| Home Inspection in the NEWS |
The News on Home Inspections - Posted Dec 5th, 2006
I have to admit; I am not a big fan of news “stories”. As a police officer, I can not begin to count the number of
times incidents that I was directly and personally involved in, were reported on so completely and utterly
inaccurately! Things have not changed.
Last week (Nov 2006) Global News conducted an “expose” on the Home Inspection industry in our province of BC.
While the featured home clearly had deficiencies, and while the featured “hidden camera” Home Inspector was
clearly lazy, I was left not being sure if the report was meant to expose a condition that exists within EVERY trade
or profession (that we are often judged based on the lowest common denominator), or if it was meant as a slight
towards the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors, or whether it was little more than a free publicity
gig for the benefit of the “Tour Guide Home Inspector”.
First, a Word about NACHI…
It’s unfortunate that NACHI was singled out in regards to the journalist "cheating" one of the on-line exams. If a
person chooses to take a test with the assistance of an experienced Inspector (who walked her though the exam)
- and then claim that they too are now qualified - the fault lies not with the test or the tester but the integrity of
the testEE, even if it makes for captivating news. People have been figuring out ways & means to cheat on exams
ever since exams were invented; the jails are full of these types of people.
Quoting Nick Gromico – founding member of NACHI – from his Nov 24th 2006 post on the NACHI members Forum:
I would not go so far as to say that Ms. Yong committed Fraud (unless she were to go out and start conducting
Home Inspections!) but by the same token, if a rogue Inspector wants to go out there with little-to-no training or
a lazy work ethic, it seems a bit unfair to pick on an association that promotes professionalism and ongoing
education.
I believe it is misleading to dwell on “associations” in these news reports. Any association… ANY EXAM… can only
determine initial competence. Just as one can have a valid driver's license and drive drunk, so can a competent
Inspector fail to do things correctly (unintentionally or intentionally), and there is not much that a private trade
association like NACHI, CAHPI, a National Certification Program, or anyone else for that matter, can do about it!
Case In Point…
A good friend of mine purchased a home (prior to my becoming a Home Inspector) and had an inspection
performed by a Registered Home Inspector, who is a member in good standing with CAHPI(BC). When my friend
asked to attend the inspection, he was told by this Inspector that he preferred that he not be present for the
inspection. Interesting. My friend Todd has a brick chimney, and, observing that the mortar (when viewed from
the ground) looked to need some attention, put the question of its condition to the CAHPI(BC) RHI. The
Inspector’s response was that he might need to do a bit of maintenance, in the neighborhood of $100, but that it
was good for a few more years.
Todd purchased the home. A short while later Todd attempted to use the fireplace and found that the chimney
would not draw at all, filling the living room with smoke. Knowing a mason, he had him attend to evaluate the
chimney. The mason went up on the roof and discovered that in places you could actually see through to the
inside! The mason reported that he had never seen a chimney in as poor condition, took a full day to make the
necessary repairs, and believe me… the bill came to much more than $100!!! After the repairs the draw was
restored and the fireplace worked perfectly.
I have been to Todd’s home. And as a Home Inspector myself, I can say with authority that the roof and chimney
are easily (and safely!) accessible. CLEARLY this CAHPI(BC) Inspector failed in the performance of his duties, did
not inspect the chimney, and when asked by Todd, made a ‘guess’.
This Inspector is REGISTERED with CAHPI(BC)! Do we then blame the trade association? Of course not… just as we
should not demean NACHI as the news broadcast attempted to do.
What Can You Do?
Look less at what it takes to join an association – for while they are of value, associations can only define a
minimum standard. Rather, look more closely at how hard your Home Inspector is prepared to work to earn your
trust, and how they approach this standard! Does your Home Inspector make every effort cover off ALL the
elements of a thorough Home Inspection (400+), or are they more concerned about how quickly they can glide
through the home.
As a Home Inspector I could have joined any association; NACHI, ASHI, BCIPI, CAHPI(BC)… and I chose NACHI. I did
this because they have an excellent (possibly the best) support system out there for practicing inspectors like
myself. I chose to professionally educate myself; I structured my business as a Limited Company & not a fly-by-
night affair; and I protect myself AND YOU with full Liability Insurance.
But so what? I may be shooting myself in the foot by saying this, but these things do not matter as much as you
have been led to believe, because no amount of testing, or association, or insurance equates to the ability AND
thoroughness of the Inspector; it’s all just paper hanging on a wall! Being able to do something doesn't mean you
will. What matters is how much effort am I going to put forth to APPLY my knowledge and expertise for you!
Insurance actuaries will tell you the same thing; most poor inspections are not due to Inspector incompetence,
but rather on-site Inspector laziness - and there isn't an exam invented that can predict (or prevent) that.
Case in point: the “featured” hidden camera home inspection as shown on the news report. This particular
Inspector (and I’ll use the term as a courtesy) was reported to have spent one hour, yes… ONE HOUR on the
actual inspection and 45 MINUTES to finish the report – that’s it! I can not fathom how that is even possible to
do, even if I were to rush!
