A building inspector’s job is to identify the quality and safety of homes and the work performed on them. They see everything. The good, the bad, and the dangerously unsafe.

When many people are looking for a recommendation for their home project, they have price in mind. Usually cost ends up ruling decision making, and this makes quality take a back seat, something that can be very dangerous. Building inspectors on the other hand have quality and safety at the forefront all the time, so this means that price has nothing to do with their assessment of a contractor’s work.

Surely budget is an issue for most people, but if you want to know who will do the best work, you should get in touch with a building inspector. Start with the contractors known to do the best work, and then shop around from there.

Building inspectors may not feel comfortable giving you an actual recommendation; they may not want to appear biased. Even if the building inspector cannot recommend someone to hire, he or she can probably help you know what you should look for in the contractor you ultimately decide to hire.