Newbie here - just wondering if most home inspectors use robots of some sort now to examine crawl spaces?
No, most do not use a robot for crawlspaces, IMO.
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No, we actually go in them, in rare occasions I’ll use my crawlspace robot, but that’s only about 5% of the time.
You will do your clients disservice if you are not willing to crawl.
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I bought a CrawlBot thinking I would use it all the time. Unfortunately, it gets stuck easy so I tied a rope to it….which limits how many turns I can make.. and still doesn’t guarantee I can pull it out if it gets stuck. I have found that if the crawlspace looks good enough for the bot (relatively dry, flat ground with no debris or building components in the way) then it almost always is good enough for me to just enter myself. If I or the bot do not enter, I take lots of photos from the opening and sometimes from the vents too. My goal is to show the client why I could not enter and that I did the best I could. I also note in the report that I am willing to come back and re-inspect the crawlspace if the seller can improve access or create a more suitable opening somewhere else.
At some point, I imagine there will be miniature flying drones that are stable enough to inspect poor quality crawlspaces. Here is a company that is headed in that direction: Elios 3 - Digitizing the inaccessible
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Myself ,I like to crawl under with a big bright light,I use a 5000 lumens light.helps me see everything. Leonard Clemens C.P.I.
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Thanks for everyone’s replies! It is nice to have a forum to ask questions.