Home Inspectors vs. others
Contractors, Code Officials, and ICC certificate holders are not trained in historical safety issues and building practices.
The information below provides detailed reasons why they lack the historical safety issues and building practices training to provide home inspections for Real Estate transactions.
Division I contractor - General, Building, Residential
Division I contractor's course and exam materials are void of information for identifying historical safety issues and building practices. The fact is they have no historical safety issues and building practices training and little current code training.
Below are links to exam requirements and course requirements for Division I contractors.
http://www.contractorbooks.com/results.cfm?secondary=20
http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/servop/testing/ConstructionReferencePage.html
Code officials and ICC certificate holders
Code officials and ICC certificate holders' course and exam materials are also void of information identifying historical safety issues and building practices; their training is only on the current code as it applies to new repairs, new installation, and new construction.
There are 242 code courses provided by ICC (official course and exam provider), and none offer training regarding historical safety issues and building practices prior to current code; which is FBC 2010.
Below is a link to course and exam requirements for Code officials and ICC certificate holders.
http://www.iccsafe.org/Education/Courses/Pages/catalog.aspx
Home Inspectors
From its inception, Home Inspector training has focused on historical safety issues and building practices in order to provide the home buyer with a wealth of safety information concerning the home regardless of the home’s age. Home Inspectors must know safety issues and building practices that go back to the early 1900s as well as current issues.
Just a few dangerous issues that are not found in any of the contractors', code officials', and ICC certificate holders' courses or exams but that are vital for the Home Inspector to know because they are still found in many homes today:
Asbestos
Knob and tube (early 1900s)
WDO
Aluminum wiring (1970s)
Mold
Lead paint (up to 1978)
Moisture intrusion
Chinese drywall (2001 -2008)
TPR
Anti-tilt
EIFS
Federal pacific (1950-1990)
PB piping (1970-1995)
Vermiculite (1919-1990)
Lead water pipes (up to 1978)
Any one that has not been trained and taken the NHIE or the InterNACHI exam covering these issues is not qualified to inspect homes for a real estate transaction.
The HUD.GOV website provides ten questions a home buyer should ask a Home Inspector, including:
3. Are you specifically experienced in residential inspection?
Related experience in construction or engineering is helpful, but is no substitute for training and experience in the unique discipline of home inspection.
This is one Home Inspector training course approved by the State:
http://www.nachi.org/education.htm
|