Engineer's Report or Home Inspection Report?
Know what to expect. Generally, Engineer's Reports are basic
evaluations to satisfy mortgage lenders. Home Inspections are
detailed evaluations of all the systems and components of the home. Choose the the type of inspection that meets your needs.
Q. How detailed are Home Inspections compared to Engineer's Reports?
A. Expect a 25 to 35 page report from a Home Inspector of all systems of the
house with photos and recommendations for immediate corrections as well as
suggetions for upgrades and maintenance that are aimed to assist you in
retaining or improving the value of the house. An Engineer's Report is generally
2 to 6 pages with suggestions for immediate corrections. Engineer's Reports
are often used when the client wishes only to satisfy the mortgage lender's
requirements that a report be submitted.
Q. Are Home Inspectors as professional as Engineers and Architcts?
A. Yes, the State of Alaska and approximately 45 other states license
Home Inspection as the professional occupation designated to perform
real estate inspections.
Q. Will the bank accept a "Home Inspection" instead of the "Engineer's
Report" they asked for?
A. Mortgage lenders will accept either Home Inspection Reports or
Engineer's Reports. The State of Alaska licenses Home Inspection
as the profession that performs real estate inspections but allows
licensed Architects and Engineers to perform them as well.
Q. Is a "Home Inspection" as good as an Engineer's Report?
A. Potentially, a Home Inspection can be as good as, if not better than,
an Engineer's Report as a Home Inspector has specific training and
knowledge to look for problems in existing and or new houses. An
Engineer or Architect may have no such specific home inspection
training or knowledge. That does not mean that Engineers and
Architects are not good at real estate transaction inspections as
some have been doing it for years and may be following the standards
of practice of a national home inspection association, may be obtaining
continuing education, etc. Since Engineers and Architects performing
real estate inspections are not required to have training in home
inspection, obtain continuing education in home inspection or prove
their ability by passing a national home inspection examination, they
may or may not provide the same level of service as a licensed Home
Inspector.
Q. Don't I need the services of an Engineer to evaluate the structure
of a home?
A. Not usually. Real estate transaction inspections, whether done by a
Home Inspector or Architect/Engineer, involve only the observation of visible
components and systems in a home. The real estate inspector reports
only signs and symptoms of structural distress and recommends the
services of a qualified engineer or other specialist if problems are found.
Home Inspectors have demonstrated the ability to detect those
symptoms. Engineers may or may not. State law allows any type of
Engineer such as a Sanitary, Chemical, Petroleum, Mining, Electrical,
Mechanical or Civil Engineer to perform real estate inspections.
Q. How can I tell if I am getting the services of a qualified inspector?
A. As with most professions, skills and competency vary with the
practitioner. Look at the Qualifications of the inspector, check out
References and Customer Satisfaction, Sample Reports, membership in
professional associations. Ask trusted acquantances for
recommendations.
Q. What qualifications should I look for in a good inspector?
A. Experience and training in building design, construction or
maintenance are certainly near the top of the list. Inspection experience
is especially helpful as it takes a trained eye to spot problems. An
experienced inspector understands the systems of a building and can
see evidence of problems that are not obvious to most observers.
Experience with building codes is also a benefit as codes are intended
to set a standard for safe building construction, even though Home
Inspectors do not inspect for code compliance. Beyond that, affiliation
with related professional associations shows interest and commitment
to the profession of Home Inspection.
Q. So, in a nut shell, what is the difference between the average
Home Inspection Report and the average Engineer's Report?
A. By Alaska state law, a Home Inspection is required to address all of
the major systems and components of a home. Home Inspections are
generally 10 to 30 pages long, often include photographs and some
maintenance advice. Each Home Inspector has latitude to decide if their
report is a checklist or narrative style and whether or not they include a
summary.
An Engineer's Report is often 2 to 6 pages long, usually reporting only
major problems and may exclude evaluation of some systems and
components, based on the expertise or usual practice of the Architect/
Engineer. They usually do not include photographs.
It is important to evaluate the type of report your inspector will provide to
see if it matches your expectations.
Home Inspections usually include observations of the following systems
and components:
Structure | Driveway | Heating | Crawlspaces |
Roof | Walkways | Cooling | Attics |
Exterior | Garages | Ventilation | Fireplaces |
Grading | Interior | Insulation | (Appliances) |
Decks | Electrical | Detectors | |
Vegetation | Plumbing | Egress | |