Home inspections have evolved over the decades to reflect changes in the legal and regulatory environment, as well as to respond to shifting consumer expectations. They’ve become more detailed and, of course, reflect new developments in building materials and processes.
History of Inspections
Until the mid to late 70’s, inspections were not standardized and licensing/oversight was minimal or non-existent. The inspection industry did not have a stellar reputation and quality of reports was all over the board. ASHI (the American Society of Home Inspectors) was founded in 1976 and SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) were adopted.
AHSI eventually became supplanted by InterNACHI – the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors. It is based in the United States, as non-profit, federally tax-exempt, and operates in 65 countries. The industry came to adopt the InterNACHI standards and they remain in place today. Virtually all inspections today, regardless of the type, follow InterNACHI’s Standards of Practice. The Residential Standards of Practice and Standards of Practice for the Inspection of Commercial Properties are the industry standards.
Peach State Home Inspections follows the InterNACHI standards to the letter. As a consumer, whether you use Peach State or another inspections company, it’s important that you insist that they follow these standards. Here’s a link to the Residential Standards of Practice if you would like to familiarize yourself with the details.
Overview of Inspection Reports
All the major home systems, components, and their operability should be included in the reports, with an emphasis on systems that can result in dangerous situations or expensive repairs. Any defects should have thorough explanations including recommendations for remedies.
Usually, there are areas of the home that are not inspected because of their inaccessibility. If there are ceiling or wall coverings that inhibit examination, or areas hidden beneath a floor, the visual nature of inspections will preclude including those in the report. However, the report should disclaim the portions that are not inspected.
Similar to a medical General Practitioner, a home inspector is not a specialist in every system of a home. They are, however, trained to recognize where a specialist is needed. A good example is an HVAC unit. An inspector is not expected to take the unit apart to examine individual components but they receive training to observe signs that an inspection by a qualified HVAC contractor is needed.
Checklist and Narrative Reports
Years ago inspections reports may have been a simple checklist or a simple one or two page written report. Those days are over. Those type of checklist reports were too vague, including terms like “leaking pipe” or “cracked foundation.” They were far too open to interpretation and were useless in a legal setting.
There are still checklist reports being used, but they are being largely supplanted by narrative reports that give complete descriptions of conditions found in the home, with no abbreviations.
HomeHubZone Reporting Software
Decades ago, inspections reports were hand written. Over the years reporting software came on the market and has become increasingly sophisticated. Home Inspection Software like the product we use, HomeHubZone, has allowed us to provide increasingly detailed and thorough reports that accommodate local conditions and allow us to produce very comprehensive and detailed reports more quickly than in the past – saving our clients time and money.
Narrative Content in the Report
Narratives will contain three parts typically:
- Descriptions of a condition or an area of concern;
- Wording describing the seriousness of the condition(s) and the potential ramifications; and
- Recommendations for specific remedial actions or for further evaluation, written in a way that a layperson could understand it.
Report Content
Inspection reports will have a general information section with client’s name, the square footage, and the year the home was built.
They also contain disclaimers, a copy of the inspection agreement, and a copy of the Standards of Practice. The Inspectors professional credentials, designations, affiliations and memberships are included.
The report will include a summary listing major problems to make sure that the reader does not miss anything of importance, especially in the case of conditions that could be a safety hazard or could cost a great deal to resolve.
Photographs are usually included in the main body of the report and a table of contents is provided.
The main body of the report is broken down into and will typically include electrical, plumbing, HVAC for systems or be broken down by area such as exterior, interior, kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. “.
Sample Reports
We are happy to provide a sample inspection reports for a prospective client, and we always advise clients to read the Standards of Practice and the Contract, take a look at the sample Inspection Report, and talk to the inspector to answer any questions or concerns.
If you are located in Atlanta, North Georgia, Macon or Warner Robins we would be delighted to answer any questions you may have and schedule your home inspection with a Certified Inspector.