A Home Inspection, Defined

A home inspection is a non-destructive visible inspection of the accessible structure, systems, and built-in components of the house to help ascertain that they are functioning properly and are safe for occupants. Most residential home inspections fees are between $300 and $500 and take from two to three hours (or more) for the on-site inspection, followed by a few hours back in the office to produce a written report. In most circumstances, the report can be produced the same day as the inspection, almost always in electronic form these days (e.g. website, PDF file).

For the immediate future at least (i.e., before the robots take over) homes are built and maintained by people and people are, shall we say, less than perfect. As a result, every home has defects, even newer homes, and inspectors have long checklists.

You can think of the inspection report as the equivalent of a grade school report card for your house with the subjects being: foundation, roof, exterior, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and interior including the attic, crawlspace or basement, and attached garage. The following is one way to interpret the theoretical grades received in each subject:

• Outstanding: No defects were found.
• Excellent: Only minor defects were found.
• Satisfactory (functional but needs improvement): The system or component may be still functional or degraded in some manner. Some prominent issues were found and/or there are some safety concerns for which the inspector is recommending repairs or upgrades.
• Poor (failing): The inspector found one or more “material” defects, which are defined as conditions that adversely affect the value, desirability, or habitability of the dwelling or the safety of the occupants. Some examples of material defects are a wooden deck that is in danger of collapse, an electrical panel with open breaker slot (an electrocution risk for children), or a fuel-based heating system that is showing signs of backdraft (pushing exhaust fumes into the home potentially causing carbon monoxide poisoning of the occupants).

Home inspectors are specifically trained to look for hundreds of types of defects, issues and concerns that may indicate a problem or the need for an upgrade. They create short written accounts in their report of their observations and recommendations for each deficiency that succinctly summarizes: 1) what is the defect/issue/concern, 2) why it is important, and 3) what is a recommended course of action, typically backed up by photographs and sometimes video.

It is important to note that home inspectors are generalists and not specialists in any category. As such, most often their recommendation is for a specialist to be consulted for further evaluation and correction of the issue. Which, in a practical sense, would mean that the customer should engage specialist professionals (e.g., a plumber, electrician, or roofer etc.) to further evaluate the problem(s) and obtain quotes for repairs or upgrades.

It is also important to note that what a home inspector calls out as an issue or recommends as a course-of-action is a professional opinion based upon training and years of experience, but is not binding on anyone.

The home inspector is free to speculate on what could be the possible source of the problem to be helpful, but they are in no way obligated to figure that out. They are also not obligated to determine the extent of the problem. It usually takes a specialist to arrive at a definitive conclusion as to the cause and extent of the problem, sometimes resorting to destructive methods, such as cutting into a wall to find the exact source of a water leak.

The severity assigned to the issue as a minor, prominent (major defect), or material defect is also subjective, although there are industry-standard guideline definitions for what constitutes a “material” defect.

Feel free to enlist another home inspector or industry experts for their recommendations, which could be different. Most home inspectors (as well as specialists) will generally come to the same conclusion about what constitutes a defect or concern, but may differ on the possible cause, severity, or course of action. Ultimately, it is incumbent upon the customer of the inspection report to take into consideration all the available information to draw their own conclusion as to the most appropriate course of action.

The purchaser of the home inspection, most often the buyer, is the owner of the report and is not obligated to share the report with anyone. However, if the inspection is performed as a pre-listing inspection contracted by the seller, the seller may be obligated by law to disclose those items that were not repaired as part of the seller’s disclosure during a future escrow period. Please consult with your real estate agent on the applicable laws in your state. The seller should also take into consideration that a home inspection performed by the eventual buyer is very likely to discover the same issues during an escrow inspection period and then your timeframe as seller to consider and possibly engage in lower-cost avenues to address those issues will be abbreviated. Many sellers find that situation stressful, or for other reasons want to help the escrow to proceed smoothly, which is one of the main reasons that pre-listing home inspections are also performed for sellers.

See also:

Top Three (3) Reasons Buyers Should Get a Home Inspection
Top Three (3) Reasons Sellers Should Get a Home Inspection