I am not slow… but I am thorough! I check over 400 items in a Standard Home Inspection (as per NACHI’s
Standards of Practice, which is the same as every other SOP, by the way). Following this as a MINIMUM STANDARD
it takes me, on average, about 3 HOURS to complete the on-site portion of an inspection. And because of the
nature of my Inspection Report – which is not a generic binder, but customized to your home with dozens of
digital photographs – another few hours to produce your finished report.
Following this (unless my client does not want to) I sit down with my client(s) for the better part of an hour, going
over their Inspection Report and answering all their questions. My last client (who was a REALTOR and who
attended much of the inspection) was so impressed with her Report, and stated that she couldn’t believe that we
went from conducting the Inspection to the finished report she had in hand, in less than a day, that she even
gave me a tip! My first tip!!!
Could I employ a quicker method as this other Inspector has done? Sure… by cutting out ½ of the items I
inspect… BUT I CHOOSE NOT TO. I pride myself in being professional and thorough, and make every effort to
abide by the Standards. Unfortunately, while most of us (fellow Inspectors) do this, the few that do not make
those of us that do look incompetent.
The exact same issue applies to every profession out there – licensed or not - as there are good and bad within
EVERY profession. All Lawyers start with the same legal training, but are all licensed Lawyers the same? Not at
all. The same applies to policemen, of which I was one! We all start with the same basic training, we all swear an
oath, but do we all go about upholding that oath and performing our duties the same? Nope. Doctors, Nurses,
Realtors, General Contractors, School Teachers, Mechanics… all organizations have dysfunctional members; the
list is endless.
I am not here to defend the lazy or incompetent Inspector, and I am all for a National Certification Program as this
will take us all one step closer to weeding more of them out. Unfortunately, for the reasons I have already listed,
even National Certification will not completely eliminate the lazy Inspector. The only person who can eliminate
the lazy Inspector is YOU by not giving them the opportunity to be lazy!
It is up to you to determine who are the hard working Inspectors, and who are the lazy ones. You can determine
this by asking around – the harder working Inspectors make a positive impression and build a good name for
themselves. Fortunately, there are far more of us hard working ones, but like the ancient Chinese axiom states…
“One rat turd ruins the rice”.
But stay positive people! Like The Osmond Brothers sang, One Bad Apple Don’t Spoil the Whole Bunch!
Arne Larsen
West Coast Home Inspections Ltd.
I have to admit; I am not a big fan of news “stories”. As a police officer, I can not begin to count the number of
times incidents that I was directly and personally involved in, were reported on so completely and utterly
inaccurately! Things have not changed.
Last week (Nov 2006) Global News conducted an “expose” on the Home Inspection industry in our province of BC.
While the featured home clearly had deficiencies, and while the featured “hidden camera” Home Inspector was
clearly lazy, I was left not being sure if the report was meant to expose a condition that exists within EVERY trade
or profession (that we are often judged based on the lowest common denominator), or if it was meant as a slight
towards the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors, or whether it was little more than a free publicity
gig for the benefit of the “Tour Guide Home Inspector”.
First, a Word about NACHI…
It’s unfortunate that NACHI was singled out in regards to the journalist "cheating" one of the on-line exams. If a
person chooses to take a test with the assistance of an experienced Inspector (who walked her though the exam)
- and then claim that they too are now qualified - the fault lies not with the test or the tester but the integrity of
the testEE, even if it makes for captivating news. People have been figuring out ways & means to cheat on exams
ever since exams were invented; the jails are full of these types of people.
Quoting Nick Gromico – founding member of NACHI – from his Nov 24th 2006 post on the NACHI members Forum:
- “I spoke with the reporter Ms. Yong today on the telephone and she confessed that she did not pass NACHI's
entrance exam nor did she fulfill NACHI's entrance requirements www.nachi.org/membership.htm . In
other words, she confessed today by telephone that she had in fact committed a fraud when she signed her
affidavit.”
I would not go so far as to say that Ms. Yong committed Fraud (unless she were to go out and start conducting
Home Inspections!) but by the same token, if a rogue Inspector wants to go out there with little-to-no training or
a lazy work ethic, it seems a bit unfair to pick on an association that promotes professionalism and ongoing
education.
I believe it is misleading to dwell on “associations” in these news reports. Any association… ANY EXAM… can only
determine initial competence. Just as one can have a valid driver's license and drive drunk, so can a competent
Inspector fail to do things correctly (unintentionally or intentionally), and there is not much that a private trade
association like NACHI, CAHPI, a National Certification Program, or anyone else for that matter, can do about it!
Case In Point…
A good friend of mine purchased a home (prior to my becoming a Home Inspector) and had an inspection
performed by a Registered Home Inspector, who is a member in good standing with CAHPI(BC). When my friend
asked to attend the inspection, he was told by this Inspector that he preferred that he not be present for the
inspection. Interesting. My friend Todd has a brick chimney, and, observing that the mortar (when viewed from
the ground) looked to need some attention, put the question of its condition to the CAHPI(BC) RHI. The
Inspector’s response was that he might need to do a bit of maintenance, in the neighborhood of $100, but that it
was good for a few more years.
