By Washington state law, at least until September 2009, home inspectors doing inspections that involve real estate sales are required to inspect for, and report on, wood destroying organisms and conducive conditions. To perform such an inspection requires having a structural pest inspector's license.

Often realtors and others say "so just what is a "conducive condition." There is not any specific list, although some of the more common ones are wood to soil contact, concrete poured over wood, gutters that are blocked, downspouts that empty by the foundation, crawl space vents that are blocked or under grade, no vapor barrier, leaking pipes, etc. The issue is keeping moisture, decay and insects from being introduced into various areas of the home. 

Some conducive conditions are subtle, and the professional responsible for the installation of one system or another should have known better. The photo below is that kind of thing: No huge deal and an easy fix, but the crawl space behind this vent was full of water. The high efficiency furnace was dumping condensate, which is something it has to do, and that can lead to lots of water during the heavy heating season. That discharge was running back into the crawl space. The TPR drain from the water heater, while not leaking, should also be extended out beyond the vent so it is not emptying into the crawl space if the water heater discharges water. Simply put, these need to be extended out, or re-routed, so they miss the crawl space.

There is not a specific list of conducive conditions. A few things pop-up all the time, over and over, but sometimes you will see one that seems to fall from the sky and, when you see it, you know it.

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA Home Inspections