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Home Inspections
Hosted by Barry Stone
Syndicated Columnist
Tuesday, June 19, 2001; Noon EST
You've found the house, gotten financing, put in a bid. Now comes inspection. What do you look for? How can you tell if building products are good quality, or if the builder or previous owner has cut corners or doesn't quite meet code? And if the house is in great shape, how do you keep your bargaining power, and how long before big repairs come into play?
Luckily, "Inspector's in the House." Barry Stone has been writing his syndicated consumer protection column about building inspection, materials and contracting for seven years. A carpenter by trade, Stone spent seven years on building sites, overseeing building and design of home construction. He received his general contractor's license in 1978 and started his own construction and remodeling business. On the job, Stone saw tradespeople and contractors violating building codes, and in 1987 was certified as a building inspector. He left the construction business and founded Action Home Inspection Service in California.
Stone has inspected nearly 7,000 properties over the past 12 years, including homes, hotels and commercial buildings, and has talked about the effects of environmental conditions on homes on California television and radio. He is an expert on building codes and aspects of construction including electrical, plumbing, asbestos, fire safety and roofing. He was online Tuesday, June 19.
The transcript follows.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Alexandria, Va.: My fiance and I recently bought our first home. We lucked out and got an excellent inspector who used to build houses. He found things, like faulty electrical wiring, that the seller's home inspector failed to note when she bought the house.
What should people look for in a home inspector? Is past experience in home construction common among home inspectors?
Barry Stone: There are a number of criteria to consider when choosing a home inspector: Membership in ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors; errors and omissions insurance; and years of experience in the home inspection business. All of these are good indicators, but none absolutely guarantee that an inspector will be top notch. One of the best ways to find a quality inspector is to call several real estate offices and ask who is the most thorough and detailed inspector in the area. You might even ask, "Who is known as the deal killer?"
Odenton, Md.: Dear Mr. Stone:
I have been in my home for almost a year. It was a new construction. I have a one year warranty from the builder which is about to expire, should I have the home inspected by a pro before the warranty expires? If so, how do I find a reputable inspector? Thank you.
Barry Stone: All brand new homes should be reviewed by a qualified home inspector prior to closing escrow, because all new home have defects, regardless of the quality of construction. If this wasn't done when you purchased the property, you should definitely have an inspection before the warranty expires. For parameters on finding a qualified inspector, read my previous answer.
Alexandria, Va.: I will be closing on a new house in September. Although the builder has its own inspector who will walk through with us for pre-drywall inspection, I am thinking about hiring an independent inspector for pre-drywall, also. Redundant? Or should I have an independent inspector go through the house when it is closer to being finished? Is it common for a builder's inspectors to ignore some things that maybe another inspector might find? I tend to err on the side of cautious, but don't want to do something that is needless.
Barry Stone: The main advantage to hiring your own pre-drywall inspector is that the inspector has your financial interests as the prime objective. This cannot be said of anyone else's inspector. This is definitely not a redundant procedure. A qualified inspector will make discoveries not disclosed by the builder's inspector.
Washington, D.C.: Comment: I've been searching for a home for several months now. The reason why it has been so long is, I'm confined to price range and location due to the type of program that I am involved in which seeks to develop certain areas in the Metro D.C. area. Anyway, I've found the home inspections invaluable. I've had two on two separate homes -- both loan apps fell apart. One discovering mildew/mold problems and serious leaks, and the other discovering a very bad case of termites hidden from my untrained eye. Subsequently, the inspector returned a third time to re-evaluate the seller's estimate for repairs. I encourage everyone to get a home inspection. It could literally save you thousands!
Barry Stone: Good point. But beware of price shopping when choosing a home inspector. Not all inspectors provide the same degree of disclosure. A $50 savings on the inspection fee could mean that a $10,000 is missed.
East Bridgewater, Mass.: What would you tell the buyer if you found carpenter ants in the shed, but the seller has them treated every spring?
Barry Stone: The buyer should be advised to consult a licensed pest control operator, someone with specific expertise in the effects and mitigation of wood destroying organisms.
Southern Maryland: Is there a statute of limitations on the disclosure statement signed by the seller in a real estate transaction? In spring 1994 I went through a hellish experience with a home purchase. The sellers of the house I wanted were very obstinate, unreachable, argumentative and hostile to the point I wanted to back out of the contract; however, a young couple wanted my original house and had to get out of a rental unit, so I was literally pushed against the wall.
The sellers of my house were really stupid do-it-yourselfers; they connected plastic plumbing pipes with metal; the electrical outlets are polarized incorrectly. The inspector said they were adequate but "not the way you do these things." The sellers also said "moisture forms on the basement walls when it rains." I've been through several storms where that "moisture" is a three-inch flood on the floors. As a result, the house always smells musty, and mold and mildew are crusting the basement walls.
