Home Inspection Standards in New Jersey
June 29, 2009, Home Inspection
If you are looking to purchase a home in New Jersey, then it is important that you first have it inspected by a certified home inspector. There are certain standards that home inspectors are held to when they perform their practices in the state of New Jersey. Because of the strict rules which are in place, you are more likely to purchase a home that will last you years rather than purchase a dump that needs constant repair. That is, if you have the foresight to first hire a certified home inspector to look over the home and provide you with a comprehensive report first.
When conducting an inspection, it is a certified home inspector’s duty to check the foundation, floors, walls, ceilings, and roof. They must describe the material that the previously listed components are made out of. Whenever deterioration is found in a home, it is the home inspector’s duty to examine it in detail, unless such examination would cause further damage. Home inspectors must also examine the home’s crawlspace and attics and include the methods that they used in the report.
The home inspector must also examine the exterior of the home. This includes all exterior surfaces except for: shutters, screens, awnings, and other seasonal accessories. They must examine all doors with the exception of storm doors and safety glazing. They must examine all windows except for storm windows and safety glazing. They must also inspect all attached decks, balconies, stoops, porches, and stairways. They must examine garage doors, including automatic garage doors devices and entrapment protection.
They must inspect the surface of the roof, the drainage systems, flashing, skylights, chimneys, and describe their condition in detail for the report. When inspecting the roof, they will have to walk on it, observe it from a ladder, or if needed, simply examine it using binoculars. They must also inspect the water supply and distribution systems. This includes most of the plumbing in the home. This is only a small example of the many different activities that a home inspector will perform when inspecting a home. Home inspectors provide many services that will give you important piece of mind when purchasing a home.
There are also various things that a home inspector is not required to do. It is important that you know about these things, at least briefly, so that you don’t expect a home inspector to do something that he or she is not obligated to do. This includes anything that would endanger the life of the home inspector. The home inspector is also not required to do anything that could cause damage to the home or any of its components. A home inspector will also not be asked to enter an area that does not have at least 24 inches of vertical clearance and 30 inches of unobstructed horizontal clearance. There are various other things that home inspectors are not required to do, so make sure you read through the publications that the Home Inspection Advisory Committee of New Jersey has written up.
