How far do you go with a Home Inspection laundry list?

N

nizak

Senior Member
Contacted by a Realtor and forwarded an residential inspection report.

- Ungrounded receptacles.
- Kitchen and bath lacking GFCI
- Open junction boxes
- Breaker panel wiring a mess

All things that are relatively easy to fix.
Then I go outside and find that the mast wiring and meter base are only rated for 100 amp.

Load center has a 150 amp main .

Seems like every time I deal with a home inspection there’s something half assed about it .
 
Home inspectors, generally, become home inspectors because they aren’t good enough to work in the trades, and more than likely lack the business acumen and physical requirements to be a tradesman.

They take some classes, and then walk around with a clipboard. In the world of Contractors, they are pretty much universally dismissed as phonies, because they have no real trade experience.

As is evidenced by your report: Calling out things that were code compliant when the structure was built, more than likely, and missing obvious bad situations.

I get calls pretty often from realtors, who seem to be the only people on the planet who think a home inspector is worth anything, and I tell them they can do themselves a giant favor by taking his report and tossing it straight into the trash can.
 
infinity said:
Personally since you found other issues I would do my own inspection and then report them to the buyer before I would make any repairs.
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Just did a more in depth inspection of the property.

All the ceiling fans with light kits are operated by newly installed dimmer only switches.



The humming sounds when there running are ridiculous.

All receptacles have been replaced with 3 prong devices . Those circuits are all 2 wire.


Appears the owner was big into short wave radio and an electronics buff. I found a room in the basement just packed with resistors, vacuum tubes, relays, capacitors,and stuff I’ve never seen.

For instance:
In the basement there’s a number of 120 volt light fixtures that are controlled ( on/off/ dimmer)by home made low voltage switching. ( toggle, push button, rheostat,)

Just a plethora of low voltage wires running everywhere. Most are mixed in boxes( or homemade enclosures) with 120V supply.

I can see why the home inspector didn’t mention any of this. Certain he doesn’t even know what it is.
 
Seven-Delta-FortyOne said:
Home inspectors, generally, become home inspectors because they aren’t good enough to work in the trades, and more than likely lack the business acumen and physical requirements to be a tradesman.
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There are plenty of bad home inspectors out there, but this is a little rough. I have had lots of people tell me I should be a home inspector because I have a lot of experience in construction besides electrical. It would be an easy side hustle, but I don't want to go through the hassle of filling out reports. So maybe home inspector types are guys that don't mind paperwork. I do think there should be a higher barrier to being a home inspector.
 
A number of years ago a home inspection school posted a link to one of the tests they give their students. Many of us took it and at most we only missed one or two questions. The guy from the school begged anybody interested to contact him.

-Hal
 
You go as far as the guy footing the bill is willing to pay. You can agree to fix certain things and if you find a bunch of other things along the way you make your own list and send it to whomever hired you.
 
No respect for most Home inspectors as they really mostly haven't a clue.

As already indicated, do your own inspection and then report the finds. Also prioritize based on clear safety issues, if cost is an issue recommending these be handled first.

Most new home buyers, even if the report indicated electrical issues, are not prepared to put in the money to fix the issues, even if they are real.
 
My thoughts and experience has been when the sellers go away, you're still here. To a certain extent you are working for the buyers, because they are here in your areas. If their's an issue they'll will be given your name.
 
Unless it's part of the agreement between the owner and buyer to fix it before purchase you don't fix it and you don't point out things that were missed.
 
It's just like any other customer who calls you out to fix some things around their house.

A real estate inspection is just there for the purposes of informing the buyer of issues before they make the purchase.

The seller isn't obligated to make any of those repairs. It's just a bargaining tool for the buyer to be able to negotiate.

Maybe the buyer says they won't by the house unless everything on the list is repaired. And the seller has the option to have everything fixed or they can say "nah, I'm good bro"

I just did a job. There wasn't a real estate inspection, but it had scenarios that are similar. It was a small bathroom remodel, and I had to go in the attic to demo the old bath fan and light so they could be moved.

While I was up there, I saw about a dozen flying splices, which included 18 gauge extension cord to power an attic fan, bath fan and kitchen exhaust fan.

