It’s smart to schedule a home inspection before you buy or sell a house. You receive valuable information from the inspection that helps inform your decisions during the buying process. However, there are limits to every home inspection. 

These limitations are due to the very nature of how inspections are conducted. A few different things restrict the scope of an inspection.

1.     Home Inspections are Primarily Visual 

Every home inspection is by default a visual inspection. That means the home inspector visually checks the home and property for a specific checklist of items. The list is quite extensive and covers the most important things.

Since the inspection is primarily visual, it can only report what the inspector is able to see. The inspector creates a detailed report of the condition of each item at the time of the inspection. Of course, that can change by the closing date. This is why buyers have a final walk through before closing.

This also means that the inspector cannot inspect things that are covered by walls, ceiling and floors. Additionally, if areas are blocked off or do not have an access point they cannot be included in the inspection. Therefore, if the inspector cannot see a part of the home, they cannot inspect it.

Most of the inspection is visual but the inspector does check if appliances and systems are functioning. That includes checking heating and cooling equipment, plumbing, electrical systems and controlled devices.

2.     Safety Concerns

Many safety hazards are obvious to see. That may include exposed wires, overloaded outlets, broken boards on the deck or something similar. Other hazards are less obvious.

Mold is one of those less obvious problems. It can be hard to see and be hidden from view, for example inside of walls. Thus, it might not be detected during a standard home inspection. 

Other safety concerns such as asbestos, lead, water purity or similar environmental issues require a specialist inspection. They often need analysis by a laboratory and cannot be part of the standard home inspection. 

If you have a health or safety concern and need a special inspection, please let us know. We offer ancillary inspections to look closer at some of these problems. That includes mold inspections, roof inspections, secondary structure inspections and more.

3.     Specialists 

Home inspectors cannot be specialists or experts in everything. They are trained to find problems or potential issues and point them out. They know when something is serious enough to consult a specialist.

If the inspector finds problems, they can make recommendations for qualified contractors. That can include a plumber, electrician or structural engineer. You can then call in a specialist for further inspection.

Schedule Your Southeast Florida Home Inspection

If you keep these limitations in mind you will have a more accurate idea of what you can and cannot expect from a home inspection. Always let our inspectors know if you have specific concerns or things you would like to be looked at.

Our home inspectors are highly qualified and thorough. So do not hesitate to contact us with any questions about home inspections in southeast Florida. Call today to schedule a home inspection with Kenco!