Home inspector underestimates repair costs
Q: Before we bought our home, our home inspector found rotted floor framing under the house, and the sellers refused to pay for repairs. The inspector estimated $4,000 to do the work. This seemed acceptable, so we bought the house. After moving in, our contractor began the repair work, and that's when things went south. He removed some siding and discovered two adjacent foundation walls, one original and one added. Wet soil between these two walls had caused major framing damage that had not been visible until then. Now the repair bid is $24,000. We called the sellers, but they denied any knowledge or responsibility for this mess. Had we known about this, we wouldn't have bought the house. What can we do?
A: From your description, it appears that the newly discovered foundation and drainage problems may not have been visible or accessible to your home inspector and would only have been known to the sellers if the tandem foundation modification was added while they owned the property.
However, your home inspector, rather than guesstimating the repair costs, should have recommended "further evaluation by a licensed contractor, prior to close of escrow." Had that been done before the close, these defects might have been discovered in time, enabling you to negotiate with the sellers or to walk away from the deal.
Another consideration is whether there was visible evidence at the time of the inspection that should have been noted by your home inspector. If the inspector did in fact overlook visible evidence, there would be good reason for him to file an errors and omissions insurance claim. Further evaluation is needed to determine if visible evidence was apparent at the time of the home inspection.
Q: I have been a home inspector for about three years and try to be very thorough in my inspections. I spend about an hour per 1,000 square feet. Thus, the inspection of a 2,500 square foot house lasts about 2½ hours. I wish you would advise your readers not to price shop for a home inspection. The cheapest price is not the best deal, it's the cheapest deal. Please spread the word.
A: On the two points you've raised, we agree on one but differ on the other. Price shopping is definitely an ill-advised way to find a qualified home inspector. One defect that is missed by a bargain inspector can cost many times the amount saved at the time of the inspection. The best method of price shopping is to find the most thorough and experienced home inspector available, regardless of price.
We differ, however, regarding the time necessary to perform a thorough home inspection. If one hour per 1,000 square feet were a reliable formula, a 1,500 square foot home could be inspected in 1½ hours. As any experienced inspector will tell you, this is simply not sufficient time to perform a complete and comprehensive inspection. The minimum inspection time for any home is 2½ hours, with rare exceptions.
• Email Barry Stone, certified home inspector, at barry@housedetective.com.
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