Coming soon: SOP for inspecting fireplaces and chimneys.

[Gary Farnsworth]

No, you will need a seperate SOP for every section of your report, and trained and educated in every section. iNACHI will be selling you CE and videos/marketing on these subjects that will be in every one of your reports. The industry will be heading in this direction, and you will have seperate reports on electrical, pluming, HVAC, chimneys, water wells, etc. and you will need to attach the seperate SOP's to them. The buyer will be choosing what is to be inspected by you. It will be like ordering a new car. You will be asking the buyer "what do you want inspected?" You will charge for each section. Heck, lawyers are already confused on what a "whole house inspection" is. Due to all of the new state laws nationwide, we have to spell it all out, every section at a time. We will no longer be home inspectors, but "home componet specialists". I can see it coming. Buy an electrical and plumbing inspection, get a termite free.

[Nick Gromicko]

Answered in order asked:

1. Same one you always have.
2. By referencing www.nachi.org/sop.htm just like you always have.
3. No change.
4. No change.
5. I would follow www.nachi.org/sop.htm
6. No, it will not be removed.

[Nick Gromicko]

Gary writes:

It will be like ordering a new car. You will be asking the buyer "what do you want inspected?" You will charge for each section.

We do already: www.InspectorLocator.com

That is an excellent analogy Gary, thanks!!! I've been trying to explain ancillary inspections for years.

Gary is correct. A home inspection is like buying a standard model truck. Your client can then purchase (for additional money), rust proofing, leather seats, 6 CD changer or whatever.

For instance: some of our members already offer chimney camera scans. And in Canada many of our members offer WETT certification of wood burners.

[James H. Bushart]

I have done an inspection for my client using "the NACHI SOP", as specified in my contract.

The first snow of the year, my client builds a fire and a defect inside the chimney results in the death of his children, as they sleep.

His attorney finds, on this site, a (second) NACHI SOP for chimneys and fireplaces that I did not comply with. Had I complied with it, I may have detected the defect.

Can you see how two conflicting SOPs published by the same association can be harmful to its members who actually conduct home inspections?

[rmaday]

Thank you for your answers, Nick. I am still confused on how this will protect me, or how it will help manage expectations for my clients.

I learned a lot from Joe's course, especially this...

Originally Posted by jferry1

The SOP is your friend. Stay within the SOP. Once you step outside the SOP you are opening yourself up to liability that you otherwise would not have.

If you are going to go beyond the SOP make sure you are being appropriately compensated for the additional exposure.

My confusion, here, is that there will exist a second SOP (for fireplaces) for an item that is already covered in the "regular" SOP.

It is not like a mold or radon test, which not covered by the SOP, fireplaces are specifically included in the SOP, therefore a standard already exists.

The SOP provides protection by clearly defining what is and is not to be done. A second SOP (for an already included system) will, at a minimum, muddy the waters and not provide a clear definition of what is and is not to be done.

Edited to add:

I like the idea of "add-on" inspections, or even a-la-carte services (roof, HVAC, etc) but the standard needs to be clear. There cannot be multiple SOPs, for Roofs, HVAC, Electrical, etc.

[Nick Gromicko]

There are many portions of a of a general home inspection that do not go as far as some clients would like (and would be willing to pay additionally for).

For instance, you check for missing insulation and failed thermal seals in windows on a general home inspection, no? Does this mean you get out your IR camera and provide a full energy audit at no additional cost? Of course not. But some inspectors offer it and some consumers are willing to pay additionally for it.

I don't follow Jim's argument that simply because it is mentioned in our residential SOP that we can then never offer any other ancillary inspection that might overlap or that we should never author an SOP to cover such ancillary inspections.

[rmaday]

Originally Posted by gromicko

I don't follow Jim's argument that simply because it is mentioned in our residential SOP that we can then never offer any other ancillary inspection that might overlap or that we should never by author an SOP for such ancillary inspections.

The way I see it:
By specific inclusion in the residential SOP, it is a standard part of a home inspection (unless otherwise disclaimed), therefore not ancillary.

An additional SOP to market "advanced" (for lack of a better word) inspection of any system already included in the SOP, while a good idea, in theory, may be a liability disaster, in practice.

[Nick Gromicko]

True. With every ancillary service we offer, comes additional liability, especially with those ancillary services that have vague or totally unavailable industry standards. www.InspectorLocator.com

[James H. Bushart]

Okay...try to follow.

First, know that the "s" in SOP stands for "standard".

When an association publishes a "standard" for its members and the members contract with others to comply with that "standard", the client has a right to expect that standard to be met.

Our association has a "standard" for inspecting chimneys and fireplaces.

You have announced, now, that we will have two separate and distinct standards. By definition, the existence of two makes neither a "standard".

Now for the second issue....are you still with me, Nick?

Now...for the plaintiff's attorney to seek unlimited punitive damages for breach of contract, negligence or fraud in his lawsuit...he will have to compare my report to my contractually agreed to "standard".

Which will he pick? He has a choice, since I advertise that I comply with "the NACHI standard" and NACHI has two of them. Will he choose the one that I met...or the one that I didn't?

[Nick Gromicko]

I hear ya, and the cure is in the title of the SOP.

[Gary Farnsworth]

Just for the record, I have just completed a comparison to the SOP on the iNACHI web site, and my exact SOP's on my web site that I was careful to copy when I became a iNACHI member in March of 2008. I found additions.

2.3 section on basements, inspector shall inspect E, G, H, and I were added.
2.7 section on electrical, inspector shall inspect F was added. Inspector shall not inspect, O was added.

I was not imformed on the changes. Everyone needs to compare yours to what is on the iNACHI site. It is a slow time of year, so you should take the time and compare. 30 minutes. There may come a time where the SOP on the section/part of the home your inspecting may need to be attached to your report section. Everything is getting more technical. Thanks to attorneys everywhere, and new state laws. Base YOUR SOP's with iNACHI's. Read your/iNACHI's agreement. SOP's can be flexable, but CYA.

[rmaday]

Originally Posted by gfarnsworth

Just for the record, I have just completed a comparison to the SOP on the iNACHI web site, and my exact SOP's on my web site that I was careful to copy when I became a iNACHI member in March of 2008. I found additions...

I was not imformed on the changes.

This, IMO, is a bigger issue.

We are indeed contracting to inspect per NACHI SOP. If the SOP or COE changes, we need to be notified, in order to remain compliant and stay out of trouble.

A simple email blast to all members stating that there has been a change and to visit nachi.org/sop would suffice.

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by rmaday

This, IMO, is a bigger issue.

We are indeed contracting to inspect per NACHI SOP. If the SOP or COE changes, we need to be notified, in order to remain compliant and stay out of trouble.

A simple email blast to all members stating that there has been a change and to visit nachi.org/sop would suffice.

I think that is a very reasonable way to handle any changes to the SOP and COE as well as any change in required CE.

[Christopher Currins]

Originally Posted by rmaday

How does the new fireplace SOP differ from:

Which SOP will I need to substantially comply with to be in COE compliance?

The Illinois one.