Taking a Closer Look | The Gazette

“I work from home,” Andrew Saulnier said. “Just not my home.”

Saulnier, 55, does work from his own home, preparing his reports after he’s had a good look at homes his clients hope to make their own. He launched A Closer Look in December 2006 after working in sales in the printing industry.

“I’d never been a paid contractor, but the house we were in before, on the southeast side, was built in 1904,” said Saulnier. “I wanted to build a couple of additions on that house, and I did all the work myself.”

Saulnier and his wife Michele and their two children later moved to a newer home in northeast Cedar Rapids, but the experience led him to consider the home inspections required by lenders.

“I like to be outside, but I didn’t want to be outside all day,” Saulnier said. “I like being in front of the computer but I didn’t want to be in front of a computer all day. Home inspecting is a great mix of that.”

Saulnier completed online correspondence courses through the North American Association of Home Inspectors and the Professional Home Inspection Institute.

“It’s supposed to last about six months,” he said. “I was able to get through it in about three months, because I was hungry.”

Saulnier then inspected the homes of about a dozen friends, practice inspections that also helped market the new business.

“I was talking to them about, ‘Do you know any Realtors, do you know any lenders?’” he said. “I would call (agents and lenders) and say, ‘Can you give me five minutes?’ Word-of-mouth like that was the biggest thing for me. It was great.”

After 18 years, A Closer Look is an established brand, with about 80% of Saulnier’s referrals coming from real estate agents and lenders.

“They know me, they know I have the certification,” he said. “There’s a Realtor that calls me firm but fair, and that’s where I try to be.”

Certification through NAAHI and PHII is vital, especially in Iowa, which is among about two dozen states without state licensing or standards for home inspectors.

“This is the slightly scary part,” Saulnier said. He advises prospective buyers to consult the agencies’ websites to confirm an inspector’s current certification. Continuing education helps inspectors keep up with new construction techniques and materials.

Saulnier can handle up to three home inspections a day, if they’re not too far apart. He concentrates on the Corridor but has gone farther afield, often as a favor to friends.

“I’ve done three inspections within walking distance of my home here, and I charge the same for them as I would going down to Iowa City,” he said.

That fee is $420, payable upon delivery and a review of the inspection report with the client.

“When I get paid at closing, rolling it into the loan, it gets troublesome to get paid,” Saulnier said.

The business follows the seasons.

“When we have a warm weekend, I can expect a lot of calls the next week,” Saulnier said. “People want to go out and look at houses and they make offers and in a couple of days they’ll call me.”

While some inspectors have adopted drones and infrared cameras, Saulnier has found a ladder and a digital camera afford that closer look.

“I really like to walk on roofs, because as I’m walking on it I can feel that it’s spongy or uneven,” he said. “It’s easier to see little pockmarks from hail. That’s not easy to see with a drone.”

Saulnier performed free inspections after the June 2008 flood and the August 2020 derecho to help homeowners decide whether to rebuild or move on, and to ensure repairs were correct.

“There was a lot of roofers after the derecho who didn’t understand the differences between Iowa and Texas,” he said.

Saulnier’s happy with how it’s all worked out.

“The American dream, for me, part of it’s owning your own business,” he said. “My very first year I earned $9,000, but it’s grown. I would encourage anybody to start their own business or have a business where they have some autonomy to make their own decisions and to reach whatever goals or dreams they have.”

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