Should you use the city program or hire a private inspector?

A city or county inspection program generally exists to confirm code compliance for permitting purposes, while a private inspector a buyer hires works for the buyer alone and looks at the home's overall condition, not just code items. Relying only on a municipal program's sign-off can miss maintenance and condition issues that never trigger a code violation but still matter to a buyer's decision. For an actual purchase, a private, independent inspection chosen by the buyer is the more thorough option. Brian Beatty can point a buyer toward private inspectors he has seen produce genuinely useful reports.