We generally believe that reinspections are of little value to home buyers. The purpose of a home inspection is to point out the potential problems that a home may have, but the inspector is not qualified to determine the quality of the repairs made. A reinspection will tell you whether or not the original problem still exists, but it will not tell you if the repair was done correctly. A good example of this is a roof leak around a chimney when the roof is only a few months old. Applying sealant to the flashing will stop the leaking for now, but sealant wears out and has to be reapplied regularly. This is not a problem you should have with a brand new roof, and sealant is not the correct way to repair this leak. However, it is not possible for the inspector to determine exactly what steps were taken to address this issue. He can only tell you if there is evidence of a leak at the time of the reinspection, which may not help at all if there hasn’t been rain since the repair was completed. Another example of this is when the original finding is a loose toilet. If a seller only secures the toilet when the wax ring actually needed to be replaced, there is no way for the inspector to know at the time of reinspection. The inspector can only tell you if the original conditions still exist.
Most inspection reports contain several items stating that further evaluation is needed to determine what (if any) repairs are needed. Sometimes the evaluating contractor will determine that no repairs are necessary at all – this is often the case with structural items. When this happens, it is very important that you get a written opinion from the evaluating contractor. It is important that you work with your Realtor® to make sure that your request is worded very clearly to cover both the evaluation by a licensed contractor, and the proof of what that contractor said was needed and what steps were taken (if any).
Some minor repairs can be completed by the seller or a handyman, but our report indicates that the majority of the repairs should be completed either by a qualified professional or by a specialty contractor (roofing, plumbing, electrical, etc.). This means that these items should be addressed by qualified contractors, not the seller or a handyman. “Qualified” means that a contractor is insured and licensed in a field relating to the specific item requiring repair. Buyers, sellers, and Realtors® should be aware that a business license does not indicate that a company or individual is qualified to make repairs. In South Carolina, you can visit LLR to verify contractor licensing. In Georgia, visit the Secretary of State. Contractors completing repairs should provide documentation in the form of work orders and/or receipts with itemized descriptions of the work completed, as well as their license numbers. If repairs are made by licensed contractors and documentation is provided, a reinspection is unnecessary. When minor items are repaired by either the seller or a handyman, it is best to check those items yourself in person or request photographs of the repairs.
If you still would like to have a reinspection performed, our base fee for this service is $200. There may be an additional cost for homes with a high number of repairs. Under no circumstances will Lake Dog Home inspection assume repairs made by any party.
