Home Inspector Podcast by InterNACHI

The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI®) promotes a high standard of professionalism, business ethics, and inspection procedures. InterNACHI members subscribe to the InterNACHI® Code of Ethics in the course of their business.

The purpose of a glossary of terms for home inspections is to make content-specific words accessible to the student. Encountering many unfamiliar industry-specific words may be overwhelming for new inspectors. This is why InterNACHI® provides definitions for words related to home inspections within a glossary. 

The home inspector shall inspect a representative number of doors and windows; floors, walls, and ceilings; stairs, steps, landings, stairways, and ramps; railings, guards, and handrails; and garage vehicle doors and the operation of garage vehicle door openers. 

Any inspection of the attic and insulation is inherently tied to other systems, such as the roof framing, the chimney, and the electrical system. The inspector should enter the attic space only if it is safe to do so. According to the Standards of Practice, the home inspector shall inspect insulation in unfinished spaces, including attics, crawlspace, and foundation areas; ventilation of unfinishe...

Not all houses have fireplaces, but many do. In certain climates and geographical areas, fireplaces are common. If a fireplace exists in a house, there are a few things a home inspector is required to inspect. There are many things that a home inspection does not include, such as the interior chimney flue liner. Each fireplace and flue in a house should be inspected by a certified chimney sweep ev...

The inspection of the electrical supply and systems is fairly complicated because it covers so many areas. It also poses potential hazards to the home inspector and often highlights defects that could endanger the home's occupants. Always keep safety in mind. Stay safe. Protect yourself and your clients by getting the proper training on electrical inspection, and equip yourself with the appropriat...

According to the Standards of Practice, the home inspector shall inspect: the main water supply shut-off valve; the main fuel supply shut-off valve; the water heating equipment; interior water supply; all toilets; all sinks, tubs, and showers; the DWV system; and drainage sump pumps with accessible floats.

Central air-conditioning systems are defined as electrically operated refrigerant-type systems used for cooling and dehumidification. The home inspector shall inspect the cooling system using normal operating controls.

The home inspector shall inspect the heating system using normal operating controls. Most HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning) systems in houses are relatively simple in design and operation. 

Most homes do not have major structural problems, but some do.  In a well-maintained, modern residential building, there may be no major structural problems. The home inspector shall inspect: the foundation; the basement; the crawlspace; and the structural components. 

The exterior of a home is slowly deteriorating and aging. The sun, wind, rain, and temperatures are constantly affecting it. A home inspector's job is to check the building’s exterior for its condition.

The home inspector shall inspect from ground level or the eaves: the roof-covering materials; the gutters; the downspouts; the vents, flashing, skylights, chimney, and other roof penetrations; and the general structure of the roof from the readily accessible panels, doors or stairs. 

There are exclusions of a home inspection. The home inspector is not required to determine the condition of any component or system that is not readily accessible; the service life expectancy of any component or system; the cause for the need of correction, repair or replacement of any system or component; and future conditions.

There are limitations to a home inspection. A home inspection is not technically exhaustive. An inspection will not identify concealed or latent defects. Not all defects or problems with the building will be found during a home inspection. 

A home inspection shall identify, in written format, defects within specific systems and components defined by these Standards that are both observed and deemed material by the inspector.  Inspection reports may include additional comments and recommendations. 

A material defect is a specific issue with a system or component of a residential property that may have a significant, adverse impact on the value of the property, or that poses an unreasonable risk to people.  The fact that a system or component is near, at or beyond the end of its normal useful life is not, in itself, a material defect.

The home inspection will not reveal every issue that exists or ever could exist, but only those material defects observed on the date of the inspection.  A home inspection does not predict future events.  The inspector is not required to determine future conditions. For example, a roof may leak at any time, even right after a home inspection has been performed and no indications of a roof leak wer...

To get a better idea as to what an actual home inspection report looks like, visit our webpage with sample reports provided by home inspectors . Feel free to use them to make your inspection reports better.

The home inspection is based on the observations made on the date of the inspection and not a prediction of future conditions according to the InterNACHI® Home Inspection Standards of Practice. 

A system is an assembly of various components that function as a whole. A component is a permanently installed or attached fixture, element, or part of a system. For example, an air-conditioning system consists of components such as the thermostat, evaporator, condenser, compressor, expansion valve, blower, filter, and supply and return air ducts.

A home inspection is a non-invasive, visual examination of the accessible areas of a residential property, performed for a fee, which is designed to identify defects within specific systems and components defined by these Standards that are both observed and deemed material by the inspector.  The client and Inspector may modify the scope of work before the inspection process.

The InterNACHI® Home Inspection Standards of Practice are the foundation upon which you build your own step-by-step process of performing a home inspection. The standards are considered a minimum, and list the systems and components that you are required to inspect.  They also help reduce your liability by defining the scope of your visual-only inspection, and by listing the systems, components, a...

To become an InterNACHI Certified Home Inspector and attain the Certified Professional Inspector (CPI)® designation and Certificate, you must complete the certification requirements, one of which includes completing this Standards of Practice Course.  Check out the Home Inspector Certification Requirements .

When in doubt about what the Standards of Practice (SOP) requires in a particular situation, the inspector should err on the side of caution and exceed what the SOP requires.  It is better to do a little more than what may be required than to do less and risk a potential claim and harm to your reputation.

Welcome to the InterNACHI® Home Inspection Standards of Practice Course. This course is part of several certification requirements to become an InterNACHI Certified Home Inspector . To check your progress in attaining this certification, visit your Members-Only Account .