To be blunt, a Home Inspection is a Visual, Non-Invasive Evaluation of the Major Systems and Components of a Home on a Certain Day.
Definition from Washington State's Standards of Practice (SOP):
The purpose of a home inspection is to assess the condition of the residence at the time of the inspection using visual observations, simple tools and normal homeowner operational controls; and to report deficiencies of specific systems and components. Inspectors must perform all inspections in compliance with the SOP set forth by the Washington state department of licensing. A home inspection is not technically exhaustive and does not identify concealed conditions or latent defects. This SOP is applicable to buildings with four or fewer dwelling units and their attached garages or carports.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.280.050 and 18.280.060(6). WSR 09-08-014, § 308-408C-010, filed 3/20/09, effective 4/20/09.]
*for a full fun filled read of the WA State Standards of Practice click HERE.
The Washington State SOP's were developed to create a set of rules and guidelines that are the minimum requirements of a home inspection for licensed inspectors operating in WA state. This does not mean that a home inspector cannot go beyond the scope of the SOP's if he or she thinks it is safe for both persons and property and there is sufficient reason to do so. But, at a minimum the SOP's outline what should always be inspected.
Now for a slightly more human answer. A home inspection is used to evaluate the overall condition of a property prior to a sale, and used to inform clients of any potential financial, health or safety concerns. It is limited in its scope due to time constraints and conditions or defects hidden behind finished surfaces, personal belongings, snow, buried below ground, or otherwise inaccessible to the inspector. It is also a non-invasive inspection meaning we wont be cutting holes in walls to inspect insualtion or plumbing, and we wont be taking apart a furnace to further investigate the heat exchanger. We will inspect what is readily accesible using normal homeowner controls (switches, thermostats, plumbing fixtures, etc).
Whether buying or selling a home, being well informed on its condition can help to prevent any unwelcome surprises before or during the transaction.
Minimum Criteria for a Quality Home Inspection.
*This is not everything that is inspected or taken into consideration when evaluating these systems, but it is a fairly comprehensive checklist of them.
Lots, Grounds and Grading - Driveways, walkways, drainage and overall grading of the lot, tree and shrubs near structure, retaining walls, window wells, basement stairwells, decks, porches, and fences.
Exterior - Siding (cladding), trim, fascia, soffits, door bells, entry doors, patio doors, windows, exterior lighting, exterior electrical outlets, hose bibs, gas meter and gas shut off valve.
Roof - Roof type, approximate age, material, flashings, valleys, skylights, plumbing vents, electrical mast, gutters, downspouts and leaders, chimneys, flues/flue caps and chimney flashings.
Attic - Roof framing, roof sheathing, ventilation, insulation, insulation depth, wiring/lighting, moisture penetration or evidence of, and bathroom and kitchen fan venting.
Foundation - Type of foundation, foundation materials, cracks, settling, issues with drainage towards the foundation or evidence of moisture intrusion, and over all condition of visible areas of the foundation.
(note: foundations can be one of the areas that are not very visible to inspectors, or are often hidden below ground or behind finished basement walls.)
Structure - Foundation, structure type, differential movement, beams, bearing walls, joists/trusses, piers, posts, floor/slab, stairs and handrails, and subfloor.
(note: the structure is another area that is limited in visibility. The framing components are usually all hidden behind the drywall (or lath/plaster) on ceiling and walls, or the finished flooring materials.)
Garage - Garage door material and condition, garage door opening and operation, roof, roof structure, service door(s), ceilings, walls, floor (slab), electrical and windows.
Electrical - Main service and electrical mast, service wiring type, main electrical panel, sub-panels, branch service wiring, conductor type, breakers/fuses, panel capacity and main breaker size, afci's, gfci's, proper grounding and panel bonding.
Plumbing - Main service line and shutoff location, water supply pipes, drain pipes, vent pipes, gas service lines, service caps (clean outs), water heater and its components.
Air Conditioning - System operation, approximate age, condensate removal, exterior unit, cooling coil, refrigerant lines, ductwork and electrical disconnect.
(note: a/c systems will not be tested when the outside temperature is below 65 degrees to prevent possibly damaging components in the compressor.)
