Should you or shouldn’t you? Make a recommendation for duct cleaning, that is. The EPA has a strong opinion about cleaner air through cleaner ducts, but it might not be what you think.

It seems like a logical enough project and simple one, too. So why don’t more people opt-in for ductwork cleaning? Chances are it’s because cleaning is expensive and there’s no evidence that it keeps homes healthier except in special circumstances.

Duct cleaning companies have popped up all across the country. They promote the industry with promises of cleaner air, healthier homes and some claim a longer HVAC system lifespan. How do they back up those claims?

Some companies vacuum out the ducts and other HVAC components. If there’s any loose debris, this process should pick it up. But other companies offer a dissing array of services.

The cost for duct cleaning can range between a few hundred dollars to over a thousand, says the EPA. What remains to be seen is whether or not the effort and expense are worth it.

According to government research, duct cleaning isn’t really proven to do anything for a home that doesn’t have a serious contamination problem. There’s no concrete evidence to back up any of the claims, or so they say.

“Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems.” That’s a direct quote.

Their reasoning is this: just because dust and debris are in the ducts doesn’t mean the will come out into the home. Oftentimes, it stays put. More likely contaminant culprits, they say, come from outdoors, from cooking, through chemical use indoors and other problems such as materials off-gassing.

With all that said, ductwork cleaning has its place. If there’s mold growth inside the ducts, cleaning is a smart and healthy idea. A higher than normal amount of dust and debris is another reason homeowners should make that call. If ductwork runs through the basement and there has been flooding at some point, the ducts might contain old, dried mud that needs removing.

Pests can also contaminate indoor air by contaminating the ductwork. It’s more difficult for raccoons, mice or other pests to tear into a rigid metal duct system, but some systems are flexible and easy to rip. And every system has joints and seams where the network of tubes is more vulnerable. If pests have access to the ducts, indoor air might contain any number of hazardous particles.

Another possible reason to opt for duct cleaning is severe allergies. The small amount of dust that’s normally inside the ductwork might never bother a non-allergy sufferer. But it could make life miserable for people sensitive to dust.

Most of the homes that you inspect will probably have some dust inside the ductwork. And in most cases, dust won’t be a serious problem. Mold and pest debris are something different, but it’s challenging for a home inspector to find enough proof to support a recommendation.

The safest route is to inform customers about the condition of the ductwork and let them make their own choices. Recommendations put some of the responsibility for results onto the inspector. Unless contamination is undeniable and a serious health threat, it’s better to inform and leave it at that.

More homeowners in Maine now have access to lead testing, which could mean an uptick in business for certified home inspectors. According to an Associated Press clip at the Journal Tribune, there’s a new a federal recommendation to intervene before children get sick from lead exposure instead of testing after signs of an illness emerge.

With more lead testing and homeowners more aware of the dangers of lead, home inspectors trained in lead identification and testing could provide a better service to communities.

New federal guidelines expanded access to home inspections and testing for lead. Where about 50 children previously qualified each year for a lead inspection in the home, now the number has increased to about 200. According to the EPA, home inspectors can train to become certified in lead inspections through an approved certification program.

To find a training provider devoted to lead inspections, check out the EPA page, Locating Accredited Training Programs. You can find the nearest program by entering your zip code and the distance you’d be willing to travel. More information is available at the EPA’s Lead Hotline.

According to Bangor Daily News, children who live in some Maine towns have a greater risk of lead exposure. Bangor, Biddeford/Saco, Lewiston/Auburn, Portland/Westbrook and Sanford were identified by the Centers for Disease Control as high-risk towns for childhood lead exposure, says Bangor Daily News.

As you might expect, the number of homes that contain lead is related to the volume of older real estate in the area. The older the home, the more likely it will have lead paint and sometimes old lead water pipes. Homes built before 1978 are a particular risk. Although urban areas are more likely to have a higher incidence of lead in homes, the CDC also identified several rural areas in Maine where lead is more prevalent. Solon, Saint George, Bristol, Phillips and Milo are in the top five.

When you think about lead in and around homes, you probably think about paint. Most older homes have at least some lead-based paint on trim, floors, stairs and walls, even if it’s buried under layers of lead-free paint. But paint is just the beginning. Because of the age of homes with lead paint, lead dust can also be a problem. Children don’t have to consume an old paint chip to experience lead poisoning. Breathing lead-contaminated household dust is just as dangerous.

Another area is the soil around the house. If the home’s exterior siding or trim was ever painted with lead-based paint, chances are the soil around the house where children sometimes play contains lead. Water pipes may contaminate the water supply. Old driveways and garage storage areas may have some lead from the days of leaded gasoline.

