THIS REPORT IS FOR THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF THE CLIENT LISTED ON THIS REPORT. USE BY ANY OTHER PERSONS WITHOUT THE EXPRESS CONSENT OF FAIR WINDS BUILDING INSPECTION SERVICES, LLC. WILL BE A VIOLATION OF A CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT AND WILL IMMEDIATELY NULLIFY THE REPORT.

The Scope and Purpose

This report outlines the scope and purpose of various inspections offered by Fair Winds Building Inspection Services. In addition to a standard home inspection, some clients may request ancillary inspections, such as a 4-Point Inspection, Wind Mitigation Inspection, or Swimming Pool Inspection. Your inspection may or may not include these ancillary inspections. The specific inspections performed for your property are listed in your agreement and detailed in the main part of this report. If you have any questions about which inspections were conducted, please refer to those sections or contact me directly.

Residential Inspection

The purpose of a home inspection is to help reduce the risk associated with the purchase of a structure by providing a professional opinion about the overall condition of the structure. A home inspection is a limited visual inspection and it cannot eliminate this risk completely. Some homes present more risks than others. I cannot control this, but I try to help educate you about the condition of the property during the inspection process. This is more difficult to convey in a report and one of many reasons why I recommend that you attend the inspection.

This inspection process followed the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Standards of Practice (SOP). The SOP is provided at the end of the report for your reference. There may be comments made in this report that exceed the FL Standards of Practice; these comments (if present) were made as a courtesy to give you as much information as possible about the home. Exceeding the Standards of Practice will only happen when I feel I have the experience, knowledge, or evidence to do so. There should be no expectation that the Standards of Practice will be exceeded throughout the inspection. This inspection and report are not intended to be technically exhaustive. The observations in this report are the opinions of the home inspector. Other inspectors and contractors are likely to have some differing opinions. You are welcome to seek opinions from other professionals.

4-Point Inspection

A “four-point” inspection is a limited visual inspection of the residential structure. A four-point inspection is not exhaustive and is limited to a visual inspection of the four systems and components, which include: 1) the electrical panel and any visible wiring; 2) the plumbing system and any visible pipes; 3) the HVAC system and any visible connections; and, 4) the roof covering and any visible issues. This inspection is not as comprehensive as a full home inspection and is intended only to assess the general condition of these systems.

Wind Mitigation Inspection

A wind mitigation verification inspection is conducted to determine whether a home has specific features designed to withstand strong winds. This inspection is limited to the items listed on the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form and does not assess other home components. The purpose of this inspection is to verify wind-resistant construction features that may qualify the homeowner for insurance discounts. However, this inspection does not guarantee that a home can withstand severe weather events.

Swimming Pool and Spa Inspection

The purpose of pool and/or span inspection is a) to identify conditions that, in the professional opinion of the Inspector, are significantly deficient or b) to identify systems and components of the pool/spa that are at the end of their service lives in order to help reduce the risk associated with the pool/spa are included in the property. This inspection is a limited visual inspection and it cannot eliminate this risk. Some systems or components present more risks than others. We cannot control this, but we try to help educate you about what we don’t know during the inspection process. This is more difficult to convey in a report and one of many reasons why we recommend that you attend the inspection.

This inspection process followed the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) Standards of Practice (SOP). The SOP is provided at the end of the report for your reference. There may be comments made in this report that exceed the Standards of Practice; these comments (if present) were made as a courtesy to give you as much information as possible about the home. Exceeding the Standards of Practice will only happen when I feel I have the experience, knowledge, or evidence to do so. There should be no expectation that the Standards of Practice will be exceeded throughout the inspection. This inspection and report are not intended to be technically exhaustive. The observations in this report are the opinions of the home inspector. Other inspectors and contractors are likely to have some differing opinions. You are welcome to seek opinions from other professionals.

Wood-Destroying Organism (WDO) Inspection

The Inspector, or a subcontractor, will conduct a visual inspection of the readily accessible areas of the Property, including attics and crawlspaces, where access is permitted at the time of inspection. The inspection may involve probing or sounding in unobstructed and accessible areas to identify any visual evidence of wood-destroying organisms. Wood-destroying organisms include termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, powder post beetles, old house borers, and wood-decaying fungi. This inspection does not cover mold, mildew, fungi other than wood-decaying fungi, or other non-insect wood-destroying organisms. The Inspector is not responsible for repairing any damage or treating any infestation.

Additionally, wood-destroying organisms may be present in concealed or inaccessible areas. If the written report states that no visible evidence of wood-destroying organisms was found, it does not guarantee that none exist. Damage may have already begun in areas that were not visible or accessible during the inspection. The inspection will be performed in accordance with Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services standards, as outlined in Chapter 482.226 of the Florida Statutes and Chapter 5E-14.142(2)(c) of the Florida Administrative Code. These regulations include specific limitations, exceptions, and exclusions. If any conflict arises, Florida law will take precedence.

System/Component Update Inspection

This inspection is limited to evaluating the specific items documented in this report to determine whether any visually identifiable deficiencies persist. It does not assess the quality, professionalism, or appropriateness of any repairs made. Repairs to previously identified deficiencies should be performed by licensed and qualified professionals with expertise in addressing the specific issues identified. I recommend that the client obtain copies of all paid receipts and warranties for completed work to verify that the repairs were performed by licensed professionals.

