Click the PDF link below to view Illinois' Standards of Practice
The Standards of Practice document defines the scope of work that the inspector will perform. It includes: The detailed areas of the home the home inspector will cover. The areas of the home the home inspector is not required to inspect.
What’s Not Covered in a Home Inspection?
A messy home will not deter an inspector, but the interior should be relatively clean, so an inspector can easily access all home areas. A home inspector must reach these readily accessible areas to complete the report. It will also extend the time an inspector is in the home if they have to push boxes or other items aside to view an electrical panel or furnace. According to the Standards of Practice, a home inspector is not required to move furniture or personal belongings.
1. Building code violations
Remember, the home inspector is not a building code inspector. They are not required to determine compliance with codes, regulations, or violations. We will, however, point out safety hazards in our visual inspection.
2. Paint, wallpaper, and other finishes
Inspectors are not required to inspect finish treatments such as paint and wallpaper, according to the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). These are cosmetic and not necessary to point out.
When an inspector identifies peeling paint, they will generally assess the potential cause. Three common causes for peeling or cracking paint are:
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Water/humidity
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Improper paint application or prep-work
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Expired or low-quality paint
Your home inspector only sees the first listed cause as a “red flag” since this may indicate that the home has a history of water damage.
Home inspectors will not test for lead-based paint, which is common in homes built before 1978. Suppose a buyer is concerned about lead-based paint. In that case, they need to hire a certified inspector or a risk assessor to evaluate the paint and recommend either abatement or continued good maintenance.
3. Mold and pests
A base inspection excludes identifying the presence of life forms or substances that may be harmful or hazardous to humans, including but not limited to molds and mold-like substances, and wood-destroying organisms. When mold is found in a home, it is reported as "potentially mold." Mold testing and wood-destroying insect inspection are additional services we provide that are not included in a base inspection.
4. Inside of the fireplace and chimney
According to ASHI, a report covers the inspection of chimneys and vent systems, fuel-burning accessories installed into a fireplace, and a home’s fuel-burning fireplaces, stoves, and fireplace inserts. It does not cover:
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Inside of vent systems
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Flues, seals, and gaskets
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Fire screens and doors
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Mantels and fireplace surrounds
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Combustion air components
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Heat distribution assets
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Automatic fuel feed devices
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Anything located outside of the inspected structure
However, we provide chimney inspections as an add-on service. We use a camera to view the chimney interior to identify significant cracks or other damages.
5. The sewer line
Home inspectors will not look at the sewer line in a standard home inspection, which connects your home to the city line. However, many buyers request an additional inspection to check the sewer for cracks, tree roots, clogs, or collapsed pipes. A specialist will scope the line and detect any necessary repairs using a video camera. Because these repairs are often expensive, you may consider having these inspections before a buyer comes along, as these issues will require immediate repair.
How is a home inspection different from an appraisal?
Although people often confuse the two, inspections and appraisals are different activities with different purposes. The main goal of an inspection is to determine the condition of a home. The goal of an appraisal is to assess the value of a home. So, while an inspector will be looking for structural soundness and safety issues, an appraiser will examine home features, the neighborhood, recent home additions, and other factors that contribute to the home’s worth.
6. Internal electrical components
The home inspector’s job is to conduct a visual inspection, not tinker with a home’s inner workings. For instance, an inspector will not open a wall to view the electrical work as it is outside the scope of work.
As a homeowner, don’t skip out on replacing burnt-out lightbulbs in overhead fixtures or tableside lamps. These lights help the inspector see the evaluated items. And ultimately, the inspector wants to know that the electrical system or appliance where a bulb is located is in working order.
7. The underground septic system
The only way to know that you have a defective underground septic system is when it overflows in your basement or the yard.
Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t commit to regular home maintenance. Consequently, minor problems can become significant ones.
A home inspector will run the faucets and flush the toilets, listening for normal sounds, but they won’t examine the underground system. The home inspector will only note the following details:
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When the tank was last pumped
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That the tank is far from wells or streams
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The sludge level is less than one-third of the tank’s volume
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The tank is the appropriate size for the house (for example, a four-bedroom home requires a 1,200-gallon tank).