Doing an Electrical Inspection for a Realty Company.....

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chevyx92

Senior Member
Location
VA BCH, VA
Realty company needs a letter from electrical contractor stating the electrical system is in good working order, they need this because the appraiser is requiring it. I looked everything over and tested voltages and spot checked outlets and found no issues. My question to you business owners or others is what would you state in this letter and would you state that you would not be held reliable for anything on the property? I want to release myself from any liablity only because I mean I only did a quick inspection(that's all they wanted) and dont know whats behind walls and things I cant see. What's your view on this situation?
 

markevil

Member
Location
cleveland ohio
I write these letters often. I state that the wiring is acceptable for the time period that it was installed (70's, 80,s. etc. ) and it passed voltage and a visual test. I also state that only wiring that is accessible has been checked. Never had a problem or anything come back to me. I think they just want a professional opinion, not to hold someone liable for work that someone else did years ago.
 

chevyx92

Senior Member
Location
VA BCH, VA
Do you state anywhere in there that you have no liability even though you inspected it and are writing a letter to state its in good working order?
 

markevil

Member
Location
cleveland ohio
No I don't write it that way. I think it's understood that you can't be held liable for someone else's work. City inspectors are not liable if your work is faulty or injure someone (except if negligent or "drive by inspecting"). The reality company usually gives a warranty with the house so they assume the repair liability. They are just looking for a professional to evaluate the existing wiring and bring any obvious problems to their attention.
 

jeremysterling

Senior Member
Location
Austin, TX
Just my two cents to add to the already excellent advice offered to the OP.

Write down all your observations, measurements and recordings and NO assumptions at all, none.

For example, if the DMM reads 119.2V at the master bedroom north wall receptacle and all other recepts read similar voltage, I would write: "Master Bedroom Receptacles measure 120V nominal voltage present with correct polarity observed. Voltage test satisfactory." That's different then saying it's a "good circuit" because you really don't know if it is or isn't without one-lining it.

So, to me, the only thing your liable for is your sloppy handwriting.;)
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
Do you state anywhere in there that you have no liability even though you inspected it and are writing a letter to state its in good working order?

First off, nothing you write can change your level of liability. Your liability is determined by your state law and nothing else. No agreement between you and a second party binds a third party anyway.

Having said that, why not just write a letter saying that you were asked to perform a cursory inspection of the electrical system, describe what you did, and what you found. I would not be making any grand conclusions like it is "safe", or "to code in 1969".
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
No I don't write it that way. I think it's understood that you can't be held liable for someone else's work. City inspectors are not liable if your work is faulty or injure someone (except if negligent or "drive by inspecting"). The reality company usually gives a warranty with the house so they assume the repair liability. They are just looking for a professional to evaluate the existing wiring and bring any obvious problems to their attention.

Don't assume anything, if they understood you to say it is safe and something happens, they will try to accuse whoever they can. You may get out of it, but it will still inconvenience you at the very least. Write a report, detail what you have observed, note things like: at the time of installation GFCI protection likely was not required (for a specific outlet or area), current codes would require GFCI protection, and it would be a good idea for safety purposes to provide GFCI protection. Saying this does not in any wayt condemn the existing installation, but makes suggestion that it could use some improvement.

Whoever reads your report can look at it and see what the conditions are.

These areas are an immediate threat to injure someone or cause property damage:

xxxx, xxxxx,xxxxx

These areas could use some attention but maybe are not quite as much of an immediate threat:

xxxx, xxxx, xxxxx

These areas were not visually inspected and would require major expense or damage to building finishes to be able to visually see and evaluate them:

xxxx, xxxx, xxxxx.

If what is visible is deemed in pretty fair condition you can only assume that what is concealed is pretty fair. If there is a lot of questionable installation work in what is visible, then make a note that one can only assume the concealed items may have been installed by someone that was unqualified and the risk of some hazard being concealed is higher.
 

G._S._Ohm

Senior Member
Location
DC area
If you give 'bad' answers the realtor will hire more people until he/she gets 'good' answers.
You will not be told that you gave 'bad' answers.
The realtor will pass on the cost of this 'cherry picking' of the info to someone else.
In the long term the realtor will only call back the people who gave 'good' answers.
The realtor is not really lying, not really.
 
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kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
If you give 'bad' answers the realtor will hire more people until he/she gets 'good' answers.
You will not be told that you gave 'bad' answers.
The realtor will pass on the cost of this 'cherry picking' of the info to someone else.
In the long term the realtor will only call back the people who gave 'good' answers.
The realtor is not really lying, not really.

That does happen, and I really don't care if they never call me back with anything. I will not give anyone the report they want to see, I will give them a report of what I find to be the condition of the installation. It is not a notice of any kind that repairs must be done, but will strongly emphasize certain conditions may be dangerous if left as they are. My report is nothing more than a bargaining tool for buyer or seller and neither is obligated to make any recommended repairs, and both are certainly welcome to pay someone else for a second opinion. My main goal is to first not give someone a false opinion that the installation is safe, as there is usually deficiencies on any home that has been lived in.

These realtors also seem to think it is only going to take ten minutes to run through the house and say everything is OK. Wrong. I figure minimum of two hours of my time is needed on even a fairly small home, then they sometimes balk at the price - too bad I made my offer take it or leave it. I am not going to run through there and tell you what you want to hear, only to have something happen sometime down the road and someone tries to accuse me of not pointing out something I should have seen and maybe even taking me to court over it.
 

Gold

Member
Location
US
I do these a lot in here (nj) What Bob said about the e&o policy is pretty important.

I usually describe what i tested and how, along with the results and use the wording like "in my professional opinion" "appears to be aged but in satisfactory condition" "in no way a warranty or assurance of safe and proper function" things like that.

IMO tho I wouldn't touch it without an e&o policy.
 
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