In what is potentially an industry shaking case, the BC Supreme court has found in favour of a home buyer who sued a negligent home inspector for $192,000, despite a contract that limited the inspector’s liability to $450. Sean Wiens, home inspector, comments in the article at the CBC website, 11 Nov 2009, 7:46 pm -
“The average inspector is only there for three hours or less. I’m of the view, and I don’t represent the majority, by far, that a good inspection is a full day.”
In the comments section, an insider chills prospective buyers. Here’s J.Mustwrite CBC.ca 12 Nov 2009 7:26 am -
“I have been in the building construction and service industry as an electrician for over 30 years and I have found that most [home inspectors] in this so-called regulated agency have no construction experience at all. I have done a number of home inspections and found many serious issues. I warn all my clients when offering to purchase a home with a finished basement, [or any] evidence [that] the house has had some structural changes made to it, [that] if the sellers cannot produce building permits, electrical permits, plumbing permits along with contractors names phone numbers and business licences and insurance certificates, that [means that] $50,000.00 to $100,000.00 dollars minimum must be negotiated off the price of that home no matter how pretty it looks. And that is before I even look at it. Why? What I have seen going on in the renovation and home construction industry in electrical work, carpentry, and plumbing is disgusting beyond words. Is the system broken? Pretty much, in my opinion, because, really, if some building inspector has not swung a hammer for at least 5 years, or been connected to the construction business as an electrician or plumber, he really has only read a book, and that is not what constitutes a ‘qualified person’ in construction, no matter how many degrees or letters one may have behind [one's] name. There is a structure of regulatory municipal and provincial agencies is in place but bureaucrats seem to chew up resources that would otherwise put people out in the field. “Buyer beware” is all I can say for now, until these agencies are set up to actually work.”
Update - This discussion of this issue at Mohican’s Housing analysis blog article Home Inspectors’ Rotting Frames’ 20 Nov 2009
