Home inspection
In general, home inspectors recommend that potential purchasers join them during their onsite visits to provide context for the comments in their written reports.
The client then uses the knowledge gained to make informed decisions about their pending real estate purchase.
Several states and provinces also require inspectors to periodically obtain continuing education credits in order to renew their licenses.
This was developed in partnership with industry professionals, consumer advocates, and technical experts, by the Canadian Standards Association.
In Canada, only Alberta and British Columbia have implemented government regulation for the home inspection profession.
This Act allows OAHI to award members who have passed and maintained strict criteria set out in their membership bylaws and who operate within Ontario.
Similarly, OntarioACHI requires equally high standards for the award of their certification, the Canadian-Certified Home Inspector (CCHI) designation.
The proclamation of the Home Inspection Act, 2017, requires the dissolution of the Ontario Association of Home Inspectors Act, 1994, which will remove the right to title in Ontario of the RHI at the same time removing consumer confusion about the criteria for its award across Canada.
There has been a proliferation of companies that have started offering the service, predominantly in Tier-1 cities such as Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune, Mumbai, etc.
The way that home inspection is different in India[4] than in North America or United Kingdom is the lack of a government authorised licensing authority.
Apart from the fact that houses in India are predominantly built with kiln baked bricks, concrete blocks or even just concrete walls (predominantly in high rise apartments) this means the tests conducted are vastly different.
The CAN/CSA-A770-16 standard allows this (in-fact it demands swimming pool safety inspections as a requirement) and also mandates that the inspector be properly qualified to offer these.
A disaster examination, unlike a standard house inspection, concentrates on damage rather than the quality of everything visible and accessible from the roof to the basement.
When performing a structural inspection, the inspector will look for a variety of distress indications that may result in repair or further evaluation recommendations.
[9] Municipal building officials can also make this determination, but they are not performing home inspections at the time they are rendering this opinion.
Someone who is not a licensed professional engineer or a registered architect can describe the condition of structural elements (cracked framing, sagged beams/roof, severe rot or insect damage, etc.
[10] A thermal imaging inspection using an infrared camera can provide inspectors with information on home energy loss, heat gain/loss through the exterior walls and roof, moisture leaks, and improper electrical system conditions that are typically not visible to the naked eye.
However, some home inspectors are also certified to inspect pools and spas and offer this as an ancillary service.
This type of inspection is typically performed by a Certified Arborist and assesses the safety and condition of the trees on a property before the sales agreement is executed.
Reports are typically prepared by environmental assessors or qualified solicitors in accordance with HHSRS (Housing Health and Safety Rating Scheme).
A pre-listing inspection focuses on all major systems and components of the house including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, siding, doors, windows, roof and structure.
