The Contractor Theory
Inspector -VS- General Contractor A thorough and experienced Home Inspector will quickly find what an everyday General Contractor misses, if they inspected the very same house or condominium. If you trust a typical General Contractor to do the Inspection, there is no guarantee the inspection will be performed properly, or to any standards except their own. There is also no guarantee you will be given a quality report of any real use. Furthermore, many everyday contractors etc. (be it a roofer, electrician, or general contractor etc.) will be reluctant to put their findings in writing. As an ASHI Certified Inspector, I'm bound by the most respected Standards Of Practice and Code Of Ethics in the nation for Professional Home Inspectors, set forth by the American Society Of Home Inspectors. Post inspection clients also have to watch out for the contractor or handy-person who comes out after our services for second opinions or bids, where "talk is cheap". It is not uncommon for these folks to minimize or argue our findings verbally- but just try to get them to put those same comments in writing. They usually won't, especially when they know it is incorrect advice, such as to save a deal for an Agent, etc. I've even heard contractors who have come out during an inspection actually give the client the option to either permit or not permit a job, that I knew required permitting. The one that comes to mind was a home in need of complete re- wiring. This is what you can encounter folks. Your safety and financial well-being may be at stake if you are not careful. Results will vary Inspector -VS- Inspector An experienced Professional Home Inspector will quickly find what an inexperienced, new, or superficial Inspector misses. Experience, background, training, personality, and certification can all differ tremendously. I have performed several inspections on homes another inspector recently inspected, where they indicated no or very few problems were found. My inspection results usually differ, revealing numerous, very real problems. The sad fact is, some folks enter this industry thinking you can just take an online test, or read a book on home inspection, and somehow be qualified. Would YOU get on a Boeing 767 if you knew the pilot had only read a book on how to fly it, or got his or her license issued through a non-supervised online test? Hawaii does not have regulation in place for home inspectors, so consumers are at high risk if they do not do their homework. Many issues justify the need for our services Why are their so many construction related problems in Hawaii? We believe the problems range from greed, the use of unskilled labor, lack of pride in work, lack of on-site supervision, cost-cutting measures, poor material or system choices, poor design, out-of-date building codes, improper or no permits, as well as a lack of consistency and thoroughness from many of our Municipal Building Inspectors. Land costs are extremely high too, making profit even tougher for many. Until all of these areas improve tremendously, current trends and problems (and related litigation) will continue. It may unfortunately take a near, or direct hit from a hurricane for things to change in relation to codes and supervision, where many deficiencies in construction will definitely rear their ugly head. Florida for example has made many positive code changes following major storms. Are their some good quality homes here? You bet. But not as many as one would expect. Hawaii's fine homes are typically multi-million dollar homes, but even that is hit or miss. Track housing is fairly predictable, with many in-common inexcusable defects. The situation is compounded more by folks 'flipping" houses, were the focus is often on bottom line profit, not necessarily on quality, or your safety. These are some of the worst homes I have seen. Look for an experienced, unbiased inspector with a top certification
A few more things to consider: CODES ARE NOTHING MORE THAN "MINIMAL STANDARDS". Things can always be done better! And, if unreasonable emphasis is placed on "code" or construction in general during an Inspection, problems will arise. Many inspectors make this mistake. Many of Hawaii's existing homes would fail this test miserably. Consider too, that many structural items and other systems and components of a home are concealed when finished. Concealed items are generally an exclusion of anyone's report as they cannot be inspected. Codes are as good as the enforcement, and in many cases codes in Hawaii are inexcusably "behind the times" when compared to other areas. No home is perfect, and nobody has x-ray vision. A proper Home Inspection is a delicate balance between code knowledge application and practicality, keeping occupant safety in mind. I've taken my profession as a Home Inspector seriously from day one. As an ASHI Certified Inspector, I'm a specialist who has met the toughest criteria for certification, and that I'm also required to maintain it by continued education. The fact that I'm not a contractor or repair person insures you will receive an honest, thorough inspection with no hidden motives or agendas. -Wayne Blackburn |
Some folks do their very best to convince you a Home Inspector must have
either built homes, or be a General Contractor to be qualified. I say
nonsense. If you trust their philosophy ("their" being any non-certified, non
national home inspection organization member), you may later regret it. This
is kind of like suggesting that a cook from McDonald's would make a great
Electrician, or that a Dentist would make a great Lawyer- with no additional
training. If you buy into a well-rehearsed sales pitch, ignore your instincts &
and don't do your research, you are in for a rude awakening. Am I a
contractor? Although qualified, I'm not by design, for very good reason:
Professional Home Inspection is an area of specialty. Background is
important, however the ability and desire to do the job RIGHT is paramount.
Hawaii does not require private Home Inspectors to be (or have been) a
General Contractor, or to have any special certification. Other states have
various requirements. On top of that, I have to have a much broader, working
knowledge of every system in a home whereas the typical general contractor
has a more limited builder type knowledge, and often limited to one or only
few areas like framing, or roofing, but rarely in all areas.
This is a very good place to interject that more than half, the majority of the
defects I find during inspections are the direct result of a General Contractors
(or sub-contractors) actions, inactions, or errors. The balance can be
attributed to deferred maintenance, or substandard home-owner repairs, or
poor quality renovations by contractors or sub contractors. How about all
those contractor horror stories we all read about, or see on great TV shows
like my favorite, HGTV's Holmes on Homes?
Mike Holmes (my Hero) really says it best:
“I’ve been fixing a lot of sloppy, lazy and dangerous work for the past two
decades. “I think it’s time to expose the work of these so-called contractors
and help some homeowners make informed decisions. I want to take the
word ‘minimum’ out of the construction industry and stop the slow death of
craftsmanship”. -Mike Holmes (HGTV's Holmes on Homes)
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Professional Home Inspection is an area of specialty.