Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on the home's size, age, foundation type, and any add-ons like pool, termite, septic, or well. Most inspections around here run $375–$600. Call or text me at (903) 808-3898 and I'll give you an exact number in about two minutes — no pressure, no runaround. Bundle multiple services and you'll get package pricing, and I offer discounts for active military, veterans, first responders, and teachers.

Most homes take me 2.5–4 hours depending on size and condition — add-ons like a pool or septic add a bit more. You're welcome to be there the whole time, or just come for the last 30 minutes and I'll walk you through everything I found. Either way, I don't rush it.

Within 12 hours — and honestly, it's usually in your inbox the same evening. I know your option period clock is running, so I don't sit on reports. They're digital, loaded with photos, and organized by priority so the important stuff is right up top.

Please do! Half the value of an inspection is standing in the house together while I show you what I'm seeing. I'll explain everything in plain English and answer every question you've got — that's half the reason I do this job. Can't make it? No problem, the photo report and a follow-up phone call cover you.

A thorough visual evaluation of everything visible and accessible: roof, structure, foundation, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, windows, doors, appliances, drainage, and more — following Texas TREC Standards of Practice. Pools, termites, septic, wells, and air quality are dedicated add-ons I can do in the same visit.

Yes — and I'll be straight with you that I don't have to. Texas standards don't require an inspector to look at concrete flatwork: driveways, sidewalks, walkways, patios, paving stones. Plenty of inspectors skip it for exactly that reason. I document what I observe anyway, on every home. Partly because you're about to own it and you'd like to know, and partly because around here flatwork tells you things — concrete that's heaved, separated, or settled is the same East Texas clay movement that shows up at the foundation, and a driveway sloping toward the house is a drainage problem wearing a different hat. On older homes especially, it's often where the story starts. Grading and drainage are required items and I take them seriously. The flatwork is the part I throw in — as observations and photographs, not an engineering evaluation or a certification of the concrete.

Every inspection comes with 90 days of coverage to protect your investment: electrical systems, mechanical systems, structural elements, appliances, and HVAC systems. It covers the window right after you move in, when you're still learning the house and a surprise repair lands hardest.

Your peace of mind matters. If you're not completely satisfied at the time of the inspection, I refund your inspection fee and I pay for another licensed inspector of your choice, up to the original inspection fee. That's where the 200% comes from — you get your money back and you get a second opinion paid for. I can make that promise because I stand behind every report I write.

Yes. Jeff Stalnaker is a TREC licensed professional inspector (License #26322-PI), InterNACHI certified, AHIT trained, and an FAA Part 107 certified remote pilot (sUAS Certificate #5047202) for drone roof work. Termite/WDI inspections are performed under WDI License #0995554 through Pest Inspection Network, Inc. (TPCL#783068, P. O. Box 700906, San Antonio, TX 78270). You can check my InterNACHI certification yourself with InterNACHI ID NACHI24071826, and my license on the TREC license search.

Yes. Cardinal Home Inspections carries both general liability and errors & omissions (E&O) insurance through OREP Insurance. If your agent, lender, or a builder needs proof of coverage, just ask and I'll send it.

Yes. I run a self-leveling camera through the main sewer line and you get a written report with the video footage. It's $200 added to a home inspection or $300 on its own, it works for homes on city sewer and on septic (conventional or aerobic), and you can book it online with your inspection. More about sewer scopes.

When a photo can't tell the whole story, yes. A short clip of a breaker that buzzes, a fan that rattles, or water moving where it shouldn't usually explains more than three paragraphs would. Every finding gets photos; video gets added when it actually helps you understand what I saw.

I sure do — and here's the honest truth: city code inspections are quick, and they're not done on your behalf. I routinely find items builders missed, and a pre-drywall inspection checks work that's about to be covered up forever. It's some of the best money you can spend on a new home.

Yes — active military, veterans, first responders, and teachers all get special pricing. Thank you for what you do. And if you bundle services (home + pool + termite is the popular one around here), you'll get discounted package pricing too.

I'm based in Tyler and work all over East Texas — Lindale, Longview, Whitehouse, Bullard, Mineola, Athens, Gilmer, Gladewater, Frankston, Arp, Winona, and plenty of towns in between. Don't see yours? Just call and ask — odds are I'll come to you.

Absolutely — and honestly, this is my specialty. I spent 30+ years in the pool and spa industry before I ever picked up an inspection clipboard. I'll check the surfaces, equipment, heaters, and safety features, and it bundles nicely with the full home inspection — one visit, one report.