The Importance of a Home Inspection

Home Inspection Reports Explained

In the early years of the Home Inspection Industry, Home Inspection Reports consisted of a simple checklist or a one or two-page narrative report. In the inspection business, descriptive phrases are called "narratives".

Both checklist and narrative reports are still in use today. From the point of liability, narrative reports are widely considered safer, since they generally provide more information and/or state information more clearly. Many liability issues and problems with the inspection process are due to misunderstandings about what was to be included in the report or about what the report says.

Take the time to examine the Standards of Practice followed by your inspector. If he is unaffiliated with any professional inspection organization and his reports follow no particular standards, find another inspector.

Generally speaking, reports should describe the major home systems, their crucial components and their operability, especially the ones in which failure can result in dangerous or expensive-to-correct conditions. Defects should be adequately described and the report should include recommendations.

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