The Scope and Purpose of a Home Inspection

PROVIEW Professional Home Inspections is proud to include our SAFE HOME BOOK as part of your home inspection report. This publication is a compilation of well-researched articles especially for homeowners. They include valuable information and tips for helping keep families safe and their homes in top condition. Please enjoy it with our compliments.

This inspection was performed in accordance with the current Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics of InterNACHI (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors). The Standards contain certain and very important limitations, expectations and exclusions to the inspection. A copy is available prior to, during and after the inspection and it is part of the report.

©2013 International Association of Certified Home Inspectors & Master Inspector Certification Board.

💲Purchasing property involves risk

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. Some homes 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.

Occasional typographical errors and other minor errors and omissions will occur in the report. I apologize in advance for these. If any of these typos make the report unclear, confusing or incomplete, please contact me immediately for clarification/correction.

A home inspection is not an insurance policy

This report does not substitute for or serve as a warranty or guarantee of any kind. Home warranties can be purchased separately from insuring firms that provide this service.

A home inspection is visual and not destructive

The descriptions and observations in this report are based on a visual inspection of the structure. We inspect the aspects of the structure that can be viewed without dismantling, damaging or disfiguring the structure and without moving furniture and interior furnishings. Areas that are concealed, hidden or inaccessible to view are not covered by this inspection. Some systems cannot be tested during this inspection as testing risks damaging the building. For example, overflow drains on bathtubs are generally not tested because if they were found to be leaking they could damage the finishes below. Our procedures involve non-invasive investigation and non-destructive testing which will limit the scope of the inspection.

☠️Environmental/Suspected bio-growth Exclusions

The reported or actual health effects of many potentially harmful, toxic or environmentally hazardous elements that may be found in building materials or in the air, soil, water in and/or around any house are varied, and, in some cases controversial. A home inspection does not include the detection, identification or analysis of any such elements or related concerns such as, but not limited to, suspected bio-growth, allergens, legal/illegal drugs and other biological contaminants, radon, , bed bugs, cockroaches, fleas, lice, formaldehyde, asbestos, lead, electromagnetic fields, carbon monoxide, insecticides, Chinese drywall, refrigerants and fuel oils. Furthermore, no evaluations are performed to determine the effectiveness or appropriateness of any method or system (e.g., water filter, radon mitigation, etc.), designed to prevent or remove any hazardous or unwanted materials or elements. An environmental health specialist should be contacted for evaluation of any potential health or environmental concerns. The noting of the presence of materials commonly considered to contain asbestos, formaldehyde, lead, suspected bio-growth etc in the inspection report, should not be construed to mean the inspector is inspecting for these things but instead should be seen as a "heads-up" regarding these materials and further evaluation by qualified professionals may be warranted.

This is not an inspection for code compliance

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.

This is just my opinion and just for you

The contents of this report are for the sole use of the client named above and no other person or party may rely on this report for any reason or purpose whatsoever without the prior written consent of the inspector who authored the report. Any person or party who chooses to rely on this report for any reason or purpose whatsoever without my express written consent does so at their own risk and by doing so waives any claim of error or deficiency in this report.

Construction techniques and standards vary. There is no one way to build a house or install a system in a house. The observations in this report are my opinions based on my training and experience. Other inspectors and contractors are likely to have differing opinions. You are welcome to seek opinions from other professionals in the context of doing your due diligence.

The scope of this inspection

This inspection will include the following systems: exterior, roof, structure, drainage, foundation, attic, interior, plumbing, electrical and heating. The evaluation will be based on limited observations that are primarily visual and non-invasive. This inspection and report are not intended to be technically exhaustive.

All homes are likely to have some faults which may range from cosmetic defects to major safety hazards. Not all defects will be found.  While some minor deficiencies may be mentioned, the emphasis of this report is to inform the buyer of the property condition by detecting deficiencies or circumstances that may affect the structural integrity of the building and its components and its safe use as a residence.

You are encouraged to obtain competitive estimates for major repair needs. Safety and health issues should be addressed promptly. It is recommended that all corrective work, other than routine maintenance activities, be performed by qualified licensed contractors.

It is beyond the scope of the Standard Home Inspection to identify components within the home that may have been part of a "manufacturer's recall". Mention of specific recalls within this report must not be construed to mean that all such items have been identified, or that such identification is part of a Standard Home Inspection. When possible, appliance Model Numbers and Serial Numbers are included in the report and can be used to check for recall related issues. If you have any question about specific appliances, information can be found at the CPSC (Consumer Products Safety Commission) website or contact the manufacturer directly.

I recommend you obtain as much history as is available concerning this property. This historical information may include copies of any seller's disclosures, previous inspection or engineering reports, reports performed for or by relocation companies, municipal inspection departments, lenders, insurers and appraisers. You should attempt to determine whether repairs, renovation, remodeling, additions or other such activities have taken place at this property, and this report will attempt to identify such items when possible.

Ranges, Dish Washers, and Refrigerators, Microwaves (and the like) are typically tested for basic function (Do they turn on). No assertions are made as to how well they function. Clothes washers/dryers are typically not operated.

Throughout this report, comments will be made as to the presence or absence of components or parts of components. This must not be construed to mean that these components or parts of components exist (or don't exist) in concealed areas or behind finished surfaces. For example: if foundation bolting was seen in one area, it does not mean that the bolting exists (or doesn't exist) in areas that are concealed. Also if an item was noted as "not being visible," that should not be construed to mean that none of whatever was "not visible" does not exist on the premises---it just means none was noted at the time of inspection and should be seen as a "heads-up" that the concern or condition might be present but hidden, or that the conditions that would allow its presence to be known was not replicated at the time of inspection.

Many of the non-narrative observations/documentation detailed in the report that are related to more "cosmetic" issues should not be construed as "all inclusive" but should instead be seen in as "suggestive" or a "guideline" of conditions that may exist elsewhere in the home. It is not the focus of the report to comment extensively on cosmetic issues, but I do make note of them at times to help complete the "snap-shot" of the home at the time of inspection.  For example, "nail-pops" seen in one room are likely to be seen (and should be anticipated) in other rooms even though I may not have noted them in the report.

Throughout the report I may make recommendations as to possible repairs. These recommendations are not intended to be substitutes or construed to be more appropriate than the recommendations of the professionals making the repairs. Conflicts in recommendations should be resolved prior to repairs being made.

Your expectations

The overall goal of a home inspection is to help ensure that your expectations are appropriate with the house you are proposing to buy. To this end we assist with discovery by showing and documenting observations during the home inspection. This should not be mistaken for a technically exhaustive inspection designed to uncover every defect with a building. Such inspections are available but they are generally cost-prohibitive to most home-buyers.

Who should make repairs and what should their qualifications be?

Worker qualifications: In the text of the report, in some instances, I recommend that work be done by a "qualified" persons or "qualified" parties. I consider qualified parties, in licensed trades, to be those individuals who hold the necessary licenses to legally work in their profession -- licensed electricians, licensed pest control applicators, licensed plumbers, licensed HVAC professionals, licensed engineers, licensed general contractors, etc. In instances where a task may not, typically, need to be done by a person with a professional license, my recommendation is to hire an individual to do the work who is, based on past training, experience or expertise, qualified to further evaluate the condition or problem listed in the report and to then make appropriate repairs.

For additional fees, I can perform invasive inspection of concealed areas if desired. Please contact me for more information regarding this service.

Your participation is requested

Your presence is requested during this inspection. A written report will not substitute for all the possible information that can be conveyed verbally by a shared visual observation of the conditions of the property.

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, we 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, 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.

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:

• 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.

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.