ductwork

I use buildfax, had an inspection last week, showed the house had a fire that was unknown to all parties, it does have its value . House was bank owned, so no disclosures . Download Attachment: Buildfax.pdf 77.94?KB

Thank you for your helpful response, at least I asked and realized an issue and did not just ignore or tell the client to just throw some caulk or mortar in there, but I guess with your credentials , arrogance is expected and allowed.

The steel lentil on the opposite side has cracked/shifted, the lentil on the side with the crack has cracked Click to Enlarge 21.75 KB There is no lintel there. That is the soffit, or a piece of wood trim, covered in aluminum coil. A lintel supports masonry over an opening. It was a steel lintel, it was not the soffit or a piece of wood trim covered in aluminum, I did feel the material and it was definitely steel .

The steel lentil on the opposite side has cracked/shifted, the lentil on the side with the crack has cracked Click to Enlarge 21.75 KB

No I do not, I will advise the client to seek further evaluation .

The crack extends down to the crawl space entrance door, it is approximately 3 feet in length , the crack is not visible from within the crawlspace area, the safe way out would be to just recommend a structural engineer however I do not want to sound the alarms .

There was a small one near the front, I am not concerned about that one, this is the only one that stood out, this one is on the side of the home.

Had an inspection today, house was brick veneer, step crack 1/2 wide at points with no displacement, on the interior, no evidence of any cracking in the drywall or baseboards, I am not one to call out a structural engineer since this is brick veneer, no evidence on the corresponding interior location. Click to Enlarge 78.83 KB

I have read conflicting information whether a standing seam metal roof should be walked on or not, obviously not when wet, there is some consensus that walking on the roof can cause damage ?

I have an upcoming inspection, entire roof is standing seam metal, having not that much experience with this type of roof, what are the problem areas other than seams that are not crimped together correctly ?

My reports take twice to 3 times as long as the inspection. No fluff, I just like a report that's attractive as well as useful. HI software can't do what I want, so I look for whatever I can find that does. I can manage only one inspection per day at present. Marc It would be nice to just do a summary report without worrying about the SOP's, the average person could care less about knowing whether the house is rafter or truss, they only care about what's wrong and maybe even then not care or realize and are just getting a home inspection because that is what they are supposed to do.

Attached are a couple of the formats I use; there are more. I use the Photolog when I'm reviewing a single system, or as a summary edition for HOA's. I've taken out all the extraneous pages, instructions and guides, inventories, and all the SOP stuff to show you what my defect lists look like. The pictures provided limit the report; I can have up to 4 pics per comment, they would be larger, and I work like a photojournalist to tell the story with pictures. These pictures don't tell the story like I would tell it. Don't obsess on my verbiage; I'm not adequately caffeinated this early on a Saturday morning. The VR commentary is boilerplate; the other's are must me clacking out quick comments. Don't focus on the words, think about format. Yes, the icons are infantile. My customers all agree they're infantile and they all really like them. I know this because I ask them. The generalized response when asked is "yeah, they're kinda funny, but I like them because they help me focus on what the comment means". (There are icons for Major Defects, Minor Defects, Needs Additional Analysis, and FYI. The icons are a sorting mechanism more than anything else; I could use the designations to sort the comments and not have the icons print.) My client base is young, urban, unfamiliar with the concept of a screwdriver let alone what it does or which end to hold, and entirely incapable of deciphering technical descriptions. That's why the pictures and arrows and minimal verbiage. Just because an attorney doesn't indicate anything in particular about your report, that does not mean anything. Most of them are as clueless as my regular customers. I had the fortunate benefit of working with a really good advocate attorney years ago on a pro bono case. It's a Christian law firm and they specialize in representing those less fortunate. Really good folks. FTR, I am a deist, not a Christian. I cracked up the entire law firm when I told them "I'm not a Christian, I'm a carpenter". These folks turned my head around about how to write. Short, simple, to the point, no editorializing. State facts, support them. Put them in a list form. Number them so all parties reviewing the report know they're talking about the same comment. Let the facts dictate the Summary. Saying things like "mess" in a summary is OK; it's not OK when you are listing facts. Do not say "mess" when you are on the stand testifying. Keep it to the list. It's really quite simple. Home inspection software and antiquated ideas about communication are what makes it hard. Like it or despise it, the world doesn't read like we were taught. It's a 140 character world out there that really likes picture books. White space is good. Conventional ideas about composition, form, margins, and all that stuff one gets in the software package should be avoided; old folks don't like that idea. Too bad. Forget it anyway. People don't read that way anymore, especially young people, and since I am now an old people working primarily for young people, I don't torture them with outdated ideas. FTR, I read voluminously on a wide range of topics...no Kanye here. But, I don't take my literary ideals and impose them on HI reports. Big mistake. Also FTR....central to my system is the interface. It's quick and easy. Film strip on the right side, comments on the left, write comment or choose from library, drag pic to comment. repeat until done. I developed mine years before HomeGauge came out; it's a very common DB format applicable to wide range of projects. I've got a few tricks in my interface lacking in HomeGauge. HomeGauge is OK, but it's just another package trying to come up with stuff to fascinate HI's. Mine's got everything you need and nothing you don't. It can also be formatted easily to reflect any professional society or State licensing requirements. The defect list is separate and apart from the inventories and SOP crap, making it very adaptable. Download Attachment: Blow.report_2.28.2015.pdf 253.24?KB Download Attachment: blow.photolog_2.18.15.pdf 67.99?KB You state mold, the question is , did you test for it ? I did not believe that assumptions can go in a report

