AL Inspection Inc.

What is a home inspection ?

A pre-purchase inspection is an inspection of the visible and easily accessible components of the different systems of a building.

The aim is to identify all major and apparent defects that prevent the use and enjoyment of the building and decrease its value or that could present a risk to the occupant’s safety. For example: the presence of rot in the basement’s main beam supports can result in major damage to the structure. The presence of soot in the heating ducts inside the house may be the result of cracks in the furnace’s thermal exchange necessitating the need to replace the furnace.

The inspection is an observation of the state of the components; no samples or measurements are taken. The inspector does not take a sample of the shingles to verify its condition. He does not makes holes in the wall to verify its thickness or to verify the presence or absence of a vapour barrier or insulation, to check for mildew, dampness or the condition of the studs. Elements that are hidden or buried cannot be and are not inspected.

The inspection is a visual one and determines the condition of the components at the time of inspection. The inspector looks for clues allowing him to inform his client as to the condition of the building. A stain on a bedroom ceiling can be the result of water infiltrating from the roof, condensation in the attic or a leak in the plumbing or a bathroom facility. The location of the ring, its size, the owner’s comments and the inspector’s experience are all factors that will guide him in his comments and recommendations.

A pre-purchase inspection does not cover conformity to code or standards. An inspection in which all elements would be verified to the different codes and standards would be very costly and could take up to a week to complete. At any rate the vast majority of buildings would not pass the inspection.

As a matter of fact a verification to code in a residential building would require that all elements and systems (structure and framing, foundation and masonry, electricity and plumbing , heating, air conditioning and ventilation, roofing and insulation, landscaping and exterior) be verified according to the following standards and codes:

• National Building Code of Canada
• Provincial Codes of Construction
• Municipal codes and zoning bylaws

It becomes clear that a pre-purchase inspection cannot verify conformity to code (article 3.2 to 5), or measure the efficiency of the systems (Article 3.2, B.4)

During a pre-purchase inspection, the inspector will not try to determine if this or that component conforms to code or standards. Rather he will examine all systems and components that are easily accessible (Article 2.2A) and must report to his client which ones require major or immediate repair (Article 2.2. B.3)

The aim of a pre-purchase inspection is to identify the elements that are not working at all or not working properly, to uncover evidence of breakage, defects or imperfection, but is not obliged to suggest the method of repair nor to recommend the necessary materials needed. He is not upheld to estimate the cost of repairs. (Articles 3.2 A.2 and A.3)

The inspector should refer his client to a specialist in that type of repair. However when the inspector is a professional or a specialist in a particular domain, such as an architect, engineer, technologist, electrician, plumber, contractor or other specialist, he may include in his reports comments pertinent to his specialty as mentioned in articles 2.3 and 2.3B of the Standards of Practice. Hence an architect may add comments concerning the layout, details related to modifications or renovations foreseen by his client, insulation and ventilation of the attic. The engineer may talk about structure, foundation or framing while an electrician might suggest improvements to the electrical system, each to his own.