Inspector should disclose big issues
Ilyce Glink and Samuel Tamkin
Q: We hired a home inspector to help us when we were buying a home in Chicago. We received the report, reviewed it and later closed. The report indicated some minor inspection issues but nothing major.
About a week after our closing we called an airconditioning company to evaluate our system. We knew that some repairs would be needed and were seeking estimates. The contractor went to the utility room and immediately told us that he wouldn’t even dare get close to our heating unit. He showed my husband how the pipes and ducts around the furnace were wrapped in asbestos. He also told my husband that the asbestos was in terrible condition and would need to be replaced by an asbestos contractor.
We called two companies, and both gave us an estimate of about $2,000 to remove and dispose of the asbestos. We then called our inspector, who referred our call to their customer-relations department. They simply said that they do not investigate or make recommendations when it comes to hazardous materials.
To say the least, we were quite incensed. Of what value is the home inspection if the inspector hides behind his company’s fine print and won’t disclose to us something that was clearly obvious to the heating contractor?
A: We have no idea why your home inspector failed to advise you of the possibility that you might have asbestos in the home. And we think it’s terrible that the inspector decided to hide behind the fine print of the inspection agreement when he clearly should have told you of a problem with the home.
Yes, home inspectors can’t see everything and are not in a position to evaluate every item in a home. Frequently, inspection reports will exclude certain examinations unless a buyer hires the inspector to perform certain specific inspections.
Some of these additional inspections would be for radon, termites, lead-based paint, septic-system conditions, well-water quality, lead in the water, mold evaluations and asbestoscontaining materials around a home. But we think that an inspector should not avoid telling a homeowner of a problem if it is clear to the inspector that an issue exists.
If, for example, a home inspector sees evidence of termites in the home, we don’t expect the inspector to ignore the problem altogether.
The same would be the case if the inspector sees asbestos or evidence of mold or other problems in the home. There is nothing wrong with the inspector noting that a problem exists, or that a potential problem exists. However, the inspector has not been engaged to evaluate that specific issue, and the homeowner should explore further.
Your inspector should have at least alerted you to the problem. He didn’t need to tell you that you had an asbestos problem, but the inspector should have noted on the report that the inspector saw insulation wrapping on pipes that was in poor condition and the homeowner should evaluate them for asbestos-containing materials.
We think that if inspectors take the position that they will ignore all matters that they are not capable of fully evaluating, then hiring the inspector has little value to a homebuyer.
The American Society of Home Inspectors has a code of ethics and a standards of practice section on its website. It states that “integrity, honesty and objectivity are fundamental principles embodied by this Code.”
In our experience, those inspectors that abide by the code of ethics would advise a homeowner of the possibility of a problem and, in particular, if they see something that could be an issue even if it’s an environmental hazard.
We wouldn’t recommend that you use that company again.
On a final note: If the company a homeowner hires is not a member of ASHI, we’d advise the homeowner to use a home inspection company that is a member of ASHI or InterNACHI (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors).