Contracts & Reports
Your Pre-Inspection Agreement: Statute of Limitations
Recently, a kitchen fire resulted in $100,000 in damages to a home inspection client’s property. Upon investigation, the inspection client discovered that a defective electrical component in the dishwasher, which was subject to a national recall, caused the fire. A review of the state’s regulations showed that nothing requires a home inspector to document the…
Read MoreYour Pre-Inspection Agreement: Attorney’s Fees
When Michelle Shishilla of Honor Services in Florida received a complaint regarding mold behind wallpaper, she knew her inspection company wasn’t at fault. They had offered mold testing, and the client had refused it. Plus, a visual, non-invasive inspection can’t find mold behind wallpaper. “In our mind, we were covered six ways from Sunday. We…
Read MoreYour Pre-Inspection Agreement: Arbitration
Over a year after their inspection, one of our insured home inspectors received a letter from an attorney. The attorney alleged that the inspector was negligent in performing his clients’ home inspection and failed to identify multiple defects. The letter demanded that the inspector pay the cost of repairs to multiple areas of the property.…
Read MoreYour Pre-Inspection Agreement: Dispute Resolution
One of our home inspectors received that laundry list just six months after he performed an inspection. The claimant, who prepared his letter with quotes from the ASHI Standard of Practice and pictures taken during and after the inspection, alleged that it would cost $25,000 to repair the property’s issues and that the inspector should…
Read MoreYour Pre-Inspection Agreement: Limitation of Liability
Almost a year after performing the inspection in question, a home inspector received an attorney demand letter for $4,600. Through their lawyer, the inspector’s client argued that their home had “defective roofing which should have been detected in the home inspection.” The claimant wanted to be reimbursed for replacing their roof and repairing damage to…
Read MoreYour Pre-Inspection Agreement: Exclusions
Exclusions are items of risk specifically not covered by a contract to avoid excessive liability. In pre-inspection agreements, exclusions limit or eliminate your responsibility to inspect for certain defects or examine certain systems and components. By outlining the conditions and circumstances your inspection does not cover within your agreement, you can better serve your clients…
Read MoreYour Pre-Inspection Agreement: Scope
Your inspection scope. Merriam-Webster defines the term scope as an “intention” or “object,” meaning “the goal or end of an effort or activity.” One objective of your pre-inspection agreement is to define the scope, or purpose, of your inspection. According to Matthew Steger of WIN Home Inspection in Pennsylvania, including the scope in your agreement…
Read MoreYour Pre-Inspection Agreement: Your First Line of Defense
In California court case Moreno v. Sanchez, the home buyers sued their home inspector for breach of contract, negligence and negligent misrepresentation. The buyers had discovered dust and asbestos, an inoperable drain, defective windows and wall cracking. They believed that the inspector should be responsible for the damage. The inspector’s primary defense: his inspection agreement,…
Read MoreInspection Report Writing: 8 Best Practices
For inspection clients and home inspectors alike, inspection reports are worth their weight in gold. Many inspection clients—often home buyers—rely on the findings inspectors detail in their reports to make important purchasing decisions. “[The inspection report is] basically a giant list of everything that is wrong with your (potential) home,” explained Kristin Wong in her…
Read More3 inspection photos you should take to manage your risk
In North Carolina, a home inspector performed an inspection on a property that had been vacant for about 18 months. During the home inspection, the inspector ran the water in the various fixtures, including the shower directly above the kitchen. The inspector photographed the kitchen, including the ceiling, which, at the time, showed no signs…
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