Episodes

Solar is showing up in more home sales, more inspections, and more liability than most people realize. Cory Vanderpool breaks down why solar has become such a transaction headache, how pushy sales tactics create expensive problems, and what inspectors can do to protect buyers before a bad decision gets signed. If you work in real estate or home inspections, this conversation is a wake-up call. Cory explains why solar keeps spreading in states like Texas, why the first 90 days after a home purch...

Re-inspections are tearing your schedule apart—and you’re paying the price. Discover how industry insiders are redefining checklists, pricing strategies, and client management to finally regain control. Ever wonder why reinspections often turn into frustrating time sinks that eat away your profits and burn out your team? In this episode, home inspection veterans Brad Lowery, Matt Brading, and Brad Zirlott unmask the hidden pitfalls of re-inspect practices — from the chaos of too many slated rep...

SIGN UP ASAP FOR THE INSPECTION SUPPORT NETWORK FIRST-YEAR MASTERCLASS: https://riverside.com/webinar/registration/eyJldmVudElkIjoiNmEyNmYwMDM3ZWUzM2RjNmE3MzRjYjliIiwic2x1ZyI6Imlzbi13ZWJpbmFyIn0= What would an experienced home inspector do differently if they had to start over today? In this episode of The Ride Along: A Home Inspection Podcast, hosts Brad Lowery and Matt Brading sit down with Abby Bullock of Merit Property Inspections in Tampa, Florida, to answer one of the biggest questions ...

What causes mold in brand-new homes before anyone even moves in? In this episode of The Ride Along: A Home Inspection Show, hosts Brad Lowery and Matt Brading sit down with Jordan Mason to break down one of the hottest topics in the inspection industry: lumberyard mold, microbial growth in new construction, and what inspectors need to know before calling it out. From attic sheathing stains to full-scale mold remediation, this conversation dives deep into the real-world challenges home inspector...

Should home buyers attend the home inspection—or does it create more problems than it solves? In this episode of The Ride Along Home Inspection Podcast, Brad Lowery and Matt Brading sit down with top-producing inspector Ken Humphreys of BPG Inspections to debate one of the most talked-about topics in the industry. 👉 Watch the full episode to hear how top inspectors approach client presence, reporting, and running a successful inspection business. Ken shares real-world insights from years of hi...

Can you run a successful home inspection business and build trust with home buyers in a state without licensing or regulation? In this episode of The Ride Along Home Inspection Podcast, we break down what it really takes to operate with excellence in unregulated home inspection markets. And our guest is a man who needs little introduction! Brent Fletcher joins the show this week to discuss how home inspectors can build trust, maintain high standards, and deliver consistent value—even in states ...

What makes great home inspection software more than just technology? The people behind it. In this special edition episode, we take a closer look at Porch Group’s Customer Success team and how they help home inspectors get the most value from Porch inspection software and services like Palmtech, ISN, Home Inspector Pro, and other tools like ACC and Guardian Inspection Payments used by professional inspectors across the industry. Unlike many tech platforms, Porch provides live support from real...

Is there a right and wrong way to perform a home inspection? In this episode, we dive deep into one of the most debated topics in the home inspection industry — whether there are absolute truths when it comes to inspection standards, reporting methods, and professional judgment. And there's nobody better than Joey McPeek of Peek Home Inspections to speak on the topic. Well known and well respected in the Boise real estate market, Joey's build a reputation for shooting straight... and also pushin...

Artificial intelligence is changing how home inspections work — and how home inspectors deliver value. In this episode of The Ride Along Home Inspection Podcast, Brad Lowery and Matt Brading discuss how AI, instant access to information, and evolving buyer expectations are reshaping the home inspection industry. And there's nobody better to discuss that with than Karl Stump and Beau Brown of CodePro! Today’s homebuyers arrive at inspections armed with research, thermal cameras, and AI tools, ma...

Home inspection is one of the most popular second careers and side businesses for first responders, and for good reason. In this episode of The Ride Along Home Inspection Podcast, we talk with a working firefighter and home inspector about why firefighters, EMTs, and other first responders often excel as home inspectors. We break down how skills from emergency response—risk assessment, situational awareness, building knowledge, and communication under pressure—translate directly into better hom...

Chapters: 00:00:00 Introduction to Healthy Homes 00:03:00 Cristina's Personal Journey 00:09:00 Building Science and Healthy Living 00:15:00 Managing Water and Vapor 00:21:00 The Role of Education in Home Health 00:27:00 Passive House Principles 00:33:00 Proactive Home Maintenance 00:39:00 Understanding Building Materials 00:45:00 Home Inspections and Air Quality Home inspectors have a reputation for being a lot of things: advocates for home buyers, educators, communicators... deal kill...

It's almost 2026! And as we look back on the year, we've got much to be grateful for. Both here on the show, and in the field. But we see a lot of issues throughout the year as home inspectors... and as such, there's also a few things we'd be grateful to never see again. So, who better to help us wrap up the year than one of the OG TIkTok Inspectors: Brad Zirlott, aka @duesouthbrad ! We've wanted to get him on the show for a while, and together we talk about the impact of social media on our bus...

