Occasionally we still get asked if a home passed or failed the inspection. This seems to come from the misunderstanding as to what a home inspection really is. As we conduct Columbus Ohio home inspections we see many misunderstandings as to what the purpose of the home inspection is.
Home inspections and the home inspection reports are not a scored item. The home inspection does not provide a grade like you get in schools. The inspection purpose is to provide information that the client (usually the buyer) would find useful. All homes have issues and the buyers need to be forearmed with that knowledge that issues will be found.
Home inspectors should never tell the buyer to or to not to buy a property. We are to provide information only, it is up the buyer to do the decision making. Definitely some of the things we find are huge factors in the clients decision. For example, finding out that the home seller ignored the exterior grading for the past 15 years and now the foundation has significantly bowed inward is an important factor.
In the above example the inspector should definitely point out that issue, however the home inspector should never tell the buyer that it is a deal killer. It should get looked at for correction definitely, however it is not the home inspectors call to recommend buying or not buying.
The short answer is “No” home inspectors should not pass or fail a home. Unfortunately I have heard of inspectors doing just that. That is wrong. Habitation Investigation home inspections never tells the clients not to purchase. That decision is for the buyer to make and with the help of their agent.
P.S. Strangely enough some people believe the home inspection report is public information, not true.