Although lead is unsafe for people of any age, children are especially at risk of experiencing serious health effects. Over time as lead builds up in a child’s body, it can affect brain development, physical growth and cause mental disabilities.

With the expansion of lead inspection and testing access for children, more homes in Maine need an inspection by a certified, qualified home inspector trained in identification and risk assessment. If you want to help the community and grow your business, this is an opportunity to do both.

Technology sure is advancing quickly in the home inspecting industry. Smartphones and tablets are nudging out clipboards, and even laptops aren’t as common on site as they were for a while. Who needs to climb a ladder when a drone can check out the roof for you?

While technology is great, it can’t replace one of the most important parts of a thorough home inspection: the human element. Here’s why a simple, old-fashioned inspection can be an advantage, not a deficit.

Technology should complement the skill set that you’ve got, not replace it. For years, home inspectors provided thorough inspections with little more than a flashlight, electrical tester and a few hand tools. It’s still possible, and those skills work as an underpinning that makes technology more useful.

What happens on site when an app fails or high-priced equipment breaks? If you’re comfortable working without technology, you can still get the job done. If you’re not, the inspection might be dead in its tracks.

Sure, a drone can get a great look at parts of a roof that you might never reach. But a certified home inspector should have the ability scale a ladder and walk the roof without skipping a beat. Experience writing inspection reports longhand means a buggy smartphone won’t slow you down.

You’ve probably heard it many times before, but it bears repeating. Most of your customers are probably buying a house. That’s one of the most stressful things that anyone can go through. A hands-on inspector who communicates well might be one of the few reassuring elements of the whole experience.

Terry Sun of SnapInspect says at LinkedIn that these are three of the “most revered qualities” that a home inspector can have:

Notice how they have nothing to do with technology? That’s because a great certified home inspector isn’t defined buy the gadgets they use. You can be a great home inspector without all of the bells and whistles.

It’s tempting to buy the latest and greatest equipment that promises to make your life easier. Just be sure that it’s really a benefit and not one more tool to collect dust.

A Flir thermal imaging device can broaden your home inspection horizons and grow your business. It’ll also set you back at least several hundred dollars, if not thousands. The same goes for a drone and many other trendy tools that catch your eye.

It pays to be prudent with technology. Before you invest, think about how it will (or won’t) complement your existing skills. You could get a lot of mileage out of a circuit tracer, which might cost $1,000 or more. But if you live in an area with high winds and lots of rain, a drone might rarely see the light of day.

A certified home inspector really only needs a few things to provide a simple, thorough home inspection: a flashlight, ladder, electrical testers, a few hand tools and a blank report to fill in. Nearly everything else is extra.

There’s nothing wrong with working in what some people might call the “old fashioned” way. That’s why Home Inspection Report offers a straightforward Word version of our inspection report. Print it out and use it on site with a pen and a clipboard, or take notes during the inspection and fill in the report on your computer later.

Are you in the market for a new mobile device? The array of tablet choices can leave you with more questions that you started with. Some have impressive specs and equally impressive price tags. Some are designed for people who need a tablet but don’t need all of the bells and whistles. And in the middle, some have a nice balance of durability, features and a price that won’t make you faint.

Here are three tablets that work for home inspectors, whether the sky’s the limit or you’re pinching pennies.

If not the king of tablets for rugged performance, it’s definitely in the running. With a price tag of around $2,000 and up, it’s an investment. It’s also quite resistant to water, dust, and impact.

Getac was born when Mitac and GE Aerospace Group joined forces in the late 80s, says TechRadar.  The Getac RX10 is light, built like a tank and has a functional, built-in handle that’s wide enough to grab wearing gloves.

Here are the specs:

It’s not the toughest tablet on the block, but it can handle spills like a pro and keeps dust out. It’s also got a respectable camera. Tech Radar says the Sony Xperia X4 Tablet is “one of the best Android tablets available on the market right now.” It’s competitive with the aPad Pro 9.7 and has excellent battery life.

This tablet is lightweight. Extremely lightweight, which is a pro or a con depending on your preference. There’s also a screen glare issue, especially outdoors, says Tech Radar, and it’s lower on RAM and storage than some of its competitors. But for about $600, you get a versatile tablet with a decent camera and plenty more going for it.

Here’s what you get:

If money really is an object but you need a tablet that you can rely on, check out the Asus ZenPad S 8.0. According to Tech Radar,  this tablet is fast, has a high-resolution screen and it’s “a little more intelligent than Google’s stock experience” as it applies to storing new apps, like your home inspection reporting app. It’ll set you back between $200 and $300.

