Inspection Contingency in Illinois

[Frank S.]

Howdy, 

My background is in architectural engineering, commercial construction, and I can evaluate a building condition.     I think inspections are important and I am comfortable paying someone $500 to spend 8 hours inspecting a place and providing a report. 

However,  I have a situation where I rather have a licensed and insured general contractor look at the place first before I pay the inspector.  Why?  There is some brick work that I can't price, and that's a deal killer.   If the amount is higher than X, I will pass. 

SO, can I enforce the Real Estate Contract Inspection Contingency  in Illinois by relying solely on the contractor? I don't want to pay for the $500 inspection if the brick work price comes high.  The seller is not fully committed - he wants more money obviously -  and my agent is telling me they can't put the house under contract if I don't get an inspector there.  On the other hand, I don't want to put the house under contract if the brick work is high.  

See below, the contract reads  "  ... by one or more licensed or certified inspection services: home, radon, environmental, lead-base paint, lead-based paint hazard or wood-destroying insect infestation."

 Thanks a lot, 

Frank

[Jimmy Chou]

Illinois allows a few days for attorney review, you can send the contractor in to get quote before that expires and use attorney as an exit clause if you need to.