(A) These standards of practice apply to
licensed Ohio home inspectors who are providing home inspections services
pursuant to Chapter 4764. of the Revised Code.
(B) Ohio licensed home inspectors shall
comply with all applicable Ohio laws and regulations.
(C) Licensees who perform home
inspections are not required to identify or disclose a propertys
concealed conditions, latent defects or cosmetic deficiencies that do not
significantly affect a propertys system or part of a systems
performance for the systems intended purpose. A licensees
inspection is limited to a visual and not technically exhaustive examination of
readily accessible components and systems as of the specific date and time the
inspection occurred.
(D) Any licensee who elects to operate,
inspect or offer an opinion in a home inspection report regarding any of the
items found in this rule that were excluded from the licensees
responsibility shall not do so in a careless or misleading manner.
(E) A licensee is not required to
determine or offer an opinion about any of the following items in a home
inspection report for a property inspected:
(1) The condition of a
system or part of system installed in a property that is not readily
accessible;
(2) The estimated
remaining life of a system or part of a system;
(3) The adequacy or
efficiency of a system or part of a system;
(4) The source or causes
of conditions or deficiencies in the property;
(5) The estimated costs
to correct deficiencies in the property;
(6) Forecasting future
conditions about the property, including but not limited to, forecasting the
failure of systems or parts of system in a property;
(7) The appropriateness
or suitability of a property for any use other than for residential
purposes;
(8) The compliance of a
system or parts of a system in a property with past, present or future
requirements which include but are not limited to codes, regulations, laws,
ordinances, builder specifications, installation and maintenance instructions,
care or use guides;
(9) The marketability or
market value of the property;
(10) The presence at the
property of any animals, environmental hazards or substances that may be
hazardous or harmful to any living being;
(11) The effectiveness or
efficiency of any system installed at the property to control or remove any
animals, environmental hazards or substances from the property;
(12) The estimated
operating cost of a system or parts of a system;
(13) The sound quality or
acoustical properties of a system or parts of a system;
(14) Soil conditions
relating to geotechnical or hydrologic specialties;
(15) Determine or report
on materials, conditions, systems or parts of systems subject to recall,
litigation, or other adverse claims or conditions;
(16) The legality of any
contract or contract term pertaining to the property.
(F) A licensee shall not make a
determination or offer an opinion regarding any of the items found in paragraph
(E) of this rule if prohibited by law or regulation. A licensee shall clearly
report in the inspection report those systems or parts of a system required to
be inspected under these standards that were and were not operated or inspected
and explain the reasons each was or was not operated or inspected.
(G) A licensee is not required to offer
as part of a licensees home inspection services any of the
following:
(1) Performance of any
acts or services contrary to law or government regulations;
(2) Performance of any
other trade or professional services other than a home inspection;
(3) Evaluation of any
other trade or professional services performed on the property by
others;
(4) Offer any warranties
or guarantees regarding the property inspected.
(H) During the performance of a home
inspection, a licensee is not required to operate any of the
following:
(1) Any systems or parts
of a system that cannot be operated by normal operating controls or are
inoperable, disabled, shut-off, or otherwise where conditions
prohibit;
(2) Any devices designed
to protect systems or parts of a system from unsafe condition including, but
not limited to, automatic safety controls.
(I) A licensee is not required to enter
during a home inspection any of the following:
(1) An area of the
property that in the licensees judgment is likely to be dangerous to the
licensee or to other persons or is likely to cause damage to the property, its
systems or parts of its systems;
(2) Any property crawl
space or attic that, in the licensees determination, is not readily
accessible.
(J) A licensee is not required to inspect
during a home inspection any of the following:
(1) Any items underground
on the property, including but not limited to, storage tanks, septic systems,
underground piping and wells, whether abandoned or active;
(2) Any items that are
not installed in the property;
(3) Any decorative items
installed in the property;
(4) Any detached
structures on the property other than garages or carports;
(5) Any common area
property found in common areas for condominium or cooperative housing;
(6) Every occurrence of
multiple similar parts of a system;
(7) Any outdoor cooking
appliances.
(K) A licensee is not required to do any
of the following:
(1) Perform any
procedures, operations or inspection at the property that is, in the
licensees judgment, likely to be dangerous to the licensee or to other
persons or is likely to cause damage to the property, its systems or parts of
its systems;
(2) Move any items,
including but not limited to, any personal property, including furniture,
plants, soil, snow, or other debris;
(3) Take apart or
dismantle any property systems or parts of a system, except as required in this
rule;
(4) To adjust any
devices, systems or parts of a property system, except as required by this
rule;
(5) To ignite or
extinguish any fires, pilot lights, burners or other open flames that require
manual ignition on any fuel-burning appliances;
(6) Probing any surfaces
that could, in the licensees professional opinion, be damaged or where
no deterioration is visible or presumed to exist.
