I frequently run into situations where I am asked to provide information that is out of the scope of a traditional home inspection. Things that specialists do. Yet it seems that there is a grey line as to where that is and what that means. This grey line exists for those of us who are in the industry, so I can only imagine the confusion for people who are not in the industry. People who just want to know what a home inspection is and what to expect from one. I wanted to take the time to answer some very common questions that I receive on this subject. Some of these are actual questions and others are crafted from many related questions in order to give you the whole answer. Wait a minute – I just gave you the first topic when I said specialists above.

“I did hire a specialist to inspect my house, right?”

Generalist Opinions

The answer to that is, “Not exactly!”

Let me explain a bit using a very well understood analogy. The human body is an amalgamation of many different systems that all work together. The system is so complex that no one person can fully understand the whole thing, so the profession has been split into many different types. Which one do you go to first when you feel bad? Do you go to a neurosergeon to find out why you have a headache?Of course not, you go to a General Practitioner (your family doctor). This doctor is a highly trained generalist, who knows every system of the human body. Their value is in the fact that they can tell you when something is not right. Now – after you go to your GP and they say there is a problem in your back causing those headaches – where will they send you? That’s right – they will refer you to a specialist in that area. This is exactly how to think of a certified home inspector. We are trained in every system in a home and tell you when something is not right.

“My inspector didn’t refer me to anyone else, he told me to fix the problem. Is that what they are supposed to do?”

Certainly! General Practitioner doctors can prescribe medications. Why? Well, there is an entire set of human illnesses that are common and within the training and expertise for a GP to diagnose and treat. A good GP will not send you to a specialist unless the problem is beyond the scope of their general expertise. A home inspector is the same within their industry. With regards to real estate, most problems with homes fall into the set of common issues that are within the scope of a home inspector to both diagnose and prescribe a repair. Not every problem is like this and you may find that a home inspector will refer you to a specialist. However, a good home inspector will not simply refer you to a specialist in every home system, but will give you a diagnosis and repair prescription for every problem in the scope of their generalist role.

Inherent in this topic is the value proposition for a home inspector. It is cheaper, easier, and faster to hire a generalist home inspector to evaluate your home than it is to hire a specialist in every category. An HVAC tech, plumber, electrician, roofer, foundation contractor, grading and drainage specialist, etc all come with separate fees, separate trips that require access to the property and separate time frames for releasing reports. Why go through that (at anywhere between $500-$1500), when most problems in a home can be discovered during on 2-3 hour home inspection at an average cost of around $300?

“My inspector referred an electrician to evaluate my electrical panel, but when the electrician saw the panel they said there wasn’t a problem. Who is right?”

Specialist Opinions

The answer to this is, “The Specialist!”

This is a very understandable dilemma that sellers, agents and buyers can all find themselves in at some point. This is the difference between a generalist and a specialist. Now we have talked already about what a generalist is, but we have not talked about a specialist. Although it may be well understood, a specialist is a person that has extensive training and expertise in a single system. These are the people who should know all there is to know about that system. Note that a generalist and a specialist both offer their opinions. These opinions are based on their education and work experience. Generalists do not have the depth of knowledge of a single system that a specialist has, and for that reason the specialist’s opinion is considered to be more “valid” than the generalist’s opinion. This is true in every industry, including real estate.

Many times a generalist will note a problem or a condition that may be harmful, but it will take a specialist to determine the harm. This is mostly when I have run into this situation and it usually results from difference in local building practices. No one in this case is necessarily “right”, but the specialist’s opinion is more “valid” than the generalist’s opinion when dealing with real estate.

“I had a radon inspection performed and the level was high. Is the seller required install a radon mitigation system?”

Facts

Facts are hard to dispute!

Excellent question. This one was actually a conglomerate of a bunch of very similar questions that deal with “fact”. My company is a CLOSER look, inc in Springfield, Missouri, and we perform radon concentration analyses using Air Chek professional radon test kits. You can read about a CLOSER look home inspection radon policies for information on how we perform and interpret radon measurements or why a CLOSER look home inspection uses Air Chek kits instead of CRM (radon) machines. This is background reading (both are short reads) for this section. The answer to the above question is still, “No, they are not required to repair the house.”, but there is a little more pressure on this this type of problem than others. Remember earlier that both generalists and specialists offer opinions? Well – laboratories offer facts! One of the reasons sellers can refuse to make repairs on things in their house is because opinions can be refuted or contradicted. Facts on the other hand, can not. Air Chek is an EPA certified laboratory and uses some pretty high tech gadgets to determine the level of radon in their test kits. They are also required to certify their test equipment and maintain regular calibrations. When they release a radon report, it documents the level of radon found in each packet – period. This is not an opinion it is a fact. CRM (continuous radon monitors) that are used by some inspectors are not as definitive in their results. Read the above link to find out why!

Although there is no law in southwest Missouri that requires a seller to repair their house for radon, facts are much harder to wiggle out of than opinions. Additionally, this would be an issue that law would require a seller to update their seller’s disclosure statement to accommodate. This is also a bargaining chip that buyers can use to facilitate a repair request. This use of “fact” over opinion is also used in mold inspections as the inspector takes samples that are sent to a laboratory for analysis.

The mantra to remember is:

“Fact, trumps Specialist opinions, trumps Generalist opinions”

I hope that I have helped to answer some of your questions regarding these issues. I am always available to answer other industry questions. You are welcome to email them to inspectors@aclhi.com.

Sincerely,

Sean A. O’Rear
a CLOSER look home inspections
(417) 890-8500

You should note that I am a working home inspector in Springfield, Missouri. I am not a lawyer and the information in this article is not valid legal advise. It is merely an attempt to answer questions that I have experienced in the last 5 years as an inspector. Additionally, the real estate opinions in this article are based on the real estate customs and contract in the Springfield, MO and may differ in other parts of the country.