Todd purchased the home. A short while later Todd attempted to use the fireplace and found that the chimney
would not draw at all, filling the living room with smoke. Knowing a mason, he had him attend to evaluate the
chimney. The mason went up on the roof and discovered that in places you could actually see through to the
inside! The mason reported that he had never seen a chimney in as poor condition, took a full day to make the
necessary repairs, and believe me… the bill came to much more than $100!!! After the repairs the draw was
restored and the fireplace worked perfectly.
I have been to Todd’s home. And as a Home Inspector myself, I can say with authority that the roof and chimney
are easily (and safely!) accessible. CLEARLY this CAHPI(BC) Inspector failed in the performance of his duties, did
not inspect the chimney, and when asked by Todd, made a ‘guess’.
This Inspector is REGISTERED with CAHPI(BC)! Do we then blame the trade association? Of course not… just as we
should not demean NACHI as the news broadcast attempted to do.
What Can You Do?
Look less at what it takes to join an association – for while they are of value, associations can only define a
minimum standard. Rather, look more closely at how hard your Home Inspector is prepared to work to earn your
trust, and how they approach this standard! Does your Home Inspector make every effort cover off ALL the
elements of a thorough Home Inspection (400+), or are they more concerned about how quickly they can glide
through the home.
As a Home Inspector I could have joined any association; NACHI, ASHI, BCIPI, CAHPI(BC)… and I chose NACHI. I did
this because they have an excellent (possibly the best) support system out there for practicing inspectors like
myself. I chose to professionally educate myself; I structured my business as a Limited Company & not a fly-by-
night affair; and I protect myself AND YOU with full Liability Insurance.
But so what? I may be shooting myself in the foot by saying this, but these things do not matter as much as you
have been led to believe, because no amount of testing, or association, or insurance equates to the ability AND
thoroughness of the Inspector; it’s all just paper hanging on a wall! Being able to do something doesn't mean you
will. What matters is how much effort am I going to put forth to APPLY my knowledge and expertise for you!
Insurance actuaries will tell you the same thing; most poor inspections are not due to Inspector incompetence,
but rather on-site Inspector laziness - and there isn't an exam invented that can predict (or prevent) that.
Case in point: the “featured” hidden camera home inspection as shown on the news report. This particular
Inspector (and I’ll use the term as a courtesy) was reported to have spent one hour, yes… ONE HOUR on the
actual inspection and 45 MINUTES to finish the report – that’s it! I can not fathom how that is even possible to
do, even if I were to rush!
I am not slow… but I am thorough! I check over 400 items in a Standard Home Inspection (as per NACHI’s
Standards of Practice, which is the same as every other SOP, by the way). Following this as a MINIMUM STANDARD
it takes me, on average, about 3 HOURS to complete the on-site portion of an inspection. And because of the
nature of my Inspection Report – which is not a generic binder, but customized to your home with dozens of
digital photographs – another few hours to produce your finished report.
Following this (unless my client does not want to) I sit down with my client(s) for the better part of an hour, going
over their Inspection Report and answering all their questions. My last client (who was a REALTOR and who
attended much of the inspection) was so impressed with her Report, and stated that she couldn’t believe that we
went from conducting the Inspection to the finished report she had in hand, in less than a day, that she even
gave me a tip! My first tip!!!
Could I employ a quicker method as this other Inspector has done? Sure… by cutting out ½ of the items I
inspect… BUT I CHOOSE NOT TO. I pride myself in being professional and thorough, and make every effort to
abide by the Standards. Unfortunately, while most of us (fellow Inspectors) do this, the few that do not make
those of us that do look incompetent.
The exact same issue applies to every profession out there – licensed or not - as there are good and bad within
EVERY profession. All Lawyers start with the same legal training, but are all licensed Lawyers the same? Not at
all. The same applies to policemen, of which I was one! We all start with the same basic training, we all swear an
oath, but do we all go about upholding that oath and performing our duties the same? Nope. Doctors, Nurses,
Realtors, General Contractors, School Teachers, Mechanics… all organizations have dysfunctional members; the
list is endless.
I am not here to defend the lazy or incompetent Inspector, and I am all for a National Certification Program as this
will take us all one step closer to weeding more of them out. Unfortunately, for the reasons I have already listed,
even National Certification will not completely eliminate the lazy Inspector. The only person who can eliminate
the lazy Inspector is YOU by not giving them the opportunity to be lazy!
It is up to you to determine who are the hard working Inspectors, and who are the lazy ones. You can determine
this by asking around – the harder working Inspectors make a positive impression and build a good name for
themselves. Fortunately, there are far more of us hard working ones, but like the ancient Chinese axiom states…
“One rat turd ruins the rice”.
But stay positive people! Like The Osmond Brothers sang, One Bad Apple Don’t Spoil the Whole Bunch!
Arne Larsen
West Coast Home Inspections Ltd.
| I encourage you to read this article! |
| © 2007 West Coast Home Inspections Ltd. all rights reserved |
