increase the amount of money you can charge clients for a home inspection since you are adding more value to better inform their purchasing decision.
  • Set client’s expectations upfront in case they just assume their basic-level home inspection would find evidence of mice, rats, or squirrels in the home they want to purchase.
  • Satisfied customers will help grow your business with their 5-star reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations.

Once you obtain your pest inspection certification, it is important to add rodent inspection insurance to your general liability and E&O policies. These are the safeguards to give you peace of mind and protect your business and assets from unfounded liability claims. EliteMGA offers tailored home inspection insurance created by home inspectors for home inspectors to protect yourself, your employees, and your company so you can get the insurance that you really need.

How to Get Rodent Home Inspection Training?

Home inspectors have a trained eye for the never-ending list of problems a home can develop over its lifetime. This broad knowledge can be further improved with specialized training and certifications. Something often missed in a general inspection due to their non-invasive, visual nature are signs of rodent damage or an infestation in the basement, crawlspace, walls, roof, or even closets and cupboards. Learning how to spot these problems is a skill that can set you apart from other home inspectors in your area. InterNACHI offers rodent inspection training through an online course for Disease Vectors and Pests.

What are the Signs of Rodent Damage or Infestation in a Home?

Signs of Rodent Damage Rodents invade over 20 million U.S. homes each year and, in most cases, a rodent inspection is a privy to only the aftermath of the unwanted guests such as:

  • Rodent remnants: droppings or hair
  • Rodent tracks: runways, sebum (grease stains), burrows, urine stains
  • Product damage: scratch or gnaw marks (mice like to chew on soft things and rats like hard things)

With a non-invasive, visual inspection, the signs of rodent damage or infestation are easily missed.

How can you Advise Home Owners to Clean up a Rodent Infestation or Damage?

Pest Control

You should recommend that homeowners consult with a local Pest Management Company. Additionally, you may offer non-biased and objective rodent proofing tips such as:

  • Fill cracks and holes on the exterior of your home specifically where pipes or utilities enter the home
  • Fix or replace loose foundation and weather stripping around windows
  • Keep debris piles like firewood at least 20 feet away from the house
  • Basements and attics should be kept dry
  • Store food in sealed rodent-proof containers

Do you Need Insurance to Perform Rodent Inspections?

Home inspector insurance requirements vary from state to state. While rodent inspection insurance may not specifically be called out, it is important to stay current on your state’s requirements and policies.

Rodent inspections yielding no signs of a problem does not guarantee there are no issues with mice, rats, or squirrels. Days, weeks, months, or years down the road the homeowner discovers the presence of or the damage caused by rodents and holds the home inspector liable even if realistic expectations were spelled out and defined before the work began. Whether required by your state or not, Rodent Inspection Insurance protects you, your employees, and your business from lawsuits or claims that may arrive days, weeks, months, or even years after services have been rendered. Contact EliteMGA to add rodent inspection insurance to your home inspector insurance policy.