To top things off, I found out much later the sellers added two (uninsulated) bedrooms to the house without getting a building permit from the county. Apparently in Calvert County you can build a Taj Mahal if nobody catches you in the act and questions it.
Do I have any recourse after all this time?
Barry Stone: In some states, statutes of limitations are based upon the date of the transaction, while others start the clock when specific defects are discovered. You need to consult a real estate attorney to learn where you stand in this regard. Good luck.
Alexandria, Va.: The home inspector I have scheduled to do a home inspection does not belong the American Society of Home Inspectors. He says he was with them for many years but it became too political. He does carry errors and omission insurance and came with a recommendation. What do you suggest?
Barry Stone: If the inspector has many years of experience and is insured for E&O, he's probably qualified. But there's no way to guaranty this. Call a few real estate offices and ask who is the most thorough and detailed inspector in the area.
Rockville, Md.: We were having a discussion the other day and my father, who really has no plans to sell his home, mentioned that, if he did indeed decide to sell, he would sell it himself and not allow a home inspection. Should that happen, what would he be required to disclose? If something happened after the house was sold, and it could be proved that he knew there was a defect, what would be his liability? I think people think they can get away with a lot until confronted.
Barry Stone: If your father refuses to allow a home inspection, he is making himself appear suspect. Even if he has nothing to hide, he'll have a hard time proving that if unknown problems are discovered after the close of escrow. If he wants to do an as-is sale, the best approach would be to hire his own home inspector to provide thorough disclosure of defects and to demonstrate that he has nothing to hide. As to what conditions he should disclose: Anything and everything that could possible warrant concern for a buyer.
Alexandria, Va.: My husband and I (first-time homebuyers) are looking to buy a townhouse this fall. The homes in the area in which we are looking to buy (Burke) are generally 20 to 30 years old. Any advice on what problems we should look for?
Barry Stone: There is no limit to the kinds of problems that any 20- to 30-year-old might harbor. General headings include problems with plumbing, electrical conditions, heating, roofing, site drainage, appliances, fireplaces, foundations, etc. Some problems will be due to age and wear, while others will be construction defects, not discovered when the building was finished. A qualified home inspector will help discover the most significant of these conditions.
Washington, D.C.: Would you do an inspection on a house which required major renovation? The agent says don't bother, you're going to renovate anyway. But I think it would be best to know as much as possible. Thanks.
Barry Stone: I've seen people forego an inspection just because they planned a major renovation. What they didn't bargain for was the major foundation problem, or the carbon monoxide emitted by the forced air heater, or the seasonal flooding that occurred beneath the building. These are just a few examples of the many conditions that go beyond the need for renovation and which could have far reaching financial or safety implications. Even without these kinds of problems, a detailed inspection report will help you in planning the renovation process.
Farragut West, D.C.: Mr. Stone, I am submitting this early because I will be in a meeting at noon. During the home inspection of my 25-year-old brick home, a long crack in the mortar was found. The buyer's lender was informed of this problem and sent an engineer to assess the issue. The engineer determined that the front portion of the house settled more than the back portion. The engineer has not yet submitted a report to the lender, but told me that he could not determine whether the settling has stopped or whether it will continue. To repair this problem would involve reinforcing the structure with steel beams to the tune of $15,000. My question is whether you have come across this type of situation before, and what my options are. Can the potential buyers back out of the deal even if I agree to the repairs? What do I do now? Thanks.
Barry Stone: Problems of this kind are common because engineers typically cannot predict whether settlement will continue. Therefore, they must recommend structural upgrades, if only for the sake of liability limitation. As to maintaining the transaction, buyers generally have the right to opt out of the sale, based upon the findings of inspections. But this can vary according to the purchase contract and applicable laws in your area. An attorney would have to advise you in that regard.
Arlington, Va.: My mother's house is about 50 years old. Mom is in poor health and we are uncertain at this point if she will be able to manage at home. I think it might be a good idea to go ahead and have a home inspection made so I know of any major problems looming in case the house must be sold.
What's the best way to find a good inspector? How much experience should he/she have?
What's a reasonable price to pay in the Northern Virginia area?
Finally, if we do decide to sell the house, am I obligated to reveal any potential problems found as a result of the inspection, even if we don't sell the house for another year or two? Thanks.
Barry Stone: Try to find an inspector with many years of experience and a reputation for thoroughness. A good bet in the D.C. area is J.D. Grewell, reachable at jdgrewell@aol.com.
As to what conditions you should disclose, anything and everything that you know to be a condition of the property. Whatever conditions your inspector finds should be divulged to future buyers.
Home inspection prices typically run between $250 and $350, but they can be more if the buildings are large or if there are additional living units or out-buildings.