(L) During an exterior home inspection, a
licensee shall inspect and report the licensees findings related to all
of the following, including any material defects:
(1) Describe exterior
wall coverings, flashing, and trim;
(2) Exterior
doors;
(3) Attached and adjacent
decks, balconies, stoops, steps, porches, and associated railings;
(4) Eaves, soffits, and
fascia where accessible from the ground level;
(5) Vegetation, grading,
surface drainage, and retaining walls that are likely to adversely affect the
building;
(6) Any adjacent or
entryway walkways, patios, and driveways.
(M) A licensee is not required to inspect
during an exterior home inspection or report in a home inspection report any of
the following:
(1) Screening, shutters,
awnings, or other similar seasonal accessories;
(2) Fences, boundary
walls, or similar structures;
(3) Geological and soil
conditions on the property;
(4) Any recreational
facilities, including but not limited to, spas, saunas, steam baths, swimming
pools or exercise, entertainment, playground or other similar
equipment;
(5) Outbuildings, other
than garages and carports;
(6) Seawalls, break-walls
or docks;
(7) Erosion control and
earth stabilization measures.
(N) A licensee shall inspect during a
home inspection of the structural components of a property, when readily
accessible and report on material defects in the home inspection report the
licensees findings related to all of the following:
(1) Crawl spaces or
attics and the method the licensee used to inspect the crawl spaces or
attics;
(2) Foundation;
(3) Floor
structure;
(4) Wall
structure;
(5) Ceiling
structure;
(6) Roof
structure.
(O) A licensee is not required to inspect
during a home inspection of the structural components of a property or report
in a home inspection report any of the following:
(1) Engineering or
architectural analysis;
(2) Offer an opinion
about the adequacy of structural systems or parts of the system;
(3) Enter crawl space
areas that have less than twenty-four inches of vertical clearance between a
property system and the ground or have a crawl space access with an opening
smaller than sixteen inches by twenty-four inches;
(4) Navigate load-bearing
systems or beams in the attic space of a property that are concealed by
insulation or by other materials.
(P) A licensee shall inspect a
propertys roof during a home inspection and report on material defects
in the home inspection report the licensees findings related to all of
the following:
(1) Roofing
materials;
(2) Roof drainage system;
(3) Flashing;
(4) Skylights, chimneys
or any roof penetrations; and
(5) The method the
licensee used to inspect the roof.
(Q) A licensee is not required to inspect
during a home inspection or report in a home inspection report any of the
following as it relates to a propertys roof:
(1) Antennae;
(2) Interior vent
systems, flues, or chimneys that are not readily accessible; and
(3) Any other installed
accessories.
(R) A licensee shall inspect a
propertys plumbing during a home inspection and report on material
defects in the home inspection report the licensees findings related to
all of the following:
(1) Interior water supply
and distribution systems, including any fixtures or faucets;
(2) Interior drain,
waste, or venting system, including fixtures;
(3) Any water heating
equipment and hot water supply systems;
(4) Vent systems, flues
or chimneys;
(5) Fuel storage or fuel
distribution systems;
(6) Readily accessible
sewage ejectors, sump pumps, or other related piping;
(7) Report in the home
inspection report the energy source(s) utilized and the location of main water
and fuel shut-off valves.
(S) A licensee is not required to inspect
during a home inspection or report in a home inspection report any of the
following as it relates to a propertys plumbing:
(1) Clothes washing
machine connections;
(2) Interiors of vent
systems, flues or chimneys that are not readily accessible;
(3) Wells, well pumps or
other water storage related equipment;
(4) Water conditioning
systems;
(5) Any solar,
geothermal, and other renewable energy water heating systems;
(6) Manual or automatic
fire extinguishing and sprinkler systems;
(7) Landscaping
irrigation systems;
(8) Concealed or
otherwise inaccessible sewage ejectors, sump pumps and septic or other sewage
disposal system;
(9) Sewage disposal and
water supply; whether the system is public or private, the quality of the
water, including supply flow, pressure or quantity or the adequacy of
combustion air components.
(10) Licensees are also
not required to fill shower pans or fixtures for the purpose of testing for
water leaks.
(T) A licensee shall inspect a
propertys readily accessible components of the electrical system during
a home inspection and report in the home inspection report the licensees
findings related to all of the following:
(1) Service
drop;
(2) Service entrance
conductors, cables and raceways;
(3) Service equipment and
main disconnects;
(4) Service
grounding;
(5) Interior parts or
components of a service panels and subpanels;
(6) Conductors;
(7) Overcurrent
protection devices;
(8) A representative
sample of installed light fixtures, switches and receptacles;
(9) Ground fault circuit
interrupters and arc fault circuit interrupters;
(10) Licensees shall
report in the home inspection report the propertys amperage rating
service, the location of main disconnects and subpanels, the presence or
absence of any smoke or carbon monoxide alarms and the predominant branch of
circuit wiring method.
