Home Inspector problems.........

[chevyx92]

Have an inspection report with multiple write ups, one in particular is (install GFCI in half bath--no outlet present). Really? He's going to write this up and try to make the seller pay for an installation on an outlet that doesn't even exist? I say try because the buyer is requesting the seller to repair all electrical write ups. My opinion on the situation is that the home was wired to standards at that time(1970) and that he shouldn't word his write up to say "Install GFCI" when no outlet is even there. What are your professional opinions?

 

[Sierrasparky]

are you saying code at the time did not require a outlet in the bathroom?

 

[mopowr steve]

OP said 1/2 bath which by NEC definition is not really a bathroom.
Just a toilet/sink room no receptacle required. Right?

 

[tkb]

Sounds like he is getting work for you, why complain?

 

[roger]

On your proposal note the items that were not code violations nor required at the time the house was built or permitted, let the seller use that to contest the HI's report.

If the buyer wants these items they can pay you or the seller can add the cost to the selling price after you have done the work.

The HI is not the electrical expert, you and your license are.

Roger

 

[mopowr steve]

Sounds like he is getting work for you, why complain?

Are you a home owner that feels obligated to pay for something you shouldn't need to do? Just to sell a home.

 

[infinity]

Hi's are home inspectors not code inspectors so it's not their job to determine if the code applicable at the time of installation required a receptacle. Their opinions and suggestions should be just that, opinions and suggestions, nothing mandatory or they should state that the buyer needs to consult with a licensed electrician. The report should simply state that there is no receptacle in the 1/2 bath and leave it at that.

 

[tkb]

Are you a home owner that feels obligated to pay for something you shouldn't need to do? Just to sell a home.

No, but if a HI is funneling work my way it is just good business to take it.

 

[JFletcher]

Did half baths ever require a receptacle? Our 1953 build home doesnt have a receptacle in the wall but there is an ungrounded simplex receptacle in the original vanity light

 

[jumper]

Did half baths ever require a receptacle?

Not that I know of.

 

[iwire]

Have an inspection report with multiple write ups, one in particular is (install GFCI in half bath--no outlet present). Really? He's going to write this up and try to make the seller pay for an installation on an outlet that doesn't even exist? I say try because the buyer is requesting the seller to repair all electrical write ups. My opinion on the situation is that the home was wired to standards at that time(1970) and that he shouldn't word his write up to say "Install GFCI" when no outlet is even there. What are your professional opinions?

None of that is any of your bussness, do the job and collect the money.


Why do electricians always want to get in a pissing match with HIs?

Are we so insecure that we have to prove we know more than the untrained? :?

 

[roger]

Why do electricians always want to get in a pissing match with HIs?

In my case I enjoy it if they are making statements or claims that are wrong.

Are we so insecure that we have to prove we know more than the untrained? :?

Not insecure at all but, they need to be corrected if they are wrong and I don't see that as being out of line, do you?

Roger

 

[chevyx92]

None of that is any of your bussness, do the job and collect the money. :?

Oh yeah let me tell the customer that they will need to let me cut open walls and ceilings to run a circuit to bathroom because a "Home Inspector" said so. No crawl and finished floor above, you're not running circuit without opening walls and ceilings. I am on the customer's side as a professional and saving them money where they can, not trying to rip them off at the expense of a H.I.'s report. He's wrong for saying to install an outlet and it's misleading to the potential buyer.

Why do electricians always want to get in a pissing match with HIs?

Are we so insecure that we have to prove we know more than the untrained? :?

Insecure? Somebody didn't have a valentine today. My only point was the H.I. shouldn't write up a report stating that a GFCI needs to be installed when there is no outlet even there. Potential buyer doesn't know anything and reads his statements and tries to make home owner liable for the H.I.'s bogus write ups. I'm not out here to collect money using false pretenses to justify it. H.I.'s cost home buyers thousands and thousands of wasted dollars on their bogus write ups every year. I'm just tired of seeing it. I mean writing up outlets with grounds up saying they are installed upside down just tells me that you have no clue. If they are going to write things up and suggest anything, they should be required to have an electrical license. I mean after all they are trying to act like an electrical inspector.

 

[user 100]

Oh yeah let me tell the customer that they will need to let me cut open walls and ceilings to run a circuit to bathroom because a "Home Inspector" said so. No crawl and finished floor above, you're not running circuit without opening walls and ceilings.

What else is on the circuit that feeds this halfbath light?

 

[chevyx92]

What else is on the circuit that feeds this halfbath light?

More than just the bathroom.

 

[user 100]

More than just the bathroom.

Then in that case if the hi/buyer must still have this gfci- you can just gfci that entire circuit and tell him that if the ho needs to plug something in the half bath they can just screw in one of the outlet socket adapters to the fixture.....problem solved.

Seriously though the hi is wrong and Rogers post/suggestions in #5 are the best in this thread as far as dealing with this- the prospective buyers probably won't like having to shell out more $$$ but too bad- they too can learn that legal grandfathered work isn't required to be updated just because a house is getting sold/goofy unsubstantiated whims of hi and if push comes to shove the seller can always find another buyer if they balk at the extra cost.:happyyes:

 

[mgookin]

On one side of this story, there is someone doing something wrong, and at times an entire industry doing something wrong. By letting it continue without them knowing they're doing it wrong, they're being "taught" to do it wrong.

On the other side of this story, there's someone trying to sell a home. Let's assume it's a $250k transaction. It is reasonable that right or wrong, they'll shell out $250 to make this issue go away so they can go to closing.

So how about doing the job but calling this HI after closing saying "Hey just to let you know I didn't want to start a war between seller & buyer so I went ahead and did this job, but you're flat out wrong in telling them that a 50 year old house needs a GFCI in a toilet room.

 

[qcroanoke]

Although the HI is wrong I would look in the switch box and see if a neutral is there. If there is I would look to see if I could cut in a receptacle and put it on gfi. And I would make it clear that it wasn't required when the house was built. It won't meet today's code but it would be a receptacle on gfi.

 

[david]

Although the HI is wrong I would look in the switch box and see if a neutral is there. If there is I would look to see if I could cut in a receptacle and put it on gfi. And I would make it clear that it wasn't required when the house was built. It won't meet today's code but it would be a receptacle on gfi.

why would it not meet code? are you saying a 20 amp rec. circuit is required? I have to go back and read through all this again, but i thought this was determined that it is not defined as a bathroom by definition.

 

[kwired]

OP said 1/2 bath which by NEC definition is not really a bathroom.
Just a toilet/sink room no receptacle required. Right?

2014 NEC definitions:

Bathroom.
An area including a basin with one or more of the following: a toilet, a urinal, a tub, a shower, a bidet, or similar plumbing fixtures.

Don't know how far back the definition goes but has been this way or very similar for maybe at least 20 years, maybe even longer.

There is no 1/2 bath definition in NEC, but if you have the sink plus any one of the other items mentioned in the same area you have a NEC defined bathroom, and currently a receptacle is requried. Don't know for certain how long one has been required.