August 2012 - Regulations and standardization of the Home Inspection industry

Home Inspections, the industry is evolving too!
 
So, I finally found an article about a topic many have been waiting for - regulations and standardization of the Home Inspection industry. Two weeks ago an announcement was made in most local newspapers about the National Home Inspector Personnel Certification Program, the aim is to finally help avoid the confusion from choosing a qualified home inspector. Basically put, we have been waiting a long time for changes that will force inspectors to be trained and tested in their trade. Most of the country’s inspectors are unregulated and as a matter of fact, here in Ontario, you do not have to be licensed to be a Home Inspector.
 
As you know I work with many Home Inspectors, some licensed and some that are not. In my experience, the license is not necessarily what matters but more importantly the consistency of the expectations of an Inspector differs tremendously. Just the other day, I was in an inspection with a well known franchise of Home Inspectors and during the inspection, to my surprise, the Inspector did not actually go on the roof to inspect the condition nor did he go into the attic. Instead he popped his head up and took a visual glance of the condition, apparently due to workplace safety rules; this inspector was not obligated to do so. Of course, the result was a huge discrepancy in the findings as the Inspector concluded that the roof needed replacement within two years, yet the Seller’s had recently had it re-shingled and spent a lot of time and energy improving the roof over the last few years, as the design and slope of the roof had experienced ice damming and the seller wanted to do whatever it took to avoid the issue.
 
The sellers were so shocked by the inspector’s finding they even had the roofing company vouch that the roof will last for many many more years to come.
Whether the standardizing of this industry improves, the larger issue at hand is the lack of proper expectations, let’s be honest here folks how could an inspector conclude such a large finding without even going on the roof to inspect the whole area.

Here is my final two cents on the topic: As a Realtor, I am obligated to take 24 credit courses every two years in order to maintain my license in the industry. Many professionals in the legal and banking industry have the same expectations, it just seems right that the person you trust to conduct a full inspection of your largest future investment, should be expected to do the same.
 
To read the full article, go to
http://www.thewhig.com/2012/08/15/home-inspectors-face-regulation
 
Have a wonderful long labour day weekend!

Sincerely,