Frustrated home inspector has findings questioned
Q. As a home inspector for more than eight years, I have had some frustrating experiences with agents and sellers who disagree with my findings. For example, a roof truss in an attic had been cut so that the furnace could be installed. I advised that the truss be inspected by a licensed structural engineer to ensure that it was properly modified. Instead, the sellers called the heating contractor who installed the furnace. He said this is how they always do it and agreed to guarantee the truss in writing for 10 years. I told the buyers that a heating contractor cannot legal guarantee a modified truss. The Realtor wanted to know how this could pass the original building inspector if my report was correct. That was the last referral I received from that agent. What do you think about such situations?
A. Disparities of this kind are common in real estate transactions. When a home inspector's findings are challenged because the condition in question was approved by the building department, the answer is usually quite simple: The condition wasn't approved by the building inspector; rather, it was missed. For one reason or other, it was simply overlooked when the construction was approved. And there are some common reasons why this happens.
A home inspector spends three hours or more in a home, whereas a municipal inspector can spend as little as 10 to 15 minutes there, or 30 minutes if the inspector is exceptional and has available time. Building inspectors do a simple walk-through inspection, not an in-depth exploratory examination. City and county inspectors do not enter crawl spaces or attics, and they usually do not walk on roofs, unless they are exceptional.
If a gas pipe, flue pipe or dryer exhaust duct passes through a return air plenum, the building inspector probably didn't even look. If a flue pipe touches plywood in the attic, or if the trusses were cut for any reason, the inspector probably never looked.
Unfortunately, there are times when a home inspector is presumed to be wrong, regardless of all supporting evidence, and in some cases there is nothing the home inspector can do to change stubborn minds. Sometimes home inspectors are not even notified that their findings were summarily dismissed.
In one case, a home inspector found a dry-rotted door jamb that had been missed by the termite inspector. When the agent asked the termite inspector to reinspect the jamb, he told her the home inspector damaged the jamb by using a sharp implement as a probe. She believed the termite inspector, spread the word throughout her office, and thereafter that inspector was regarded as incompetent by those agents.
The only advice I can give you is to continue doing your best and to persevere.
Q. My water heater is installed in a utility room, with a floor drain several feet away. Is a drain pan needed under the water heater if the floor drain is present in the room? Installing a pan was recommended by a home inspector.
A. If the floor is adequately sloped to the floor drain, a drain pan under the water heater is not necessary. If the floor is not sloped to the drain, a pan can be installed and connected to a pipe that terminates at the floor drain.
• To write to Barry Stone, visit him on the web at www.housedetective.com, or write AMG, 1776 Jami Lee Court, Suite 218, San Luis Obispo, CA 94301.
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