What to expect (and what not to expect) from your Home Inspector.

Having worked in the home inspection industry for over 8 years, I have fielded a few calls from buyers regarding minor issues that they noticed shortly after moving into their new home(s). Issues such as: “the oven doesn’t keep a steady, constant temperature, [or] the carpet is stained where the last owner’s couch was placed.” They wonder why those items were not mentioned in the inspection report. Many buyers and some REALTORS® are not aware of the specific tasks the inspector is required to perform during the property inspection.

There are guidelines in the California Real Estate Inspection Association (CREIA) Standards of Practice, which define a real estate inspection in the following terms:

• … [A] survey and basic operation of the systems and components of a building, which can be reached, entered, or viewed without difficulty, moving obstructions, or requiring any action, which may result in damage to the property or personal injury to the Inspector.
• The purpose of the inspection is to provide the Client with information regarding the general condition of the building(s). Cosmetic and aesthetic conditions shall not be considered.
• [The] inspection report provides written documentation of material defects discovered in the inspected building’s systems and components which, in the opinion of the Inspector, are safety hazards… not functioning properly, or appear to be at the ends of their service lives. The report may include the Inspector’s recommendations for correction or further evaluation.
• Inspections performed in accordance with these Standards of Practice are not technically exhaustive and shall apply to the primary building and its associated primary parking structure.

The standards spell out what items to inspect those not required to be inspected. For instance, in regards to the “Foundation, Basement, and Under-Floor areas” the inspector is required to inspect the “Foundation system, Floor framing system, Under-floor ventilation, Foundation anchoring and cripple wall bracing, Wood separation from soil, and Insulation.” However the “inspector is not required to: Determine size, spacing, location, or adequacy of foundation bolting/bracing components or reinforcing systems, [or] Determine the composition or energy rating of insulation materials.” Standards exist for each system the inspector checks and include a list of 22 limitations, exceptions and exclusions such as:

• Auxiliary features of appliances beyond the appliances basic function
• Determining compliance with manufacturers’ installation guidelines or specifications, building codes, accessibility standards, conservation or energy standards, regulations, ordinances, covenants, [etc]
• Determining adequacy, efficiency, suitability, quality, age, or remaining life of any building, system, or component, or marketability or advisability of purchase.
• Dismantling any system, structure, or component or removing access panels other than those provided for homeowner maintenance.

The CREIA Standards of Practice can be viewed in its entirety and downloaded from www.creia.org 

Typically an inspector will identify a problem and inform his client of the severity of the issue to the best of his ability and responsibility based on the guidelines stated in the above standards.

If the situation is severe, or if special tools are needed such as a camera to look inside a chimney flue, or special knowledge and testing is required to determine if a material on the wall is mold or not, the inspector will recommend that the appropriate specialist be called in to perform a more detailed investigation and evaluation of that specific situation. Having a specialist provide a more detailed evaluation of a specific system protects both the buyer and the seller by correctly identifying the true condition of the system and any related costs of repairs.

April Kass – LaRocca Inspections

 

Hiring a home inspector… how do you know who to choose?

There are many home inspectors out there who are professional, ethical, and well qualified to perform your inspection… yet on the flipside of that coin, there are plenty who are not.

As of this posting, the state of California has not adopted any standards or licensing for home inspectors. So how does a home buyer know who to hire? What qualifications should your home inspctor have?

This is a list of suggested question to ask your potential candidates:

1. Are you certified by a professional inspection association?  (A couple of widely recognized associations are the California Real Estate Inspectors Association [CREIA], and the American Society of Home Inspectors [ASHI]) In order to become certified by one of these organizations the inspector must pass a substantial examination, maintain their certification with continuing educate credits, and also must agree to perform their inspections in accordance with that associations standards of practice and adhere to a code of ethics. This brings a level of professionalism and accountability to their inspections.
2. What is your professional background and construction experience? Each individual home inspector will have their own background, education and experiences. If your inspector happens to be a general contractor, that means that he or she has built a number of homes, and so you are getting an individual who really understands the components of a structure, similarly an engineer, an electrician, a plumber, or someone who has an extensive history in construction will each tend to bring a degree of expertise to their inspection that someone without their background would not.
3. What is your experience as a home inspector?/How many Inspections have you done? Just because an inspector is certified or has construction experience does not necessarily mean that they have experience in performing home inspections. One does not become an expert at a new career overnight. It usually takes some trial and error, and learning on their part. Finding an inspector who has done at least a couple of hundred inspections makes it more likely that you will have someone who has seen most situations and dealt with many different types of properties and problems during their career.
4. Do you have Errors and Ommissions insurance? It goes without saying that all people in all professions are bound to make mistakes here and there. To err is human so it is important to know that he is covered with insurance in the case of an unfortunate situation.

The above 4 items to me are the most important questions to ask when qualifying an inspector. You will also of course use your judgement of their conversation skills, and personality to decide if they are the right fit for you. Once you’ve narrowed down the playing field to just a few prospective inspectors, here are a couple of other questions you might want to ask:

• What does your report look like? Is it computerized? Are there photographs? Can I see a sample?
• When is the report delivered (on-site, next day, or will I have to wait longer than a day?)
• How long does your inspection take?
• Will you go into hard to reach spaces such as crawl beneath the building, go into the attic, or go up onto the roof?
• Can I be present during the inspection? Will you go over the report with me and answer my questions?
• If questions arise after the inspection is complete will you be available to answer those questions for me?

Bottom line, hire competent professionals so that you can be provided with high-quality information and make the most informed desicions during the escrow process… because if you find out about major problems with the property after you’ve already purchased the home, trying to get those items repaired or recieve compensation where you believe it is due can be a lengthy, stressful, and often times unrewarding process.