Heating System - System operation, approximate age, type of system, capacity, area served, fuel type, heat exchanger, blower fans and filters, draft controls, thermostats, flue pipes, and evidence of active or inactive buried oil tanks.
Fireplace/Wood Stove - Fireplace type, fuel source, fireplace insert, smoke chamber, damper, hearth, and flue.
(note: do to limited visibility of the flue I always recommend having them professionally cleaned and re-inspected prior to use)
Interior - All finished surfaces on ceiling, walls and floors, electrical switches and outlets, door and window operation, vent fans, ceiling fans, plumbing fixtures and drains, bathroom shower fixtures tubs and drains, cabinets, laundry room, dryer venting, washing machine drain, any secured appliances, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
(*note: aside from brand new construction we will rarely mention cosmetic defects such and chipped paint, stains on carpets, or minor cosmetic damage on reports, unless it is severe.)
Crawlspace - Access and opening, moisture penetration, moisture barrier, ventilation, insulation, sump pump, electrical/lighting, evidence of rodent or pest intrusion, any issues or evidence of standing water or drainage.
Basement - Ceilings, walls, floors, floor drains or perimeter drainage, windows and doors, electrical, insulation, ventilation, sump pumps, evidence of moisture intrusion and basement stairs and railings.
A good inspector should do his/her best to access all available areas and systems to ensure they are not missing anything and to deliver the most accurate and thorough report they can to their client. The bummer is that not all inspectors do this. For various reasons, I have re-inspected properties for clients on homes that had been inspected by a different inspector. During those re-inspections I have found some major and obvious defects that the inspector should have found, but did not, either by accident, laziness or leaning too hard into the legal wording of "readily accessible".
So whether you use me or someone else, just make sure they cover all of the above items on their report. We all miss something every once and awhile on inspections, but your inspector should be trying their best to minimize those mistakes for the sake of the client, whether buyer or seller.
Crawlspace and Foundation Inspection:
Just A Boring Anecdote: One property I re-inspected for a client was after the sale had gone through and their decision had been based on poorly executed pre-list inspection (*there is nothing wrong with pre-list inspections, just bad inspections).
On that report there was very little information in regards to the foundation and crawlspace. Just one small note (and a picture) that said "small crack in south wall of concrete foundation, we recommend sealing to prevent moisture intrusion", and there was nothing on the report about the crawlspace. When I went to inspect the crawlspace it appeared to be nailed shut, but with a little due diligence, the nails were actually just used as removable pins to keep the access hatch in place and they came right out. I would guess the previous inspector saw the nails and decided it was nailed shut and not "readily accessible". Here's the bummer part. After entering the crawlspace I noticed that is was not even a poured concrete foundation, it was an old post and beam foundation (these are inferior to poured concrete foundations and they are very old, turn of the century old, and made of only wood). The wooden foundation had wood skirting with a concrete skim coat on the exterior, that from the outside made it appear to be a concrete foundation. But it was not, it was an old, rotten wooden foundation. The posts for the foundation were in direct contact with the soil (some sitting on field stones), they were all below the exterior grade and many of them had rotted through on the bottoms. So along with many other not so great findings on that property, now they also had a bad foundation that needed some serious retro-fitting and repairs bofore moving on to the other"projects".
I hate having to deliver bad news, especially after a sale has gone through, but they were happy to find out that information so they could priotitize starting at the foundation prior to putting a bunch of money into a kitchen remodel on a home that was sitting on an unstable foundation.
Here are a few pictures of that "concrete" foundation that was made of wood.
Picture 1: Shows the crack in what looks like a concrete foundation from the outside. Picture 2: Is that same crack but viewed from inside the crawlspace. The rest of the images just show you areas of the deteriorated (rotted) wood foundation that was presumed to be concrete by the other inspector.
I hope this helps to explain what a home inspections is, what it typically covers and what you can expect from it. Every inspector does things a little differently and will focus more on certain items per your request or based on what they're finding, but they should all be trying to deliver a comprehesive evaluation of everything they can see and access in a home.
Best of luck in you home search, sale or everyday maintenance of your home!
-Brennan
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