Want to grow your home inspection business quickly in a new city? Charles Bellefontaine, a seasoned home inspector and founder of GetSync, has a few ideas on how it can be done. In one of the last episodes from Inspection Fuel, we sit down with Charles to talk about how inspectors can reach home buyers quickly and directly. We also get into the question of which forms of marketing are most effective: online ads or social media marketing... or both! We explore the importance of thorough inspectio...

Brianna Beans fell off a ladder on a home inspection... and it rocked her career. In fact, it inspired a complete overhaul of her business model and a pivot from home inspections... to rental property inspections. This opened up an entirely new stream of recurring revenue while allowing her to operate within her new safety limits. By focusing on building relationships with property managers and rental companies, she was able to build a snowballing schedule where she was inspecting the same prope...

We've got another episode of The Ride Along this week featuring social media management experts Saiya Patel and Lindsay Freeman... the founders of Social Saiya! Most business owners are too busy to keep up with the latest trends and algorithm changes that can keep your company's social channels relevant and visible... and that's why proper, knowledgable social media management matters so much! Saiya Patel launched her company to help take her father's multiple booming businesses to even greater ...

In part two of our ISN product feature from Inspection Fuel 2025, we hang out with Lindsay Grimm... the Head of Product for ISN. As one of the key product vendors at Inspection Fuel, it was awesome to hear not just what's happening on the software side, but also on the product feature side of ISN. Including things like an AI Voice Assistant and improved online scheduling. The TLDR: - ISN has made the FlexFund fee more transparent, leading to increased adoption among inspection companies. - bi...

Inspection Fuel 2025 was FIRE! Pun intended. And we have SO much content to share with y'all starting with this episode! We kick off the show reflecting on some Fuel highlights during our time in New Orleans, including networking opportunities we had, engaging presentations we saw, and memorable moments. We also get into the evolution of the show, the concept behind 'The Ride Along,' and the importance of vendor insights in the inspection industry. In fact, the next couple of episodes highlight...

Inspection Fuel 2025 was FIRE... pun intended. And if you were there, we hope you were able to attend the first ever live recording of The Ride Along podcast! But in case you weren't, don't worry. We've got you covered because you can see the entire thing right here. We get into everything from Building Science and the importance of deepening our understanding of homes can be made more durably and efficiently... and we also get into the best ways to present our knowledge as inspectors via social...

Franchises... do they work? Are they better than starting independently? Are they worth the cost? We get into all of that and MORE with Nate Boucher of Mike Holmes Inspections! If you've followed the HGTV/DIY space for the past 20 years, the name Mike Holmes should be familiar to you. Pivoting off of his on-screen success, he launched his home inspection franchise in Canada where inspectors like Nate have been thriving. And Mike Holmes Inspections is one of the largest groups using Home Inspect...

If you're a brand new home inspector and looking to break out in the industry, you're not alone! In fact, we get comments from new inspectors all the time asking for tips whether it's about the job on-site or about growing a business. So, if that's you, then you'll love our guest Ashleigh Flores from Horizon City, Texas. Because she's in her sixth month of doing just that! We get into the ins and outs of starting a career in home inspection, the importance of consistency, and the tools of the tr...

The conversation around PEX piping has generated a LOT of opinions on this channel. We thought the episode with Eric Aune would be the last on the topic, but inspector Jon Bolton reached out to us regarding material failures and class action lawsuits that are still ongoing surrounding the product. So, we figured we'd bring him on for a rebuttal of sorts. But we want to kick the conversation to YOU guys? As inspectors, have we reached the point of discovery where a PEX disclaimer is warranted? Or...

Y'all had some STRONG thoughts on our episode about PEX last year, so who better to straighten things out than Master Plumber Eric Aune of @mechanical-hub and @buildshow ?! If you haven't followed him yet, he's a plumbing and heating expert from Minnesota... and you absolutely should follow him! On top of hosting and contributing on both sites, he's also the host of the Make Trades Great Again podcast. In a nutshell, if you have questions on plumbing, this guy has answers, and this week we disc...

Growth... it's almost as weird as the word MOIST. But this time of year, it's a very real concern as we enter the warm, humid, wet summer. Especially in the dirty South, mold and organic growth is super prevalent this time of year. That's why we brought in expert Kristian Geiger of Avid Inspection Specialists to talk about it, as we dig into: the process of inspection for mold his personal experiences from the field, including injuries and interesting finds and the ethical considerations and ...

YOU SHOULD BE CHARGING A $1000 AVERAGE FEE FOR YOUR INSPECTIONS! At least that's what many leading inspectors and inspection company owners are saying. Ben Gromicko, COO of InterNACHI, is one of them. And while we fully support the idea... we want to know how it can be done and how feasible it is for the average inspector around the country. And that's why we brought on Ben! Watch the whole thing, because we get into the importance of understanding the value of home inspections, the role of mar...