A Standard Inspection

A Standard Inspection

 

All my students can attest to the drumbeat of my voice telling them over and over the importance of making the home inspection process a routine.  “Establish a system and follow it the same way every time!  Even though every house is different and new situations arise with every inspection, a routine will guide you through the surprises and help ensure that nothing is overlooked.” This is one of the key lessons I try to pass on as a teacher, but it never seems to truly sink-in until it saves their behind.

I received a phone call last week from one of my graduates telling me about a recent ‘situation’.  He had done an inspection three months prior and found no significant issues to report at this house.  However, almost immediately after the client had moved into his new house, a problem with the plumbing appeared.  When the new home owners did their first load of laundry the drain was blocked and the water backed up into the sinks and bathtub.  Of course the client was upset. He called their attorney. He called their realtor.  He called their home inspector.

 

My former student, the new inspector, wasn’t worried about the situation because of one fact; when he did the inspection he had gone through his usual steps.  He had filled the bathtub and sinks with water, and at the end of the inspection (with the help of the realtor and the client) he drained them all at the same time.  This process stresses the drain system and indicates whether this system is working properly at the time of the inspection.  He always does this at his inspections.  As he said to me, “…it is a part of my routine.”

 

If this had been an intermittent step, and only done during some inspections, his attitude toward the problem may have been much different.  If he was unsure if the drain test had been done it would have given cause for fear and doubt about his thoroughness and possibly being open to a lawsuit. 

 

[Even if he had not performed this test, his legal liability would be non-existent due to the limited scope and nature of a home inspection.] 

 

His thoroughness as a home inspector had been called into question; and stating that this test is “…not required in my inspection.” would be a less than satisfactory explanation.  Because he was certain he had done this test, and the client had witnessed the procedure, there was no reasonable possibility of any further action toward the inspector.

 

As it turns out, they found out from the city that the previous owner had regularly reported problems with the drain, but did not reveal this on his disclosure form.  My former student thanked me and said that being certain that he had thoroughly tested the drains, within the limitations of a non-invasive visual inspection, was peace-of–mind that was priceless.

 

By repeatedly emphasizing to my students the importance of developing a standard routine and performing it religiously, I hope to put them into situations where they too can be confident that they have performed their job completely when a complaint arises.  No matter how many houses they inspect in the interim, they will not have to tax their memory about what was, or was not done at any individual house. Because each inspection is done in the same manner, they can rest easy.

 

The importance of using a routine to do a thorough standard home inspection cannot be overstated.