I spent time explaining some of what was wrong to the homeowner, and he had a concern about the budget. The resolution was for me to fix anything that would make me uncomfortable in my own house, then cut back and cap off any loose ends, and leave the attic fan disconnected altogether.. then he could address the remaining issues later after he was able to save some more money.

Maybe in the case of an inspection, the guy missed some things. It does happen. I might have missed some things in that attic I was in
 
nizak said:
Contacted by a Realtor and forwarded an residential inspection report.

- Ungrounded receptacles.
- Kitchen and bath lacking GFCI
- Open junction boxes
- Breaker panel wiring a mess

All things that are relatively easy to fix.
Then I go outside and find that the mast wiring and meter base are only rated for 100 amp.

Load center has a 150 amp main .

Seems like every time I deal with a home inspection there’s something half assed about it .
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So does Michigan have HI licensing or are they pretty much unregulated?
 
nizak said:
Seems like every time I deal with a home inspection there’s something half assed about it .
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And you’re upset because you had business sent your way?? A plumber, a roofer and a mechanical contractor probably had a little business sent their way too.

Do you think that home inspectors haven’t seen their fair share of lazy electricians? White ungrounded conductors, multiple grounded conductors under a single terminal of a neutral busbar. I just inspected a brand new house yesterday where the electrician failed to seal the raceway between the meter base and the service in an air conditioned utility room. All things that cannot be inspected by the AHJ in their final since they cannot remove the panel cover.

Do you think county inspectors don’t miss a thing or two. Six months ago I inspected a new house ready for occupancy that was missing a grounding electrode. The grounding electrode conductor was just lying on the dirt outside.

Home Inspectors are generalists. We are going to come across a wide variety of defects under multiple trades and specialties. If I find multiple defects or violations in a specific trade, I assume it was a DIY job and will recommend a full evaluation of the entire system by a tradesman. I am not going to find every latent defect.
 
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HIGuy said:
Home Inspectors are generalists. We are going to come across a wide variety of defects under multiple trades and specialties. If I find multiple defects or violations in a specific trade, I assume it was a DIY job and will recommend a full evaluation of the entire system by a tradesman. I am not going to find every latent defect
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Home inspectors can really save people money when buying a home by finding defects that can cost a large sum of money to repair. The problem is with the industry as a whole. In some states there are little to no minimum qualifications to become a home inspector. There is no licensing either.

Here in NJ home inspectors are licensed and are required to meet a list of minimum standards, must pass an exam, carry insurance, and are issued a license. Also the state has its own SOP that HI's must follow. Like electricians all HI's are good. Some are really good, some not so good. I have dealt with both kinds not only as an electrician but as someone who has bought and sold several homes.
 
Ya, this one goes both ways... there are a lot of folks out there who couldn't bash two rocks together and get pebbles from them, but at the same time hiring someone who knows their stuff can really save your bacon. There's also the potential to use the inspection report as a bargaining chip... my current house had a FedPac panel-subpanel combination when we bought it. We specifically called that out as something we would handle ourselves, while other buyers would likely demand it be replaced as a contingency. One thing they'll always tell you, though, is that they can only inspect what they can see, so if there's something in the way...
 
Seven-Delta-FortyOne said:
Home inspectors, generally, become home inspectors because they aren’t good enough to work in the trades, and more than likely lack the business acumen and physical requirements to be a tradesman.
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Yikes!

I wouldn't go that far, but as a city inspector I do get calls from realtors occasionally asking about something an HI told them, and I do not remember a single time that I or the code agreed with the HI. So I understand where you are coming from.

That said, I know our former building official worked part time as an HI after he retired, and he was a certified Master Code Professional through the ICC, which is quite an impressive achievement. He was/is incredibly overqualified for the job and I am certain that he was/is doing an excellent job. Some of those guys are pretty sharp.
 
Have had to tell HI (in writing) that QO breakers are rated for 2 conductors.

EVERY HI report I have ever seen lists MOLD as a problem.
 
junkhound said:
Have had to tell HI (in writing) that QO breakers are rated for 2 conductors.

EVERY HI report I have ever seen lists MOLD as a problem.
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Most homes have mold somewhere. These days they also do some kind of test for airborne mold that picks up even tiny traces of mold in the air. I have been told by real mold experts that doing the airborne test with a window open can cause a positive result.
 
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