Washington, D.C.: I'm excited and nervous. I'm going to my new condo inspection at 3. What actually should I expect to happen? It's new construction. I guess he'll test the heat pump and lights, but what else? Then I have my walk-through with the builder at 5. I guess I'll put anything the inspector tells me about on the punch list.
Thanks!
Barry Stone: The number of conditions to be considered by your inspector are too numerous list specifically. But in general, the inspector should check the wiring in breaker panels, the outlets and lights should be tested, plumbing should be checked for performance and proper installation, the heating should be checked for function, safety, and quality of installation, fixtures and built-in appliances should be checked for function and quality of installation, fire safety should be considered with regard to fireplaces and walls between the parking structure and the dwelling, etc., etc. Although the exterior of a condominium is a common area, many inspectors will also check the siding and trim, roof conditions, site drainage, and so on.
Alexandria, Va.: I bought a new construction town house in Alexandria about six months ago. Our inspector spent about one hour in the house, and his only recommendation was that we should have the builders paint the top of all of the doors. We later discovered that our neighbors' inspectors typically spent three to four hours in their homes, and had a raft of points to take up with the builder. Our houses were all built at the same time, and are essentially the same model. While we haven't found any earth-shattering problems, we have discovered several (non-cosmetic) items that I feel the inspector should have pointed out. I feel like I paid this guy $300 to stand in my house for an hour.
Have I waited too long to take this up with the inspector? As I said, it's been six months, and I haven't even written a letter to the inspector about this.
Barry Stone: NO home inspector, regardless of qualifications or experience can perform a worthwhile inspection in one hour. It simply cannot be done. Period. Any home self-professed inspector who performs one hour inspections is ripping off home buyers and is missing innumerable property defects. The undisclosed problems you've discovered thus far are only the beginning. You need to get a second home inspection to get the full picture of what you've bought. At that point, your one-hour inspector should be called to account.
Bowie, Md.: How important is it to have a new home inspected and should it be done at different intervals of construction?
Barry Stone: A new home should have at least three stages of inspection. The foundation forms and steel reinforcement should be inspector prior to pouring the concrete. This should be followed by the pre-drywall inspection, providing a full review of the framing, rough plumbing, electrical wiring, and other mechanical aspects. The final inspection should then be performed to evaluate all of the conditions that would normally be considered by a qualified home inspector.
McLean, Va.: Hello Mr. Stone --
Regarding electrical wiring; Do insurance companies sometimes require a house's wiring to be replaced as a condition of issuing a homeowner's policy when a house is of a certain age?
Say 40 or 50 years old?
Barry Stone: Insurance companies typically do not require major electrical upgrades on homes that are 40 to 50 years old. However, some companies refuse to ensure older homes that have fuses, rather than circuit breakers, or that have knob and tube wiring. If you're dealing with a company that is more strict than this, try shopping around.
Washington, D.C.: I recently purchased a home in the District. It is a flat-roofed semi-attached house that (like the other houses on the block that were constructed at the same time in the 1950s) is experiencing significant sagging and pooling of water. I understand that there are many new types of flat-roofs available. Assuming the home inspector is correct and the roof needs immediate replacement, how do I decide what kind of roof to get? I assume that roofers will point me to whatever is most expensive.
Barry Stone: The latest material of choice for flat roofs, especially those with ponding conditions, is modified bitumen, commonly known as "torch-down roofing." This material is rubber-like and the seams are fused together by heat application, forming a single flexible membrane over the entire roof. For further details, consult a qualified roofing contractor.
Silver Spring, Md.: I recently purchased a home and the home inspector indicated that the property needed new shingles on the roof. He correctly identified that the roof was the original on a 20-year-old townhome and we received a credit from the seller for the cost of this job. However, when the roofer began work, he informed us that our property had FRT plywood on the roof and that would boost the cost of the job by $2500, which I had to pay. My question is, should this have been identified for us by the home inspector and do we have any legal recourse, since it appears that the issue of FRT plywood is common knowledge among builders, roofers, contractors, etc.
Thanks!
Barry Stone: The home inspector should have identified the type of roof sheathing, as part of the inspection report. However, the roofing contractor should have considered this aspect of the job when he submitted his bid, prior to the close of escrow.
Mt. Airy, Md.: Get a home inspection! Speaking from experience -- besides a home inspector we should have also consulted a person with significant well-water experience. The house we bought seven years ago was tested for water quality, NOT the quantity of water the well recovers. We've had water problems ever since the first dry summer we moved in. We had to spend about $8K in water storage equipment and we still have to haul in our own water at times. The water problems in the area were never disclosed to us. We had no recourse, because we purchased the home from the daughter of a deceased owner who never lived there. It's been a nightmare at times trying to raise a family in this house. TEST FOR THE RECOVERY RATE if you are buying a home with well water! We've done so much to the house to improve it and I don't know how we will be able to sell it.
