FAQs About Home Inspections

The home inspector’s primary job should be to educate about major conditions of the South Carolina home under consideration. The inspection purpose is to inspect the entire property, per the assigned purpose pre-inspection agreement, thus communicating / providing within a reasonable degree of certainty a confidential client report. The state has a minimal required standard / code of ethics. Open components – question below for further explanation.

Do you report the good or okay components?

– If an inspector reports nothing – zip – nada – ambiguity can arise, the client may not believe a component was observed. Per the state requirement and pre-inspection agreement the inspection company should be observed and reported as observed or not. The inspector MUST report what they see or not. From time to time components may not have access to the component or the component may have been taken out of service.

Links below bring you to the South Carolina general home inspection application and lists the minimum report require by a licensed home inspector, doing business in South Carolina:

South Carolina  Residential Builders Commission (Official Link)

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF HOME INSPECTORS – STANDARDS of PRACTICE (official Link)

Reports Should Include:

Free Standing Home:

• Structural components and basement (lowest level)
• Electrical, plumbing, domestic water heating, central heating and air conditioning
• Condition and general age of major systems
• Kitchen and major appliances
• General interior, including ceilings, walls, floors, windows, doors and stairs
• Attic, ventilation and insulation (if readily and safely accessible)
• General exterior, including roof, gutter, chimney, major drive and walkways, drainage and grading

Condo/Villa:

• Electrical, plumbing, domestic water heating, central heating and air conditioning
• Kitchen and major appliances
• General interior, including ceilings, walls, floors, windows, doors and stairs

Condo/Villa Fee Sample:

Fee Simple (In many cases, the property structure also involves ownership and maintenance of the exterior, roof, routine maintenances’, painting, structural decks etc.)

• Structural components and basement (lowest level)
• Electrical, plumbing, domestic water heating, central heating and air conditioning
• Condition and general age of major systems
• Kitchen and major appliances
• General interior, including ceilings, walls, floors, windows, doors and stairs
• Attic, ventilation and insulation (if readily and safely accessible)
• General exterior, including roof, gutter, chimney, major drive and walkways, drainage and grading

The state of South Carolina, not like some other states, requires any and all inspectors to have a state license and the LLR number must be publicly displayed on all advertisement. Which is public information and can be searched on http://www.llr.state.sc.us/   Licensee Look Up – top right corner of page.

Adam McClusky (credentials / continuing educational experiences)

• 2003 President – Hilton Head Association of Home Inspectors
• S.C. Residential Commission License # 627
• Synthetic Stucco;  Exterior Design Institute EDI #SC-36
• INFOSENTRY SERVICES, INC. Stucco Plus™ “EIFS Testing and Reporting for water intrusion in EIFS-CLAD homes”
• Certified Moisture Warranty Corporation # 740
• STO Institute 5-2-2003
• Accredited Microbial Investigator – American IAQ Council – CMI (2007)
• Environmental Solutions Association #254 level 200/300 (2003)
• Hometest METS Laboratories – 300 Series Advanced Mold Inspection Protocols & Procedures 11-23-2002
• Medical University of South Carolina – College of Health Professions Program in Environmental Health Sciences – 9-28-2005
• Certificate of Attendance – LORMAN Education – “Solving Water Intrusion and Mold Problems in South Carolina”
• DHEC South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Septic System Inspector 5-19-2003
• Certified Heat Exchanger Expert (certification training 2-20-2007)
• Home Institute of America # 981226.1
• NAHI – CRI  ID#7327 (closed 8-2016)
• ASHI Certified (8-2016)
•  Toxic Drywall Inspector; Exterior Design Institute #TDNC-006
• Expert Witness – Construction defects
• NAHI – National Education Committee member
• AUTODESK (Computer Aided Design 12-8-1993 & 9-15-1994)
• South Carolina Realtor #64592

Professional home inspectors normally take continuing education classes as needed but annually is recommended.

Distinction:

Certification credential could mean a specific class was taken and the individual passed an exam.

Accreditation credential means the individual is fundamentally involved in the acceptance by annual peer review, in order to maintain an accreditation.

Certifications are sometimes offered by product manufacturers or municipalities or authorities.

An achieved and maintained accreditation expresses the commitment of an inspector.

By the way individuals become certified or accredited, not companies. Your inspector (individual) needs to carry individual proof not the employing company.

(If you are inclined – links take you to technical standards and code of ethics)

ASHI  (Property Inspection Service, Inc. inspector certified)

NACHI

“No”. A professional home inspection observation report should be controlled by a standard of care (consistently demonstrated by previous report example) of the current condition of a house at the time of the inspection. A snap shot in time. It is not an appraisal, which determines market value. It is not a municipal code inspection, which verifies local code compliance. A home inspector, therefore, will not pass or fail a house, but rather describe the physical condition and indicate what components are “FUNCTIONAL; MARGINAL FUNCTIONAL; NOT FUNCTIONAL”and provide a recommendation – if necessary. Some systems may need routine maintenance, major repair or replacement depending upon a respective professional opinion.