KO Home Inspections LLC

STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS

•    The home inspector shall inspect structural components including:

1. Foundation;

2. Floors;

3. Walls;

4. Columns or piers;

5. Ceilings;

6. Roofs.

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•    The home inspector shall describe the type of:

1. Foundation;

2. Floor structure;

3. Wall structure;

4. Columns or piers;

5. Ceiling structure;

6. Roof structure.

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•    The home inspector shall:

1. Probe structural components where deterioration is suspected;

2. Enter under floor crawl spaces, basements, and attic spaces except when access is obstructed, when entry could damage the property, or when dangerous or adverse situations are suspected;

3. Report the methods used to inspect under floor crawl spaces and attics;

4. Report signs of abnormal or harmful water penetration into the building or signs of abnormal or harmful condensation on building components.

EXTERIOR

•    The home inspector shall inspect:

1. Wall cladding, flashings, and trim;

2. Entryway doors and a representative number of windows;

3. Garage door operators;

4. Decks, balconies, stoops, steps, areaways, porches and applicable railings;

5. Eaves, soffits, and fascias;

6. Driveways, patios, walkways, and retaining walls;

7. Vegetation, grading, and drainage with respect only to their effect on the condition of the building.

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•    The home inspector shall:

1. Describe wall cladding materials;

2. Operate all entryway doors;

3. Operate garage doors manually or by using permanently installed controls for any garage door operator;

4. Report whether or not any garage door operator will automatically reverse or stop when meeting reasonable resistance during closing;

5. Probe exterior wood components where deterioration is suspected.

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•    The home inspector is not required to inspect:

1. Storm windows, storm doors, screening, shutters, awnings, and similar seasonal accessories;

2. Fences;

3. For the presence of safety glazing in doors and windows;

4. Garage door operator remote control transmitters;

5. Geological conditions;

6. Soil conditions;

7. Recreational facilities (including spas, saunas, steam baths, swimming pools, tennis courts, playground equipment, and other exercise, entertainment, or athletic facilities);

8. Detached buildings or structures;

9. For the presence or condition of buried fuel storage tanks.

ROOFING

•    The home inspector shall inspect:

1. Roof coverings;

2. Roof drainage systems;

3. Flashings;

4. Skylights, chimneys, and roof penetrations;

5. Signs of leaks or abnormal condensation on building components.

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•    The home inspector shall:

1. Describe the type of roof covering materials;

2. Report the methods used to inspect the roofing.

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•    The home inspector is not required to:

1. Walk on the roofing;

2. Inspect attached accessories including solar systems, antennae, and lightning arrestors.

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PLUMBING

•    The home inspector shall inspect:

1. Interior water supply and distribution system, including: piping materials, supports, and insulation; fixtures and faucets; functional flow; water pressure, leaks; and cross connections;

2. Interior drain, waste, and vent system, including: traps; drain, waste, and vent piping; piping supports and pipe insulation; leaks; and functional drainage;

3. Hot water systems including: water heating equipment; normal operating controls; automatic safety controls; and chimneys, flues, and vents;

4. Fuel storage and distribution systems including: interior fuel storage equipment, supply piping, venting, and supports; leaks;

5. Sump pumps.

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•    The home inspector shall describe:

1. Water supply and distribution piping materials;

2. Drain, waste, and vent piping materials;

3. Water heating equipment, including fuel or power source, storage capacity, and location;

4. The location of any main water supply shutoff device.

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• The home inspector shall operate all plumbing fixtures, including their faucets and all exterior faucets attached to the house, except where the flow end of the faucet is connected to an appliance.

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• The home inspector is not required to:

1. State the effectiveness of anti-siphon devices;

2. Determine whether water supply and waste disposal systems are public or private;

3. Operate automatic safety controls;

4. Operate any valve except water closet flush valves, fixture faucets, and hose bibs;

5. Inspect the system for proper sizing, design, or use of proper materials;

6. Inspect:

(A) Water conditioning systems;
(B) Fire and lawn sprinkler systems;
(C) On-site water supply quantity and quality;
(D) On-site waste disposal systems (Septic systems);
(E) Foundation irrigation systems;
(F) Swimming pools;
(G) Solar water heating equipment;

ELECTRICAL

•    The home inspector shall inspect:

1. Electrical service entrance conductors;

2. Electrical service equipment, grounding equipment, main overcurrent device, and main and distribution panels;

3. Amperage and voltage ratings of the electrical service;

4. Branch circuit conductors, their overcurrent devices, and the compatibility of their ampacities;

5. The operation of a representative number of installed ceiling fans, lighting fixtures, switches and receptacles located inside the house, garage, and on the dwelling’s exterior walls;

6. The polarity and grounding of all receptacles within six feet of interior plumbing fixtures, and all receptacles in the garage or carport, and on the exterior of inspected structures;

7. The operation of ground fault circuit interrupters;

8. Smoke detectors and permanently installed carbon monoxide alarms.

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•    The home inspector shall describe:

1. Electrical service amperage and voltage;

2. Electrical service entry conductor materials;

3. The electrical service type as being overhead or underground;

4. The location of main and distribution panels.

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•    The home inspector shall report in writing the presence of any readily accessible single strand aluminum branch circuit wiring.

