SOP – B-Home Inspections LLC

The purpose of a home inspection is to provide home buyer or homeowner with information about the condition of installed systems and components of a home at the time of the inspection. The home inspector should inspect the readily accessible installed systems and components and provide a written report to the client.

The inspection report should include any of the systems defined under the SOP that are not functioning properly, are significantly deficient, are unsafe or are near the end of their life expectancy. The inspector should also recommend corrections or monitoring for future correction for these deficiencies. If the nature of a deficiency is not self-evident the inspector should provide the client with a further explanation using easy to understand terminology.

Standards of Practice

There are two major home inspection associations that developed their own Standards of Practice (SOP) for their membership to follow. Overall, the scope of both of these standards has very similar content. To review these SOP click on the links below.

American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI)

National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (interNACHI)

Many states have created their own published SOP or adopted a standard from one of these home inspection associations. South Carolina, for example, adopted the ASHI standards of practice a few years ago.

Code of Ethics

Both of these major home inspection associations have their own code of ethics for the members to follow. The general principles in these ethics’ codes are:

to avoid conflicts of interest that negate the inspector’s professional independence and objectivity
to act in good faith toward each client and other parties involved in the real estate transaction
to avoid any activities that reduce the public confidence home the inspection profession

Tag: SOP

Home Inspection Standards of Practice & Code of Ethics