Home inspection during extreme weather conditions

[Gary D. Rowden]

As winter is fast approaching our extreme weather conditions around the country are about to change and home inspectors will have to endure these sometimes extreme weather conditions that I personally would not perform.

As a southern California home inspector I was dreading the rainy conditions while performing a home inspection yesterday, but at the same time gave me the upmost respect for home inspectors that endure extreme weather conditions to perform a home inspection.

What extreme weather conditions have you endured to perform a home inspection?

[Kevin M. Leonard]

Originally Posted by growden

As winter is fast approaching our extreme weather conditions around the country are about to change and home inspectors will have to endure these sometimes extreme weather conditions that I personally would not perform.

As a southern California home inspector I was dreading the rainy conditions while performing a home inspection yesterday, but at the same time gave me the upmost respect for home inspectors that endure extreme weather conditions to perform a home inspection.

What extreme weather conditions have you endured to perform a home inspection?

Rainy days are the best days to do home inspections, at least from the standpoint of finding leaks.

Here in Ohio I endure temps from 0*F to 100*F with all kinds of weather extremes, fortunately for me weather extremes aren't the norm here. As an inspector the best thing one can do is to stay in shape and dress appropriately.

I lived in So Cal for nearly 10 years, the only time I really miss the So Cal weather is during January & February, when we get most of our frigid temps here.

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

-20°F 30 plus winds per hour and 3 feet of snow .
I do not walk the roof with Snow on it do sweep a small section to see condition .
Write hard take pictures .
Do not like inspecting in Heavy Rain .

[Bob Elliott]

I agree that rainy days are the perfect time for inspections.
If there is heavy snow your inspection is made faster .

Spent most of my life working outdoors and enjoy poor weather if it does not linger.

[Marcel R. Cyr]

I can deal with the snow, but do not like to inspect in the rain.

[Peter C. Russell]

I had a few inspections last year that I had to strap on my snow shoe's to do the exterior.

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Hope you did not put them away too far Pete, you might need them again this Winter.

[Peter C. Russell]

Originally Posted by mcyr

Hope you did not put them away too far Pete, you might need them again this Winter.

I thought of that after I posted that reply.
We've been luckey so far!

[Joseph Hagarty, CMI]

I have always worked outside
Home Inspection in severe winter months is much better
than when I worked in the PetroChemical industry.

2 AM trying to thaw a level transmitter 200 feet in the air when the exterior temps are in the single digits..... WTF??

Home Inspection does not compare....

[Dale Duffy]

What extreme weather conditions have you endured to perform a home inspection?

I wear a Snowmobile Suit when the temperature drops below 50 degrees.

Anything below 50 I postpone the inspection due to severe weather conditions, folks understand and feel the same way.

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

Originally Posted by dduffy

I wear a Snowmobile Suit when the temperature drops below 50 degrees.

Anything below 50 I postpone the inspection due to severe weather conditions, folks understand and feel the same way.

Are you trying to tell us you are wimp .
No way You are tough and even inspect when the sun is out .

All the best Buddy... Roy

[Dale Duffy]

Originally Posted by rcooke

Are you trying to tell us you are wimp .
No way You are tough and even inspect when the sun is out .

All the best Buddy... Roy

The SUMMER is considered EXTREME, the Winters are PERFECT, very true Roy---

[Joseph Hagarty, CMI]

below 50?
u kidding right?
its below 50 every morning here now....
lol

[Dale Duffy]

Originally Posted by jhagarty

below 50?
u kidding right?
its below 50 every morning here now....
lol

Winter is like taking a giant Rolaid, Joe...its the summers that will kill a person, those 160-180 degree attics are really something.

I have NO idea how those guys in Florida do it with the humidity.

[Bruce A. King]

The worst conditions I have to deal with are these:

Summer, 4pm in crawlspace, bad t-storm comes, rains a few inches on soft soil around a brand new house, have to come out of crawlspace sometime, feet almost get stuck in deep mud with every step.

Winter mornings at predrywall inspections, spend 2-3 hours in below freezing temps with no where to warm up except getting back in the car a few times to warm up.


Hot days in vacant houses with broken A/C is not fun either.


We don't have the winter road maintenance like you guy's up north so its tough getting to some appointments. The worse days are when the roads are dry in places and solid ice in the shady areas. Ask any tow truck driver who they have to pull out of ditches the most and you will find that its not the people from here. Luckily, its only a few days a year that the roads are bad.