According to the National Flood Insurance Program, floods are the No. 1 natural disaster in the U.S. and they’re not cheap to recover from. Between 2005 and 2014 NFIP estimates flood insurance claims averaged $3.5 billion a year. And with climate change bringing more intense storms, chances are this average will only grow.

Which is why more homeowners might be considering safeguarding their homes from heavy rain and damaging floods by investing in basement waterproofing.

Patrick Fusco, president of Arid Basement Waterproofing knows basements. His family has owned the company for 27 years and Patrick estimates he’s been in more than 10,000 basements since he started his career.

Protecting a basement from water seepage is critical when homeowners want to use it for storage and living space, and also important for preventing long-term structural damage to a home and ensuring that the air in the home is free from mold and mildew.

We recently checked in with Patrick to learn more about the signs of water damage in a basement and the problems associated with it. Here’s what he had to say:

What are the common signs of water damage in a basement?

Aside from puddles and flooding which are apparent, efflorescence on the foundation wall, water stains and discoloration on the foundation wall.

What are the biggest causes for water problems in basements?

Poor grading, clogged gutters, leaders. All of these problems could be solved from the exterior. The more prevalent problem that can only be solved by what we do is the water table rising from heavy rains. When the table rises, an interior French drain is the only permanent solution.

What are the benefits and drawbacks to remedies for basement water problems?

Installing the French drain has some drawbacks in the sense that is a messy job. You are jack-hammering concrete so that creates dust. The homeowner has to make sure their belongings are securely covered.

The benefits are that you do this once, and you’ll never have water again in the basement. We give a written lifetime guarantee no water on the floor wherever we put our system.

What are the short and long-term risks of wet basements to a home?

Short term: Unhealthy air due to mold and mildew, can’t store anything down in the basement, can’t finish off the basement and bad for resale.

Long term: Structural damage and damage to the utilities.

What regions or climates seem to be most prone to wet basements?

Anywhere near big bodies of water – the states along the eastern seaboard and the states surrounding the great lakes.

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Home inspectors can be a seller’s best friend.

Even with housing inventory down in a lot of markets, it’s not always easy to sell a house. That’s why many homeowners are taking repairs and spruce ups upon themselves, and then hiring an inspector to check the work before the house hits the market. A better way might be hiring an inspector first to point out what needs attention.

In either case, a pre-listing home inspection does the seller and potential buyers a lot of good. And it benefits you as another avenue for business growth.

Spring is Coming Quickly

Although houses sell any time of year, Realtor.com® says spring is the classic “start your engines” flag for the big selling season. The passing winter has often left a house dirty on the outside and there might also be some damage, such as a few missing shingles, that need attention.

The more work a seller can do to improve marketability before a house is listed, the better. So although it’s still technically winter, there’s no better time to find what needs work and to get started. While other sellers play catch up with repairs in the spring, you’ll be ready to roll.

Home owners learn a lot about their house and more about what needs attention when a home inspector leads the way.

Most Homeowners Aren’t Experts

Some defects are easy for a homeowner to spot. A leak in the attic, for example, can’t really hide if it’s been there for any length of time. Even if there’s no water present, the wood should carry a stain and insulation might be damp. But what about determining whether a leak is really a leak, and not problematic condensation?

Homeowners can usually spot the obvious signs of disrepair, but a home inspection can point out ones they might never know exist. Although inspectors don’t get too involved with the repair aspect, a good inspection points out what should be evaluated by a contractor. And Realtor.com® suggests information about the age of certain elements, such as the HVAC system, can help owners decide what areas of the home should get the biggest part of their fixer-upper budget.

Your Work Can Help Facilitate a Sale

The biggest benefits of a pre-sale home inspection can be distilled to one thing: They help homes sell. Buyers will hire an inspector before committing to a contract. So hoping for the best is probably not a good move for sellers. Finding real defects gives sellers the opportunity to make things right before any buyer is possibly turned off by them.

In difficult homes, this can be an even bigger plus. Some locations are harder to sell, and some houses aren’t the prettiest on the block. But knowing in advance that the house is in good shape can turn a curious, prospective buyer into an interested one.

Home inspections are a good idea for anyone who owns a house and everyone who wants to buy one. Peace of mind isn’t just found in knowing what’s perfect. It’s also derived from getting an early warning about a problem with enough time to correct it. That’s why a pre-sale home inspection is such a great idea for sellers, and a terrific way to help grow your business.

Instead of puttering around the house through retirement, you could start a brand new career.

If you’re approaching retirement, an encore career as a home inspector might be worth looking into. Even better, you could work on your own terms.

Time was, you’d spend your days working for the same company until retirement, then collect your gold watch and a pension. But today, most people plan to work after retirement. That’s partly to keep some money coming in, and partly because retirement life can be pretty boring.

If that sounds like your predicament, here’s what you need to know about starting your own home inspection business.

You Can Train for Home Inspecting at Home

Online study also means you can keep working your day job, if you’re still in the workforce. Stud at night and on weekends, or any time that’s convenient for you. Once you’ve completed the program, you’ll get a certificate of completion and be ready for the state exam, if your state has one. Not all states do.

You’ll probably want some basic computer skills, as inspection reports are usually digital now.

Inspecting Houses Can be Demanding

Most aspects of a home inspection aren’t especially demanding, but some of them can be. An inspection is only required for what’s visible and accessible, so you won’t have to move furniture or carry overly heavy tools. Much of what you’ll need can fit easily in a typical tool belt.

