I want it in his or her own words, with specific comments about the house I'm buying. If the inspector wants to use a computer program, that's okay, but there had better be plenty of sheets at the end with specific comments. Besides, if the inspector has to write everything down, I'm more likely to find out what he or she really thinks. I recently bought a home in earthquake country, and the inspector failed to note that the gas water heater was not tied down. The inspector came back himself and personally tied down that heater.
Inspectors are liable for their errors, omissions and outright mistakes.
The problem is that, to cover themselves, they will often hedge on their answers. As a result, as noted earlier, what you will often get on an inspection report is a lot of banalities and superficial comments about items and conditions that you could have seen for yourself. On the other hand, if there really is a bad condition that's obvious, most inspectors will note it as such. For example, a deck that's about to collapse because the underpinnings have been worn away should be noted and warned against by the inspector. Also, inspectors will only warrant the home at the time of the inspection.