Home inspectors who repair defects
Q. As a licensed Realtor, I encourage every one of my buyers to hire a home inspector. The inspector I usually recommend has always done a competent job, but one thing about his inspection business bothers me. He also contracts to repair the conditions listed in his inspection reports. This strikes me as a conflict of interest and has caused me to consider finding another inspector. Is it ethical for home inspectors to perform repair work?
A. Your suspicions are well founded. The Standards of Practice and Codes of Ethics for every recognized home inspector association strictly prohibits member inspectors from contracting repair work on properties they inspect.
Work obtained in this manner is a conflict of interest that would lead many people to question the reliability of disclosures listed in the inspection report. A home inspector must assume the position of a detached third party, with no secondary interests in the transaction.
Even if the inspector is totally honest and would never compromise the verity of a report, the general perception of the inspector's work would be suspect if profits were to be made from defects in the property. To limit your own liability and protect the interests of your clients, avoid inspectors who indulge in this compromising practice.
From a consumer's perspective, a home inspector's objectivity is assured by the inability to derive financial benefit from faulty conditions that are reported.
Q. Last year we bought a newly constructed home, but we did not hire a home inspector. Since then, large cracks have appeared in the concrete walkways around the building. Two of these cracks are raised more than an inch wide. Is this a minor problem, or could our house be settling?
A. Cracks in residential walkways are common and in most cases do not involve settlement of buildings on the property. However, when lifting as much as an inch occurs in pavement that is only one year old, evaluation by a qualified professional is a good idea to determine the cause of the problem and to identify other related defects.
Large cracks in pavement could mean that the ground was not adequately compacted prior to pouring the concrete. It could mean there are large tree roots growing under the pavement. On a hillside property, it could indicate downhill subsidence, which could also be affecting the building. In any case, it reveals a lack of steel reinforcement in the pavement.
The fact that this is happening so soon after construction of the home raises suspicions regarding the overall quality of the workmanship. If you did not hire a professional home inspector prior to buying the property, it is strongly advised you do so now. A competent, experienced home inspector will find construction defects that you have not yet discovered, and these will most likely need to be addressed under the builder's warranty.
• 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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