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Rookie home inspector learns a lesson

Q. I have been a home inspector for nearly a year. So far, it's gone well, but I'm concerned about a home that I inspected a few months ago. When I crawled under the house, most of the subarea was flooded, and there didn't appear to be any plumbing leaks. Another problem was a horizontal crack in the foundation, about one-quarter of an inch wide and 12 feet long. I recommended a structural engineer to evaluate the crack and a geotechnical engineer to evaluate the site drainage.

The buyers canceled the sale because of these problems, but someone else is now buying the property. The agent for the new buyers did not disclose the findings in my report. Instead, she recommended another home inspector who gave the property a clean report. The foundation crack was described as "normal," and the water under the house was explained as a normal condition following rainy weather.

Since then, the agents in that office have been calling me a "deal killer," which is very frustrating. I just want to do the best possible job for my customers by inspecting each house as if I'm going to buy it myself. What are your thoughts on this?

A. Your evaluations and recommendations for the conditions you described were commendable and exactly as they should have been. A wide, horizontal crack in a foundation wall is not normal and definitely calls for a structural evaluation. Standing water does not occur under most houses, regardless of the weather. Wet weather is not the cause of faulty drainage any more than rain is the cause of a leaky roof. Rain merely reveals the fact that a roof is defective. In this case, wet weather revealed the fact that the property had faulty site drainage.

For an inspector with less than a year in business, you truly appear to be on the right track. The fact that another inspector gave a "clean report" to a home with water in the subarea and a one-quarter inch foundation crack shows you have some negligent competitors. The fact that some agents prefer that kind of inspector is a statement against the ethics and common sense of those people, not against the quality of your work as an inspector. It certainly does not support the contention that you are a "deal killer." In this case, it was the condition of the property that killed the deal.

As the thoroughness of your inspections becomes more widely recognized in your community, you will gradually lose the support of agents who prefer a "clean report" over "full disclosure." On the other hand, you will gain the support of agents who know the true meaning of disclosure and who appreciate the straightforward completeness of your work. Those agents will be grateful for the quality service that you provide their clients, as well as the liability protection they gain for themselves.

Don't feel bad about this one transaction or about what a few shortsighted agents may say about you. It's all part of the normal growth process for a home inspector who is guided by integrity and committed to serving every client with honesty and truth.

• 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.

© 2015, Action Coast Publishing

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