BEST ANSWER
If your state requires it make sure they have a valid license. This info may be available online.
Choose someone who has hands-on construction experience. Some states only require a 60 hour class and state test to be an inspector.
Be there when they do the inspection and make sure they look at everything. If the home has a crawlspace with at least a 3 ft x 3 ft access make sure they go in it and look at the foundation. Also make sure they look in the attic. Most don't walk on roofs but they should evaluate them from a ladder at the eaves (gutter line) - this is acceptable because you can tell more about water leaks from inside the attic than on the roof. Keep in mind that a home inspecitons is a - visual inspection of the readily available areas. Nothing can be taken apart and nothing can be broken/destroyed because you don't own the house yet.
You should be able to get a list of reputable inspectors from local real estate offices or you can search on ServiceMagic.com and read their ratings and reviews. The inspectors have to pay for these leads.
Don't focus on price alone. Some less expensive inspectors are just as good, if not better, than higher priced ones.
Sun Sep 27 2009, 12:40