Standards of Practice (SOP) are what guides the home inspector during each inspection. The State of Oklahoma has a set SOP and InterNACHI, the organization that I am a member of, has their own set SOP. I follow both SOPs during each inspection.
Scroll down to the links at the bottom if you want to skip straight to the super long, legal-language details.
Both sets of SOP limit what I can and cannot say on inspection reports. For example, I can’t say a house is ‘great’ and I can’t comment on the decorations. Lots of times during inspections, the client will listen to me recap everything that I observed, then ask ‘but what do you think of the house?’. I can’t say if the house is beautiful or if I think it’s a bad investment. All I can say is what I observed within the SOPs that I’m operating under.
The SOPs also outline what the inspector is expected to do. If I come across yellow CSST flexible gas piping, in accordance with Oklahoma’s SOP, there’s specific verbiage that I’m supposed to use to let the client know that it is safer if properly bonded and grounded*. More about grounding and bonding in a future blog.
InterNACHI’s SOP says the inspector is to operate a representative number of windows, doors, light switches, receptacles (aka outlets), etc. That typically means one per room. Oklahoma’s SOP neither specifies ‘all’ windows nor ‘representative number’ of windows. It simply says ‘the inspector shall inspect: doors and windows including operation, glazing and thermal pane seals’. I inspect each one that I am able to safely observe. Just because one receptacle works does not mean the rest in the room will. In fact, many times I’ve found that the same bedroom will have one receptacle that works normally, one that is missing ground, or one that has the polarity reversed.
Another thing both SOPs forbid is the inspector guessing at the causes or reasons for defects**. There’s no reliable, accurate way for us to know why three different receptacles in the same bedroom are wired differently. We can take guesses, usually all based on inexperienced DIYers or lax standards of the past, but that is not important. It doesn’t matter why they are this way, what matters is that the homeowner is alerted to the potential risk and is recommended to get it repaired.
These SOPs are in place to protect the inspector and the clients. The report that I publish for each client includes the SOP. By following both the Oklahoma SOP and the InterNACHI SOP, I am confident that I’m able to give every client a thorough inspection. If you have any questions about what is or is not covered during a home inspection, you can read through the details on the linked SOPs, or reach out to us. I encourage all home-owners, whether buying, selling, or if you’ve owned your home for a while, to consider having an inspection by a licensed, certified, and insured home inspector.
*the presence of any shade of yellow corrugated stainless steel tubing ("CSST") flexible gas piping observed during the inspection in which the inspector is not required to identify concealed conditions, components not readily accessible, or any other item excepted from inspection pursuant to Permanent Rules Effective 10/1/2019 9 OAC 158:70-1-3. If any shade of yellow CSST flexible gas piping is observed, the home inspector shall notify the client, in writing, as follows: "Manufacturers believe the product is safer if properly bonded and grounded as required by the manufacturer's installation instructions. Proper bonding and grounding of the product can only be determined by a licensed electrical contractor."
** (3) The inspector is not required to: (E) determine the causes of any condition or defect (Oklahoma SOP)
I. The inspector is not required to determine: E. the cause or reason of any condition. (InterNACHI SOP)
Oklahoma’s SOP as of 9/19/20, last revised October 2019:
InterNACHI’s SOP as of 9/19/20, last revised January 2018:
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