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Building Inspections
Why, Who, What
The three questions most frequently asked concerning a building inspection are "Why should I have one?",
"Who should do it?" and "What should the inspection include?" The writer is a licensed Professional Engineer and a certified Energy Manager who has performed
many building inspections and is qualified to answer these three questions.
There are three main reasons to have an inspection of a home prior to its purchase. The first is to instill
confidence to the purchasers that they are buying a that not only meets their personal needs but also is a sound structure with all of the internal systems functional.
Another is to identify and describe the functional attributes of all systems in the building and to discover or identify problems or potential future problems that may
develop. The third reason is the evaluation of all components within the structure from the foundation through the roof as well as all exterior components.
Now that the "Why" has been discussed, who should be doing the inspection. First and foremost, it has to
be a person who is thoroughly knowledgeable in the construction and who has a complete understanding of plumbing, electrical, heating, air conditioning systems and any other
attributes that can go into a house. In addition to this knowledge, this person must also understand the various styles and types of construction that have been built
going back to the past century. Methods of construction have changed over the past 100 plus years and it is only with the knowledge of how a house was built can the
inspector make a valued judgment on what he sees.
The inspector should be licensed and certified in the work he is performing. This certification does not allow him
to provide and Engineer's Report or to pass himself off as a licensed Engineer unless he is a licensed Professional Engineer unless he is a licensed Professional Engineer
registered in the State where the inspection is being performed. Under the State laws only a duly licensed (P.E.) can provide this service.
With the "Why" and "Who" covered, the last question to be covered is what is to be inspected.
Very simply stated everything has to be covered from the foundation through the roof. It is only through the components of the building that a composite picture of the
building can be constructed since most of the components have a bearing on each other. For the structure, one has to evaluate the foundation, the inside and outside walls,
floors, ceilings, windows, stairs, doors and finally the roof. Systems to be evaluated include the plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioning systems. All
additional amenities must also be evaluated such as security systems and fireplaces. Another component of the inspection has to include the outside fixtures. This
covers the sidewalks, curbs, walks, driveway, steps and platforms or any other permanent fixture on the property.
Additional areas of specialization that can be covered include energy conservation, asbestos, lead and radon. Dome
of these evaluations will require additional laboratory analysis and cannot be evaluated at the time of the inspection and will have to wait until the laboratory report is
received.
The inspection report should be a formal written report. The format of the report should be written in layman
language and not a check list. It should be written in a logical sequence so that the reader can understand how the inspector has arrived at his conclusions on the
structure, the systems within the structure and the fixtures outside of the structure.
Prior to the completion of the report the inspector should provide a verbal report on the inspection. once the
formal written report is delivered the inspector should always be available to answer any questions or clarifications that may arise as a result of the inspection.
To restate the three questions first asked, it is in the best interest of the buyer to have a professional inspect the
building prior to its purchase. He should be licensed and preferably be a Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.). The inspection should cover all systems within the
structure, the structure itself and all outside fixed items on the property.
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