Now I don't mean the ones that he spouts when he trips over the last step in the basement, or the one that he says when he closes the dishwasher on his fingers. The ones I mean are the ones that you can use in public without mothers covering their children's ears.
I'll start with the ones that are very basic. These are the terms that cover some of the types of inspections we do. Be careful though, most inspectors have their own terms for the different types of inspections. Most of these terms can be interchanged with other inspectors, but be sure to ask the inspector to clarify what exactly is covered.
WBI or WDI is Wood Boring Insect or Wood Destroying Insect. This is an inspection for active and inactive insects and signs that they are there or have been.
Foundation is a term used to describe the usually below ground walls that hold the structure up. This can be viewed from the inside in a basement, outside where it extends above the ground, from the enclosed crawl space under the house, or in the case of an open space it could be seen (some crawl spaces aren't enclosed) from the area under the home. A Foundation Inspection does not normally include the wood or metal framing of the house, the walls or floor joists.
Structural is a term used by Home Inspectors to include all of the framing above ground. If the home in question is of wood framing it wood include all of the structural lumber above ground. Anything below ground or concrete extending above ground would be considered part of the foundation.
Roof Inspection is a phrase that covers the roof including trusses/rafters, roof sheeting, sub-roof material (such as tar paper) where it is visible, and the exposed roof material (such as shingles, metal, tile, or any other roofing surface material). The roof structure is included in this inspection normally and can usually be seen from the attic. Be sure to check with the person who is inspecting for their complete definition.
A Whole House Inspection is one that covers all of the above.
There are other terms that apply to the type of inspection you should be asking for, if not a "whole house", but I'll cover them in the next blog in this series.
Terminology is not standardized from coast to coast, inspector to inspector, or even national association to national association. Be sure to ask for a SOP (standard of practice) and ask where you might see a glossary of terms. These are provided by national associations or the state when a license is required to inspect in your state. If your inspector is not a member of a national association or licensed then you will need to ask for the SOP that he goes by to make sure you are getting what you think you are.
Jack Gilleland
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