Agent disagrees with home inspector
Q: You often stress the importance of hiring a home inspector “who is highly experienced and has a reputation for thoroughness.” I am a Realtor and have found exceptions to this advice. I recently sold a home that was inspected by a very experienced home inspector, but some of his findings turned out to be inaccurate. For example, the insulation in the attic was reported to be 5-8 inches deep. The inspector said this appeared insufficient for a relatively new home. He recommended that we check with the building department for insulation requirements. I called the contractor who installed the insulation and he said the insulation had settled but that it still had the same R-value. The other inspection error also occurred in the attic, at the work platform for the furnace. According to the home inspector, the platform should be 30 inches wide. But a carpenter I know said that a 24-inch work platform meets code. What good is an experienced home inspector if his disclosures are not reliable?
A: When home inspection disclosures are at odds with the opinions of contractors or tradesmen, the wisest approach is to seek a third source of information, rather than to assume that one or the other opinion is correct. It is also a good idea to weigh the relative credibility and objectivity of each source. For example, when a home inspector says the attic insulation is not deep enough, this can be regarded as an unbiased opinion, whether or not it is correct, because the inspector has no vested interest in the quality or quantity of the insulation. He is simply expressing a professional opinion. The installer of the insulation, however, has a clear interest in the outcome of the disagreement. If the thickness of the insulation is substandard, then the installer is in a position of professional embarrassment and is liable for the cost of correction. Why then should his opinion be given greater weight than that of the home inspector? It should also be noted that there is a factual error in the installer's response: When insulation settles, the R-value does not stay the same. R-value is directly proportional to the thickness. This is a recognized fact. However, final judgment between the installer and the home inspector should be determined by consulting the local building authority, as the home inspector suggested.
As for the work platform at the furnace, the International Mechanical Code requires that the work platform be 30 inches wide, and this has been the requirement for many years. The 24-inch requirement pertains to the pathway that extends from the attic access to the furnace platform. Common sense, in any event, would tend to favor a home inspector over a carpenter in matters of construction standards. As someone who has been both a carpenter and a home inspector, I can attest to the difference.
The next time you encounter opposition to a home inspector’s findings, check with the local building authority before making a final judgment.
• Distributed by Action Coast Publishing. Questions to Barry Stone can be emailed to barry@housedetective.com.