Doesn't the Home Inspector find everything?

The Home inspector is a “Generalist”. This means that they are giving you a general overview of the condition of the property based on a "visual" inspection. Their inspection is not in-depth or exhaustive in any area but it is thorough and covers all the major systems of the home. This is due to a number of factors:

• Most Home Inspectors follow a set of “Standards of Practice” (SoPs) that dictate what is inspected, what is NOT inspected and how it is reported. These standards should be made available to you at the time of the Inspection.

• To do an in-depth evaluation of all the items and systems involved in a typical home inspection would take many hours and cost much more than than most would be willing to pay.

• Many times, depending on the condition of the property, this exhaustive a level of inspection is not called for.

Think of the Home Inspector as being like the Primary Care Physician for your new home. He will do a general, visual inspection of the major components of the home and suggest additional, in-depth evaluation by a specialist in that particular system or component. You most likely do not need a full-on roofing, electrical, plumbing, foundation and HVAC inspection. You might, but probably not. In the long run, this saves you money. Additional inspections cost money. From $50 to $350 or more each. Mold inspections cost a lot more in many cases.

Remember above where I said this is a "visual" inspection? Visual is the key word! If the Inspector cannot see or access something, it will not be reported on. The Inspector will usually include information indicating if something could not be accessed and why. There are a couple of areas where this applies:

• The underground portion of the sewer line, especially the portion that runs from the house out to the city street or to the septic tank in the case of a private sewage disposal system.

• The interior of any fireplace flues and chimneys.

• Inside walls or ceilings, behind tile and wall paper or behind areas blocked or obscured by the sellers furniture or stored items. (like in attics or garages and basements)

These areas are the target of some of those "specialty inspections" performed by experts in those particular areas with specialized (and expensive) equipment.

These areas are a given. They should be given a high priority for further evaluation.

Additional areas of more in-depth evaluation by an expert are; the electrical system, roofing, plumbing HVAC and foundation.

If the Home Inspector finds significant or life threatening issues in these areas they will recommend additional evaluation by a licensed contractor specialist.

So now you know what to expect of the Home Inspector and their inspection and that he is not necessarily the last Inspector you will see.