61-30.812 Standards of Practice, General Limitations And Exclusions
(1) General limitations for inspections:
(a) Inspections are visual non-invasive only and are not technically exhaustive.
(b) Inspections may not identify concealed conditions or latent defects.
(c) Inspections are subjective and rely upon the inspector’s opinion, judgment, training, and experience.
(2) Generally, the inspector is not required to perform any action or make any determination unless specifically stated in these Standards of Practice.
(3) Inspectors are not required to determine:
(a) The condition of systems or components which are not readily accessible;
(b) The remaining life of any system or component;
(c) The strength, adequacy, effectiveness, or efficiency of any system or component;
(d) The causes of any condition or deficiency;
(e) The methods, materials, or costs of corrections;
(f) Future conditions including, but not limited to, failure of systems and components;
(g) The suitability of the property for any specialized use;
(h) Compliance with regulatory requirements (codes, regulations, laws, ordinances, etc.), manufacturer specifications, installation procedures or instructions;
(i) The market value of the property or its marketability;
(j) The advisability of the purchase of the property;
(k) The presence of potentially hazardous plants or animals including, but not limited to wood destroying organisms or diseases harmful to humans;
(l) The presence of any environmental hazards including, but not limited to fungi, molds, toxins, carcinogens, noise, and contaminants in soil, water, and air;
(m) The effectiveness of any system installed or methods utilized to control or remove suspected hazardous substances;
(n) The operating costs of systems or components;
(o) The acoustical properties of any system or component;
(p) Conditions that might affect the ability to obtain insurance and/or the price of insurance;
(4) Inspectors are not required to offer to:
(a) Perform any act or service contrary to law;
(b) Perform engineering/architectural services;
(c) Perform work in any trade or any professional service other than home inspection;
(d) Give warranties or guarantees of any kind.
(5) Inspectors are not required to operate:
(a) Any system or component which is shut down or otherwise inoperable or could cause damage;
(b) Any system or component which does not respond to normal operating controls; ( safety controls, valves or devices of any type.)
(6) Inspectors are not required to enter:
(a) Any area which will, in the opinion of the inspector, likely be dangerous to the inspector or other persons or damage the property or its systems or components. This situation will be noted in the home inspection report;
(b) The under-floor crawl space or attics which are not readily accessible. This situation will be noted in the home inspection report.
(7) Inspectors are not required to inspect:
(a) Underground items including, but not limited to underground storage tanks or other indications of their presence, whether abandoned or active;
(b) Systems or components which are not installed or readily accessible;
(c) Installed decorative items;
(d) Systems or components located in areas that are not entered in accordance with these Standards of Practice;
(e) Detached structures other than garages and carports;
(f) Common elements or common areas in multi-unit housing, such as condominium properties or cooperative housing.
(8) Inspectors are not required to:
(a) Perform any procedure or operation which will, in the opinion of the inspector, likely to be dangerous to the inspector or other persons or damage the property or its systems or components. This situation will be noted in the home inspection report. (b) Describe or report on any system or component that is not included in these Standards and was not inspected;
(c) Move furniture, appliances, lawn and garden equipment, tools, stored items, personal belongings, wall or floor decorations, floor covering, suspended ceilings, clothing, debris, soil, snow, ice or any items or material that blocks view and/or access to areas, components or structure. This situation will be noted in the home inspection report;
(d) Dismantle any system or component, except as explicitly required by these Standards of Practice;
(e) Inspect recreational facilities;
(f) Utilize special instruments, tools, or measuring devices of any kind to measure moisture, humidity, water or air volume, water or airflow, water potability, air quality, temperature, voltage, amperage, electrical grounding, polarity, and continuity, VOC’s, microwaves, electromagnetic fields, and other similar kinds of conditions or activities;
(g) Inspectors are not required to determine the calibration of measuring devices including timers, clocks, thermostats, and gauges;
(h) Operate equipment, appliances, or devices on more than one cycle, zone, or phase or operate any device, appliance, system, or equipment which in the opinion of the inspector may fail during the act of inspection;
(i) Provide any information from any source regarding property ownership, property boundaries, liens, outstanding loans, code violations, reports of hazardous materials, manufacturers’ recalls, Consumer Protection Agency bulletins, and other similar kinds of public information;
(j) Determine the integrity of thermal glass seals;
(k) Determine the presence of manufacturers’ defects in any product, material, component, equipment, or system, or information related to recall notices; (l) Determine installation conformance to manufacturers’ instructions for any product, component, element, device, or system.