Inspector vs. Contractor - Who to trust?

So who should you trust?

Sometimes, this question is not so easy to answer. 

Here's the scenario: you have a home inspected, and the home inspector is telling you such and such needs to be repaired, then, you hire a contractor to fix the issue, and the contractor is telling you something very different.
Who should you believe?
You might think I'm going to say "the inspector", ya know, cause I'm an inspector! Surprise! I'll actually tell you there's a very good chance both the inspector and the contractor are correct. 
Here's why: the inspector was basing their recommendation on what they could see. As you may or may not know, an inspector does not and should not disassemble components in order to inspect them. A home inspection is by definition (legally!) a visual inspection. The contractor may be basing their recommendation on info gained from a much more invasive process. In other words, the contractor can see what an inspector can't.
BEWARE: THE #1 THING that makes a contractor's opinion or recommendation different than an inspector's opinion or recommendation is THIS>>>> A contractor is making their recommendation with the expectation that it will provide them with additional income! In other words, the plumber says you need a new water heater. And of course this is added business for said plumber.
A licensed professional home inspector in TEXAS cannot, by LAW, offer to make repairs on your recently inspected home. It's an ethics issue. 
Tradesman are not held to this standard. This is why you should view all recommendations from professionals through the lense of "What are they hoping to gain from what they're telling me?"

As the old adage goes, "Caveat Emptor" or, Buyer Beware!