When a home inspector overlooks an asbestos problem, what can you do?
And, how do you find an inspector who will actually have your best interests at heart?
Q: We hired a home inspector to help us out when we were buying a home in Chicago. We received the report, reviewed it and later closed. The report indicated some minor inspection issues but nothing major.
Well, about a week after our closing we called an air-conditioning company to come evaluate our system. We knew that some repairs would be needed and were looking for some estimates. The contractor went to the utility room and immediately told us that he wouldn’t even dare get close to our heating unit. He showed my husband how the pipes and ducts around the furnace were wrapped in asbestos. He also told my husband that the asbestos was in terrible condition. It would need to be replaced by an asbestos contractor.
Asbestos causes huge problems for homeowners
We called two companies and both gave us an estimate of around $2,000 to remove and dispose of the asbestos. We then turned around and called our inspector who referred our call to their customer relations department. They simply said that they do not investigate or make recommendations when it comes to hazardous materials.
To say the least, we were quite incensed. Of what value is the home inspection if they hide behind their fine print and won’t disclose to us something that was clearly obvious to the heating contractor. The heating contractor told us that it was pretty clear that the wrapping on the pipes would be asbestos. He’s seen it a bunch of times. And he didn’t understand why the inspector didn’t give us notice of it. We don’t understand that either. What do you think?
Home Inspections: home inspectors make mistakes
A: Sam has seen thousands of home inspection reports over the years and he’s watched inspectors disclose to their customers when a material they come across during an inspection is suspected of containing asbestos. They also may say that they don’t know for sure and simply suspect it is asbestos.
We have no idea why your home inspector failed to advise you of the possibility that you might have asbestos in the home. And, we think it’s terrible that the inspector decided to hide behind the fine print of the inspection agreement when the inspector clearly should have told you of a problem with the home.
Yes, home inspectors can’t see everything and are not in a position to evaluate every item in a home. Frequently, inspection reports will exclude certain inspections unless a buyer hires the inspector to perform certain specific inspections. Some of these additional inspections would be for radon, termites, lead based paint, septic system conditions, well water quality, lead in the water, mold evaluations, and asbestos containing materials around a home. But we feel that an inspector should not avoid telling a homeowner of a problem if it is clear to the inspector that the item exists.
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Let’s say a home inspector sees evidence of termites in the home. We don’t expect the home inspector to ignore the problem altogether. Or if there is evidence of asbestos or mold in the home. Or if there is a different problem. There is nothing wrong with the inspector noting that the problem or potential problem exists or a potential problem exists. But that inspector has not been engaged to evaluate that specific issue. If it’s raised, the homeowner should take further action to evaluate the situation.
Your inspector did nothing. He ignored the issue when the inspector should have at least alerted you to the problem. The inspector didn’t need to tell you that you had an asbestos problem but the inspector should have noted on the report that the inspector saw insulation wrapping on pipes that was in poor condition and the homeowner should evaluate the material for asbestos containing materials.
We feel if inspectors take the position that they will ignore all matters that they are not capable of full evaluating, then hiring the inspector has little value to a home buyer. Frequently, home inspectors will advise homeowners to consult experts:
- Electricians when they see electrical issues
- Plumbers on plumbing issues
- Heating and cooling contractors for furnace, boiler and air-conditioning issues
- Lead experts for lead in the water or in or around the home
- Radon experts for radon in a home along with termite experts for wood boring insect problems in a home
- Structural engineers when it comes to structural problems with a home
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Let’s reiterate the main point: you hire a home inspector to tell you about specific problems that the home contains, or for the inspector to give you a heads up on a potential problem, with a referral to a follow-up if something serious is in question.
This isn’t just my sense of right and wrong, by the way. The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), for example, has a code of ethics and a standards of practice section on their website. They say that “integrity, honesty, and objectivity are fundamental principles code of ethics are embodied” by their Code. They also say that their standards of practice do not include: “the presence of plants, animals, and other life forms and substances that may be hazardous or harmful to humans including, but not limited to, wood destroying organisms, molds and mold-like substances” and “the presence of environmental hazards including, but not limited to, allergens, toxins, carcinogens, electromagnetic radiation, noise, radioactive substances, and contaminants in building materials, soil, water, and air.”
In our experience, ethical inspectors would advise a homeowner of the possibility of a problem. In particular, if they see something that could be an issue even if it’s an environmental hazard. We feel that your inspector is wrong in excluding the problem with the asbestos or the possible asbestos problem and then hide behind the exclusion. We wouldn’t recommend that you use that company again. On a final note, was the company you hired a member of ASHI? If not, use a home inspection company that is a member of ASHI or InterNACHI (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors).
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