What I really wanted to say is the house is a piece of crap with handyman wiring , electrical was a mess, Federal Pacific box with double taps, ungrounded 3 prong outlets which I am sure did not even have the proper connectors for aluminum wiring, open junction boxes with exposed wiring in bedroom closets, recessed lights not rated for insulation in attic, no romex clamps of any kind, the list goes on and on, I could have saved myself a ton of time by just stating in one paragraph that the house is a mess and a piece of crap. BTW , I do like the report that Kurt posted, I am learning to do my writing to the point without fluff .

Other support issues in yet another crawl space, temporary supports, sloppy work besides this issue. Click to Enlarge 38.69 KB Click to Enlarge 28.64 KB

In the below picture, support in another crawlspace, is this strap sufficient, should it wrap around the entire beam ? Also the support is not centered ? Click to Enlarge 33.52 KB

Exactly what I stated, "Unprofessional / temporary support was observed at the areas shown in the pictures, Floor joists and / or beams were supported by wood or a jack, simply propped under them. Although no immediate concern was observed, client should contact a qualified contractor for further information and / or evaluation. "

I was on an inspection yesterday, amazing the half attempted repairs one finds , even the insulation in the crawlspace was installed upside down. The electrical throughout the house was even worse . Click to Enlarge 50.1 KB Click to Enlarge 43.64 KB Click to Enlarge 43.2 KB

I appreciate your suggestions, a mobile version of the website will be active in a week, I have made changes to the service area, I have looked at relocation companies, the pay is dismal, only 100-125 dollars per inspection , home address is removed off of website, as far as realtor referrals, I only have the client's interest at heart, I call it like I see it, I have already crossed off realtor offices where the first word's out of their mouth's " are you a deal killer ? " My response , houses kill deals not inspectors, I am off their " list " with that answer.

Yes, I am listening, I have changed the wording on my website to reflect I and not we, I have changed the language in my reporting to be more direct and explain why, I just received a compliment from a client stating that my inspection was extremely thorough especially compared to the last inspector that they had, they were extremely grateful especially when I showed them this picture, surprised the home inspector from the last inspection from 2012 did not pick this safety issue up as this is the original B Vent chimney ( 16 year old house ) Click to Enlarge 54.73 KB

Looks like the other areas next to the area had leaked or were actively leaking in addition to the area closer to the eaves, seems like possibly wind driven rain, is there ice and water shield installed underneath the shingles ?

The State of South Carolina just adopted the ASHI Standards of Practice. I wonder how much that was paid off? I am not a big fan of any of these organization, even though I am a member of NAHI ( The least of all the evils, IMO. ). I remember when I posted as a guest on the Internachi message board about being a home inspector. I was informed by Nick himself that if I did not join InterNachi I would never pass the South Carolina test. He was wrong! As of yet I have not had a chance to compare the differences, if any.

Are reviews, especially the Google + ones really believable ? Local HI in my area is the ONLY Hi with any reviews, when you shop for any service, do reviews factor in your decision ?

I wanted to thank everyone for their brutal honest feedback, I have corrected the" us to me or I", picture changed on " About Page ", I will also have a mobile version of the website shortly, in addition I have someone who will be doing local SEO for me, I am either on my way to rags or riches,the saying " time will tell " fits me to a tee !

I actually appreciate your candidness, I have changed all the we to I or myself, I was in the process of changing the picture , BTW , I charged 380.00 for that 2500 sq ft inspection not 300.00 . I would much rather someone tell me my website sucks than to sugar coat it, BTW, I was trying to avoid the typical 129.00 dollar website .