In the home inspection industry, many home inspectors include clauses such as ‘visual inspection’ in the pre-inspection agreement or contract. A visual inspection in this sense is meant by a home inspection process that strictly outlines the limitations of the inspection process to what is visible readily to the inspector.
Such a clause had always sparked a debate among home inspectors regarding the fact how far an inspector will go to discover defects & hazards in the property. For example, if a home inspector uses any tool beyond just the flashlight for the inspection process, the technique will be classified as more than just ‘visual inspection’. So, is doing only visual inspection enough for a home inspection? Well, not really and we’re going to list some of the most significant reasons why the same holds true.
Reasons Why A Visual Inspection Isn’t Enough
Visual Inspection Is Impossible
According to professional services for a home inspection in Larkspur CO, the moment a home inspector uses a tool for the inspection process apart from his or her flashlight, it’s not a visual inspection anymore. Therefore, it’s virtually impossible to carry out a home inspection using just visual inspection. For instance, a home inspector cannot inspect a wall socket without using a tester for the same to see if the wall socket is working or not. Thus, it’s simply unattainable for any home inspector to complete an inspection procedure without using his or her hands.
The same can be said when the home inspector flushes a toilet to see the working conditions of the plumbing system or opening an electric panel to inspect the wiring beneath the same. Moreover, as per the standards of practice for a home inspection, a visual inspection might seem attainable on paper, but in reality, it’s undoable.
- Home Inspection Standards Of Practice Don’t Promote Visual Inspection
As we have already mentioned earlier, the standards of practice for home inspection ask a home inspector to carefully inspect every possible item inside a house – which simply doesn’t correlate itself with only a visual inspection.
For example, if a home inspector is inspecting a kitchen, it’s always a prudent move for the inspector to check the faucets and whether water is properly flowing through the sink. The inspector cannot complete the inspection process without checking the kitchen faucets and such a move itself goes beyond just visual inspection.
- Home Inspectors Can Be Liable For Damages Because Of Just Performing Visual Inspection
Since a visual inspection involves only seeing through the eyes and not touching it, home inspectors practising such a process will be easily liable to lawsuits, especially if the customer has to bear any damages later on. For instance, if the home inspector simply inspects a chimney visually and marks the same as ‘pass’ in the home inspection report, the inspector can face legal charges if the chimney requires repairs later onwards.
And such a process again goes back to the home inspection standards because according to the standards of practice, the chimney must be thoroughly inspected before any ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ could be written in the report.
Local Standards May Not Allow Visual Inspection
The home inspection rules & regulations aren’t the same everywhere and can greatly differ depending upon the geographical location of the house. A place allowing visual inspection doesn’t mean other places will do so as well. Furthermore, some places can even extend the duties of a home inspector much more than what’s mentioned in the standards of practice for home inspections.
Therefore, in reality, visual inspection is simply a myth as well as a misconception. It’s neither possible nor attainable by any means.