 

•    The home inspector shall report in writing on the presence or absence of smoke detectors, and permanently installed carbon monoxide alarms in any homes with fuel fired appliances or attached garages, and operate their test function, if accessible, except when detectors are part of a central system.

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•    The home inspector is not required to:

1. Insert any tool, probe, or testing device inside the panels;

2. Test or operate any overcurrent device except ground fault circuit interrupters;

3. Dismantle any electrical device or control other than to remove the covers of the main and auxiliary distribution panels;

4. Inspect:

(A) Low voltage systems;
(B) Security systems and heat detectors;
(C) Telephone, security, cable TV, intercoms, or other ancillary wiring that is not a part of the primary electrical distribution system;
(D) Built-in vacuum equipment;
(E) Back up electrical generating equipment; or
(F) Other alternative electrical generating or renewable energy systems such as solar, wind or hydro power.

HEATING

•    The home inspector shall inspect permanently installed heating systems including:

1. Heating equipment;

2. Normal operating controls;

3. Automatic safety controls;

4. Chimneys, flues, and vents, where readily visible;

5. Solid fuel heating devices;

6. Heat distribution systems including fans, pumps, ducts and piping, with supports, insulation, air filters, registers, radiators, fan coil units, convectors;

7. The presence or absence of an installed heat source for each habitable space.

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•    The home inspector shall describe:

1. Energy source;

2. Heating equipment and distribution type.

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•    The home inspector shall operate the systems using normal operating controls.

 

•    The home inspector shall open readily openable access panels provided by the manufacturer or installer for routine homeowner maintenance.

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•    The home inspector is not required to:

1. Operate heating systems when weather conditions or other circumstances may cause equipment damage;

2. Operate automatic safety controls;

3. Ignite or extinguish solid fuel fires;

4. Ignite a pilot light;

5. Inspect:

(A) The interior of flues;
(B) Fireplace insert flue connections;
(C) Heat exchanges;
(D) Humidifiers;
(E) Electronic air filters;
(F) The uniformity or adequacy of heat supply to the various rooms; or
(G) Solar space heating equipment.

AIR CONDITIONING

•    The home inspector shall inspect:

1. Central air conditioning and through-the-wall installed cooling systems including:

(A) Cooling and air handling equipment; and
(B) Normal operating controls.
(2) Distribution systems including:
(A) Fans, pumps, ducts and piping, with associated supports, dampers, insulation, air filters, registers, fan-coil units; and
(B) The presence or absence of an installed cooling source for each habitable space.

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•    The home inspector shall describe:

1. Energy sources;

2. Cooling equipment type.

 

•    The home inspector shall operate the systems using normal operating controls.

 

•    The home inspector shall open readily openable access panels provided by the manufacturer or installer for routine homeowner maintenance.

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• The home inspector is not required to:

1. Operate cooling systems when weather conditions or other circumstances may cause equipment damage;

2. Inspect window air conditioners;

3. Inspect the uniformity or adequacy of cool-air supply to the various rooms.

INTERIORS

•    The home inspector shall inspect:

1. Walls, ceiling, and floors;

2. Steps, stairways, balconies, and railings;

3. Counters and a representative number of built-in cabinets;

4. A representative number of doors and windows.

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•    The home inspector shall:

1. Operate a representative number of windows and interior doors;

2. Report signs of water penetration into the building or signs of abnormal or harmful condensation on building components.

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•    The home inspector is not required to inspect:

1. Paint, wallpaper, and other finish treatments on the interior walls, ceilings, and floors;

2. Carpeting;

3. Draperies, blinds, or other window treatments.

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INSULATION AND VENTILATION

•    The home inspector shall inspect:

1. Insulation and vapor retarders in unfinished spaces;

2. Ventilation of attics and foundation areas;

3. Kitchen, bathroom, and laundry venting systems;

4. The operation of any readily accessible attic ventilation fan, and, when temperature permits, the operation of any readily accessible thermostatic control.

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•    The home inspector shall describe:

1. Insulation in unfinished spaces;

2. The absence of insulation in unfinished space at conditioned surfaces.

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•    The home inspector is not required to report on:

1. Concealed insulation and vapor retarders;

2. Venting equipment that is integral with household appliances.

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•    The home inspector shall:

1. Move insulation where readily visible evidence indicates the possibility of a problem;

2. Move floor insulation where plumbing drain/waste pipes penetrate floors, adjacent to earth-filled stoops or porches, and at exterior doors.

BUILT-IN KITCHEN APPLIANCES

•    The home inspector shall inspect and operate the basic functions of the following kitchen appliances:

1. Permanently installed dishwasher(s), through a normal cycle;

2. Range(s), cook top(s), and permanently installed oven(s);

3. Trash compactor(s);

4. Garbage disposal(s);

5. Ventilation equipment or range hood(s);

6. Permanently installed microwave oven(s).

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•    The home inspector is not required to inspect:

1. Clocks, timers, self-cleaning oven functions, or thermostats for calibration or automatic operation;

2. Non built-in appliances;

3. Refrigeration units.

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•    The home inspector is not required to operate:

1. Appliances in use;

2. Any appliance that is shut down or otherwise inoperable.