The ZenPad has a respectable camera, but it lacks a flash. That could be problematic for photographing defects in confined spaces and dark corners. If you need an entry-level tablet with dependable battery life and a quick-charge option, this could be the tablet you’re looking for.

Here’s are its specs:

A tablet gives you a larger screen than a smartphone for filling out home inspection reports, editing photos and sending emails and files. The market is overflowing right now, so do your homework before making an investment. Whether you need something that can take a beating or not so much, there’s a tablet that’s just right for your home inspection business.

It’s your home inspection business and it runs by your rules, but a little flexibility never hurt anyone. Certified home inspectors who go the extra mile for their customers build better relationships, which should lead to referrals. Referrals could land more confirmed appointments, especially with clients who would otherwise skip the inspection because they’re pressed for time.

It’s rarely a bad idea to offer more than the competition is willing to give. Here’s what’s in it for you and all of your customers.

You’ve probably dealt with a dour, humorless business that almost made you regret making the call in the first place. Nearly everyone has, it seems. After digesting the experience, how likely are you to recommend that business to a friend? How much different might your opinion about that business be if the representative had shown a genuine interest in helping you?

Whether or not every inspector believes it, the home inspection industry is one of service. Flexibility and an accommodating nature help breed goodwill with the customers you serve. Being nice isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also good for business.

Given a choice, according to Heleo, customers do business with companies that are nice. They also tend to trust the businesses that cultivated a good experience.

Plenty of men and women enter the home inspection industry because of its flexible nature. You can make your own rules (within reason), set your own schedule and work as little or as much as you like. That also means you’re empowered to work outside the normal nine-to-five.

If a customer has three kids in soccer and works a strange shift, you can work around that. And if you do, you’ll be more likely to earn confidence.

Flexibility and a helpful policy help customers perceive you as trustworthy. If that sounds like a stretch, consider the brain’s reaction to the stress of a negative experience. According to Psychology Today, a negative experience, such as dealing with a hateful boss or perhaps an unyielding or unfriendly business, “triggers a cascade of hormones,” which erode trust and make you look for the door.

A business that genuinely wants to help customers can have the opposite effect. The act of being helpful elicits a positive response, which psychologist Jonathan Haidt calls elevation.

The elevation experience doesn’t have to be heroic or dramatic. In business, it can be as simple as caring about whether or not a customer in need finds a home inspector who’s willing to go the extra mile.

Texas Tech University confirms something you probably already believed: when customers are happy, they’re willing to refer a friend. Because friends trust the word of a friend, they’re more likely to take the referral and follow through.

But what makes a business referral-worthy? Duct Tape Marketing says it’s a combination of things.

“People have to believe you can help, have a great price, and will show up as promised (logic), but, they must also feel good about helping you, trust that their friend will be treated well, and like the experience of doing business with you (emotion.)”

Something that starts as simple as being flexible with home inspection appointments can grow into a level of appreciation and trust that gets around. After all, how many businesses go out of their way to help customers today? They’re few and far between, and those that make the effort get all of the great press.

It’s no secret that certain housing markets are fast and furious. Seemingly the minute a new home hits the MLS, the listing agent gets an onslaught of bids. Hot competition is an emotional experience.

What if someone else has the winning bid? 

What if my bid comes in late? 

Will I ever find a good home? 

Worries about timeliness in a market with too many house hunters and not enough real estate inventory often lead buyers to skip one of the most important steps of the home-buying process: the inspection. If the inspector has strict hours and can’t set an appointment for days or even a week or two later, the temptation to hope for the best often wins.

According to Doug Schmidt of the Windsor Star, says anxious buyers who feel the need to act fast make a mistake in skipping the inspection. Bob Price of Price Home Inspections tells Schmidt that it’s a “new trend, something we’ve never seen before.” In such a crowded market, buyers “have to come with a clean, ready-to-go offer,” he said.

For some motivations, no amount of fast inspection scheduling can make a difference. Buyers are too often afraid of what the inspector will find, says Schmidt, which nudges them along into dangerous territory without any real knowledge about the investment they’re bidding on. But for people who are just in a hurry, flexible scheduling makes the important inspection attainable instead of a frustrating hurdle to cross.

Being flexible in business gives you a competitive advantage. While some home inspectors might be sticklers who won’t deviate from their schedule, you can work around the schedule of your customers. That puts the home buyer first, which is something the real estate industry lacks.