Scope and standards What an inspection is, and what it is not.

The standards we work to.

Four documents sit behind every Home IQ report. One is the State of Florida's. Two are published by InterNACHI, the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, and apply to every Certified Professional Inspector. The fourth is specific to your house.

• The Florida Standards of Practice for home inspectors. Rule 61-30 of the Florida Administrative Code, adopted under Chapter 468, Part XV, Florida Statutes. Every licensed Florida home inspector is bound by it. It sets the minimum scope of an inspection and the required contents of a report.
• The InterNACHI Standards of Practice. The definition of a home inspection, what it covers, what it excludes and how findings are reported. Read the Standards of Practice.
• The InterNACHI Code of Ethics. The conduct rules the inspector agrees to: honesty, impartiality, confidentiality, no conflicts of interest. Read the Code of Ethics.
• Your house's own paperwork. The manufacturer's installation instructions for the products used on your home, and your builder's approved plans and engineering for your lot. The Standards of Practice do not require an inspector to read these. We do, because on new construction they are what "correct" means.

What an inspection is

The Standards of Practice define a home inspection as a non-invasive, visual examination of the accessible areas of a property, designed to identify defects within specific systems and components. That definition holds at every stage we inspect. We look at what can be seen and reached on the day, we operate what can be safely operated, and we document what we observe with a photograph, a location and a plain-language note.

On new construction, that visual examination happens four times, at four different houses: a graded pad, an open frame, a finished home and a home that has been lived in for a year. Each stage page lists what is reviewed at that visit.

InterNACHI also publishes its own guidance on the pre-drywall visit: what it is, why it happens after rough-in and before insulation, and the systems it covers, from foundation and framing through plumbing, electrical, HVAC, flashing and connectors. Our pre-drywall inspection follows that guidance. Read InterNACHI on pre-drywall inspections.

What an inspection is not

• Not a code inspection. Only the municipal building department determines code compliance. A Home IQ report does not cite code sections and makes no determination of compliance. How the two differ.
• Not technically exhaustive. It does not dismantle, open, uncover or move anything, and it does not identify concealed or latent defects. What is behind a finished surface on the day of the visit stays behind it.
• Not an engineering service. Where a finding calls for a structural judgment, the report recommends evaluation by the truss manufacturer or a qualified engineer rather than ruling on it.
• Not a warranty or guarantee. The report describes the condition of what was visible at the time of the inspection. It does not warrant the house, predict the life of a system, or promise that nothing else exists.
• Not an opinion on value, insurability or whether to buy. Those decisions are yours and your advisors'.
• Not cosmetic. Paint, texture and finish quality are noted where they point to something underneath, not graded for taste.

What is excluded

The Standards of Practice list what an inspector is not required to do, and we follow them. We do not operate equipment that is shut down or not yet connected, enter areas that are unsafe or inaccessible, move materials, furniture or debris to gain access, or inspect specialty systems such as pools, irrigation, security, low-voltage, solar or septic unless separately arranged. On an active job site, access is also governed by the builder's rules, and we work inside them.

What we add beyond the standard. The Standards of Practice do not require comparing the work against manufacturer instructions or construction documents. On a new build we do both, because a connector installed in the wrong place or a duct routed differently from the plan is exactly the kind of item the four stages exist to catch. The comparison is a document comparison, noted in the report, not a compliance ruling.

The Code of Ethics in practice

• Repair work is declined. No repairs are performed or offered on a home that has been inspected, for 12 months after the report, and no commission, rebate or benefit is exchanged with a real estate agent for a referral.
• The report goes to the client. It is not sent to a builder, an agent or anyone else without the client's authorization. A construction manager who asks for a copy is directed back to the client.
• Qualifications are listed in full. License, certification and the coursework behind them are published rather than summarized. Credentials and training.
• A written agreement comes first. Services, limitations and fee are set out in writing and accepted before the visit.
• Certification is kept current. Certified Professional Inspector status requires ongoing coursework and re-examination, and it is kept current.

The report

Findings are grouped under Information, Limitations and Observations for each area of the house. A Limitation records what could not be inspected and why. An Observation carries a photograph, a location, a note on why it matters, a badge such as Recommendation or Safety Hazard, and the party it is addressed to, usually the builder. The report is delivered as a PDF within 24 hours and is written so you can forward it without editing. See sample report pages.

Because even a new home deserves a second set of eyes.