That said, there are some aspects of an inspection that need extra physical effort. Roofs need inspecting, and that means climbing ladders and often walking on the roof. If you’re in good shape and reasonably healthy, that shouldn’t be a big problem. If you’d rather not climb, you can always hire an assistant later on.

You Control Your Workload

Home inspectors don’t have to keep typical work hours, but you can if you like. That all depends on how quickly you can build up your business. Most of it will come from home buyers before the sale of a house is final, and many of those customers will be referred to you by a real estate agent. It pays to network with agents who can send business your way.

Home inspectors can perform one or two inspections a day, or more or less. You might only want to perform three a week for a nice extra bump in your weekly income. If you’re very ambitious and like what you do, your only limited by the hours in a day.

With Americans living longer and longer lives, two significant problems can creep up. You might need more money than you have saved so far, and home inspecting can help improve your bottom line. Because many people are also healthier than in generations past, sitting around twiddling your thumbs in a rocking chair might not seem like much fun at all. Home inspecting could be the answer.

If only it was this easy to spot one.

Just when everyone least expects it, a natural disaster strikes. That’s how they work. There’s rarely any real warning, and residents are often left in a wake of damage without a clue about getting it repaired or finding federal relief. That creates the ideal climate for scam artists, and some of them pose as disaster inspectors.

Although most inspectors are totally above board, the bad eggs make life difficult for everyone involved. Here’s what’s happening in this part of the home inspection industry right now.

Unscrupulous Individuals Pretend to Work for FEMA

There’s only one way to become a disaster relief inspector for FEMA, and that’s by working through one of the two companies that they contract. PB Disaster Services and Vanguard EM are the only companies that FEMA uses, and they (not FEMA) are responsible for training and hiring.

A scrupulous inspector will have an official badge, and they never inspect for a fee. They only require an owner’s proof of identification and ownership of the house, and never any banking info. But homeowners rarely know this, and believe that to qualify for FEMA relief they’ll have to pay for an inspection. They also provide the homeowner with verifiable contact information.

Local contractors with a good reputation give home owners some peace of mind.

Shady Inspectors Really Work for Someone Else

Scamming homeowners out of money for an inspection is only one way that fraudulent inspectors rob from disaster victims. FEMA says that referrals to a repair contractor could be the real motivating factor.

Just as a typical home inspector doesn’t recommend repair people, disaster inspectors never recommend contractors. They also avoid assigning a dollar amount to any damage. They only collect information, which FEMA uses later to calculate relief.

You Can Help Home Owners Protect Themselves

As a working home inspector, you have the opportunity to educate residents about the possibility of disaster fraud. American Family Mutual Insurance offers the following advice:

Homeowners should also wait for FEMA instructions before agreeing to any repair work. And when it’s time for repairs, local contractors who have been in business in your area for a while are the safest bet. Plenty of traveling home repair scam artists prey on homeowners, especially after a disaster.

As a home inspector, you already know that integrity is worth its weight in gold. But from a home owner’s point of view, it’s sometimes difficult to know who is telling the truth. After the stress of experiencing a disaster, many homeowners are even more vulnerable.

This is why FEMA needs good and reputable home inspectors in their ranks. If you want to learn more about it, check our their page on becoming a disaster inspector.

Being on the witness stand can sometimes pay off.

In such a litigious society, you might one day find yourself sworn in and offering a statement in someone else’s real estate lawsuit. Sometimes this happens with a home that you have inspected, and sometimes the case deals with a home that you’ve never seen before.

There are many reasons why you might be called on as an expert witness. When you can secure payment, you should. But because there are some situations where you can’t, you should learn the scope of your responsibility in your state.

Reasons Why Lawyers Need Inspectors

Real estate disputes arise over a number of problems. Maybe the house suffered construction negligence, or maybe a seller and buyer have a dispute about the condition of the home. To settle the dispute, a defendant or plaintiff’s attorney might need the opinion of someone like you, an expert in home inspections.

If the case deals with a home that you’ve inspected, you’ll rely on your report for the information that you provide in court. If not, you may need to inspect the house before giving any statement. This depends on whether you’re only asked to verify facts that have already been collected or if the court needs your assessment and opinion.

When Inspectors Can Expect Payment

There’s only one reason, according to Working RE magazine, that in inspector shouldn’t expect payment: If there’s a subpoena. If a court subpoenas an inspector, that’s an order to appear and give a statement as a witness of fact. Otherwise, and probably much more often, inspectors are retained by attorneys to help support a case. For that, inspectors should always be paid.

With a subpoena, many states only require an inspector to verify facts. Information beyond that steps into opinion territory, and that’s expert witness territory. Experts should be paid. For example, an inspector can verify that a basement was flooded. But any information about what caused the flood is opinion from an expert.

A local real estate attorney can help clarify the duties of a home inspector in the area.

How to Secure Payment

Working RE recommends that inspectors have an Expert Witness Contract drawn up. An attorney can draft the document, and copies can stay in a desk drawer or on a computer until they’re needed. Then when called on to testify, the document would be ready to go. Because an attorney would only call an inspector to help prove a case, most of them understand that inspectors require payment for time and expertise.

There may also be a time when a subpoenaed statement shifts into expert witness territory. If an attorney presses for more information besides just the facts, it’s not improper to stop, produce the expert witness contract and request payment before the statement proceeds. However, states differ. A local attorney, one who would draft the contract, can explain the parameters of witness of fact and expert witness in that area.

Being called on to testify might sound unpleasant, but some inspectors welcome it as yet another avenue for building a client base. If an attorney frequently handles real estate disputes, he could tuck an inspector’s business card away on file and call the same expert each time he needs one.