This inspection process followed the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Standards of Practice (SOP). The SOP is provided at the end of the report for your reference. There may be comments made in this report that exceed the FL Standards of Practice; these comments (if present) were made as a courtesy to give you as much information as possible about the home. Exceeding the Standards of Practice will only happen when I feel I have the experience, knowledge, or evidence to do so. There should be no expectation that the Standards of Practice will be exceeded throughout the inspection. This inspection and report are not intended to be technically exhaustive. The observations in this report are the opinions of the home inspector. Other inspectors and contractors are likely to have some differing opinions. You are welcome to seek opinions from other professionals.

The descriptions and observations in this report are based on a visual inspection of the property. I inspect the property without dismantling, damaging, or disfiguring and without moving furniture and interior furnishings. This inspection does not cover certain areas that are concealed, hidden, or inaccessible to view. Some systems cannot be tested during this inspection as testing risks damaging the system or the structure. For example, a heat pump is not generally tested if the outside temperature is above 85 degrees Fahrenheit according to most manufacturers' recommendations. The inspection procedures involved non-invasive investigation and non-destructive testing which would limit the scope of the inspection.

This inspection and report are not intended for city / local code compliance. During the construction process structures are inspected for code compliance by municipal inspectors. Framing is open at this time and conditions can be fully viewed. Framing is not open during inspections of finished homes, and this limits the inspection. All houses fall out of code compliance shortly after they are built, as the codes continually change. National codes are augmented at least every three years for all of the varying disciplines. Municipalities can choose to adopt and phase in sections of the codes on their own timetables. There are generally no requirements to bring older homes into compliance unless substantial renovation is being done.

How to Read This Report

Getting the Information to You

This report is designed to deliver important and technical information in a way that is easy for anyone to access and understand. If you are in a hurry, you can take a quick look at our "Summary Page” and quickly get critical information for important decision making. However, I strongly recommend that you take the time to read the full Report, which includes digital photographs, captions, diagrams, descriptions, videos and hot links to additional information.

The best way to get the layers of information that are presented in this report is to read your report online (the HTML version), which will allow you to expand your learning about your house. You will notice some words or series of words highlighted in blue and underlined – clicking on these will provide you with a link to additional information. The HTML version of this report also contains streaming videos. Short video clips often contain important information and critical context and sounds that can be difficult to capture in words and still pictures.

For the most reliable viewing experience, I recommend viewing the report on as large a screen as practical, as much detail can be lost on small devices like smart phones. For similar reasons, reports should only be printed in color to retain as much detail as possible and minimize misinterpretation of photographs.

This report can also be printed on paper or to a PDF document.

Chapters and Sections

This report is divided into chapters that parcel the home into logical inspection components. Each chapter is broken into sections that relate to a specific system or component of the home. You can navigate between chapters with the click of a button on the left side margin.

Most sections will contain some descriptive information done in black font. Observation narrative, done in colored boxes, will be included if a system or component is found to be significantly deficient in some way or if we wish to provide helpful additional information about the system or the scope of our inspection. If a system or component of the home was deemed to be in satisfactory or serviceable condition, there may be no narrative observation comments in that section and it may simply say “tested,” or “inspected.”

Observation Labels

All narrative observations are colored, numbered and labeled to help you find, refer to, and understand the severity of the observation. Observation colors and labels used in this report are:

• Major Concern:
  Repair items that may cost significant money to correct now or in the near future, or items that require immediate attention to prevent additional damage or eliminate safety hazards.
• Repair:
  Repair and maintenance items noted during inspection. Please note that some repair items can be expensive to correct such as re-finishing hardwood floors, but are considered simply repair items due to their cosmetic nature.
• Improve:
  Observations that are not necessarily defects, but which could be improved for safety, efficiency, or reliability reasons.
• Recommended Maintenance:
  These are repair items that should be considered "routine home ownership items," such as servicing the furnace, cleaning the gutters or changing the air filters in the furnace.
• Due Diligence:
  thoroughly investigating the property to ensure there are no hidden issues or surprises.
• Description:
  Detailed description of various aspects of the property noted during the inspection.
• Limitation:
  Explanation of inspection limitations
• Note:
  Refers to a side information and/or any comments elaborating on descriptions of systems in the home.
• SOP:
  State of Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Standards of Practice for home inspection

Summary Page

The Summary Page is designed as a bulleted overview of all the observations noted during inspection. This helpful overview is not a substitution for reading the entire inspection report. The entire report must be read to get a complete understanding of this inspection report as the Summary Page does not include photographs or photo captions.

Property Orientation

All locations of the exterior components were given as if you are standing outside and facing the front of the house. The bedrooms and the bathrooms were numbered, going clockwise from the garage entrance door and/or at the top of the stairs when multiple bedrooms/bathrooms existed on the same floor, i.e. bedroom 1, bedroom 2, and master bedroom.

How to Build a Repair Request

To see how to build a custom PDF summary list, built from any number of items in this report, please review this video. The idea behind this feature is to allow the readers of this report to build their own custom lists. These could be used as a tool for inspection responses, or for requesting re-inspection of specific items or for documenting work that has been completed as part of a pre-listing inspection.

No house is perfect. Anything in these categories should be addressed as soon as possible. Often, a serious problem can be corrected inexpensively. Not all deficiencies will be identified during this inspection. This inspection is not a guarantee or warranty of any kind. Unexpected repairs should still be anticipated.  All recommended evaluations, repairs, or replacements shall be done by licensed contractors.

Homeownership is both a joyful experience and an important responsibility, so be sure to call on your Fair Winds Building Inspection Services, LLC to help you devise an annual maintenance plan that will keep your family and your investment safe for years to come. Thank you very much for letting us be of service to you and your loved ones.