(U) A licensee is not required to inspect
during a home inspection or report in a home inspection report any of the
following as it relates to a propertys electrical system:
(1) Remote control
devices;
(2) Test smoke and carbon
monoxide alarms, security systems and other signaling and warning
devices;
(3) Low voltage wiring
systems, components or parts of a system;
(4) Ancillary wiring
systems, components or parts of a system that are not a part of the primary
electrical power distribution system;
(5) Solar, geothermal,
wind, and other renewable energy systems;
(6) Licensees are not
required to measure the amperage, voltage or impedance or determine the age or
type of smoke or carbon monoxide alarm;
(7) Test ground fault
circuit interrupters (GFCI) or arc fault circuit interrupters
(AFCI);
(8) Test disconnects or
breakers.
(V) A licensee shall inspect the heating
system(s) and observe operation during a home inspection and report in the home
inspection report the licensees findings related to all of the
following:
(1) Installed heating
equipment;
(2) Vent systems, flues
and chimneys;
(3) Distribution systems;
(4) Describe the energy
source and heating systems.
(W) A licensee is not required to inspect
or operate during a home inspection or report in a home inspection report any
of the following as it relates to a propertys heating
system:
(1) Interiors of vent or
duct systems, flues and chimneys that are not readily accessible;
(2) Heat
exchangers;
(3) Humidifiers,
dehumidifiers and condensation pumps;
(4) Electric air cleaning
and sanitizing devices;
(5) heating systems using
ground-source, water-source, solar, and renewable energy technologies;
(6) heat-recovery and
similar whole-house mechanical ventilation systems; or
(7) Comment or offer an
opinion regarding the adequacy of the heat supply or materials, distribution
balance or the adequacy of combustion air components,
(X) A licensee shall inspect all readily
accessible the air conditioning system(s) and observe operation during a home
inspection and report in the home inspection report the licensees
findings related to all of the following:
(1) Central and
permanently installed cooling equipment;
(2) Distribution
systems;
(3) Report the energy
source(s) and cooling systems.
(Y) A licensee is not required to
inspect, report or operate any of the following as it relates to a
propertys cooling system:
(1) Electric air cleaning
and sanitizing devices;
(2) Cooling units that
are not permanently installed or that are installed in windows;
(3) Cooling systems using
ground-source, water-source, solar, and renewable energy
technologies;
(4) Adequacy of cooling
supply, materials used and distribution balance.
(Z) A licensee shall inspect all readily
accessible interior areas of a property during a home inspection and report in
the home inspection report the licensees findings related to all of the
following:
(1) Walls, ceilings and
floors;
(2) Steps, stairways and
railings;
(3) Countertops and a
representative sample of installed cabinets;
(4) A representative
sample of doors and windows;
(5) Garage vehicle doors
and garage vehicle door operations;
(6) Installed appliances,
including but not limited to, ovens, ranges, surface cooking appliances,
microwave ovens, dishwashing machines, and food waste grinders by using normal
operating controls to activate the primary function.
(AA) A licensee is not
required to inspect during a home inspection or report in a home inspection
report any of the following as it relates to a propertys:
(1) Paint, wallpaper, and
other finish treatments;
(2) Personal floor
coverings;
(3) Window
treatments;
(4) Coatings on and the
hermetic seals between panes of window glass;
(5) Central vacuum
systems;
(6) Shared or common
recreational facilities;
(7) Free-standing
household appliances not listed in paragraph (Z)(6) of the rule;
(8) Appliance thermostats
including their calibration, adequacy of heating elements, self-cleaning oven
cycles, indicator lights, door seals, timers, clocks, timing features and other
specialized features of the appliance;
(9) The operation of
every control and feature of an inspected appliance.
(BB) A licensee shall
inspect insulation and ventilation in a property during a home inspection and
report in the home inspection report the licensees findings related to
all of the following:
(1) Insulation and vapor
retarders in unfinished spaces or the absence of insulation and vapor retarders
in unfinished spaces at conditioned surfaces;
(2) Ventilation of attics
and foundation areas;
(3) Exhaust systems found
in the property, including but not limited to exhaust systems in the kitchen,
bathroom or laundry room;
(4) Clothes dryer exhaust
systems.
(CC) The licensee is not
required to disturb insulation or ventilation during a home
inspection.
(DD) A licensee shall
inspect all readily accessible parts of a fireplace or fuel-burning appliances
in a property during a home inspection and report in the home inspection report
the licensees findings related to all of the following:
(1) Fuel-burning
fireplaces, stoves, and fireplace inserts;
(2) Any fuel-burning
accessories installed in fireplaces;
(3) Chimneys, flues and
vent systems.
(EE) A licensee is not
required to inspect during a home inspection or report in a home inspection
report any of the following as it relates to a propertys fireplace or
fuel-burning appliances:
(1) Fire screens and
doors;
(2) Seals and
gaskets;
(3) Automatic fuel feed
devices;
(4) Mantles and fireplace
surrounds;
(5) Combustion air
components in order to determine their adequacy;
(6) Heat distribution
assistance items;
(7) Fuel-burning
fireplaces or appliances located outside the inspected structures;
(8) Determining draft
characteristics.