Barry Stone: When buying property with a well, a full test and evaluation of the well system is a vital part of the purchase process. It is a major risk to buy an untested well. Likewise, if the property has a septic system, this should be pumped and thoroughly examined by a qualified septic contractor, prior to closing escrow.
Chantilly, Va.: What is your opinion of termite inspections? Should they be done at the same time as the home inspection. Per our contract, the seller is required to provide a termite report within 30 days and is responsible for visible damage.
Barry Stone: A termite inspection is a vital part of the home purchase process. A qualified pest control operator looks for several types of wood destroying organisms, not just termites. Common wood eating beasts include fungus (the cause of dryrot), carpenter ants, wood boring beetles, and others. Be sure to have this done.
Washington, D.C.: We are buying a new home, my husband has been in the construction business for 20 years, so he does not see a need for an inspector other than himself. I think it should be done, since he is skilled in carpentry and drywall, not plumbing and electrical. What do you think?
Barry Stone: If I needed a heart operation, I wouldn't have it done by a general practitioner, regardless of that doctor's level of knowledge and experience in the medical field. If I wanted to investigate a bank robbery, I wouldn't assign the task to a patrolman on the beat, regardless of that persons expertise as a police officer. Home inspection is as much about forensic skill as it is about construction knowledge. The ability to observed and discover is an acquired skill. If takes many years to refine, and construction knowledge is the prerequisite to commencement of home inspection training. Contractors often take exception to this opinion. I can't help that. It is a provable fact, known by every experienced home inspector.
Chicago, Ill.: We recently purchased a home and have found problems that were not discovered by our inspector. One of our issues is that the basement has more leakage problems that the seller disclosed; another is that birds have found a way into our attic. Is this something we can take back to the seller? There is a one-year warranty on the house. Thanks for any help you can provide.
Barry Stone: The home inspector probably had no way of knowing the extent of water intrusion into the basement, unless the property was inspected during the wet season. The seller, on the other hand, if he lived in the property for at least a year, must have known the degree of water intrusion that occurs. If this conditions exceeds the extent of disclosure, the seller should be called to account.
As to birds in the attic, it's hard to say whether this was apparent to seller as a significant condition.
Springfield, Va.: I am having a townhouse inspected today. The agent and I noticed dark marks on the ceiling and walls which resemble lines similar to the stud placements. These lines are only on the inside wall of the townhouse and near the ceilings. The joint taping is also lifting. Should the inspector go into the attic to see what is causing this? What exactly should I expect from him?
Barry Stone: Air tight construction and lack of adequate ventilation may be causing back-drafting of exhaust gases from the water heater and/or furnace. This condition could have significant safety implications. Have this checked by a licensed general contractor.
Philadelphia, Pa.: Hi -- thanks for hosting this chat. My husband and I are in the process of looking for homes, and I wanted to know about timing in finding a quality home inspector. Do home inspectors mind if you call them, get and call their references, etc., long before you find a home? I'd rather have someone of quality lined up and ready to go than wait until we find a house, then scramble to find someone available.
Also -- do we simply find an inspector by going through ASHI or some such organization, if we don't have any recommendations? I don't know if we should trust a realtor's recommendation -- as I see it as a conflict of interest. What are your thoughts on this?
Many thanks in advance!
Barry Stone: If a home inspector is not comfortable giving references, you probably would feel comfortable working with that inspector anyway. Most inspectors will not object to taking the time to convince you of their qualifications.
As to realtor recommendations: Many agents actively promote disclosure by recommending the best home inspectors. Admittedly, not all agents are of this ethical persuasion. However, when you call an agent you don't know and ask who is the most thorough inspector in the area, that agent has no vested interest in your deal, and therefore, has no reason to short-change you on a good home inspector recommendation.
Alexandria, Va.: Hey Barry,
I'm a professional engineer and am completing a career in civil engineering. I am contemplating a second career as a home inspector. What advice would you give to get prepared to become a home inspector and what's the market like now? Are home inspector jobs available? Is a PE a plus or no? Thanks.
Barry Stone: There is always work for qualified home inspectors.
The number one caveat for new inspector is to be fully aware of the liability you will bear for undisclosed defects. Home buyers base a major purchase decision on your findings. When serious problems become apparent after the close of escrow, buyers and their attorneys can be unmerciful.
To gain a good knowledge base for entry level home inspection, an excellent school is Inspection Training Associates. Their Web site can be visited at http://www.home-inspect.com.
Arlington, Va.: Is radon testing necessary? We're buying a split level (two levels).
Barry Stone: Radon testing may not be necessary, but it is strongly advised. If high radon levels are found, mitigation in most cases is relatively simple and not overly expensive. Costs often run about $1,500.
washingtonpost.com: That was our last question today. Thanks so much to Barry Stone, and to everyone who joined us.
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