New Washington Legislation Submitted

[wforsyth]

Originally Posted by pdoane

Picture shows extensive damage (screw driver right through) by "Wood Boring Beetles" in one of many floor joists throughout the crawl space of my inspection this morning. As a SPI/ Home Inspector in WA. State I call it out and put it in my report as a WDO issue/findings, with the required diagram, ICN to legalize the report for a Real Estate Sale, etc.

I'm curious, Those who are conducting home inspections in WA who are not SPI's (For what ever reason - not the issue I'm after) What or how would you report this in your home inspection report? Its not rot! Its not defective wood! Looking your clients in the face, what do you say? I've always wanted to know. Keep in mind you CANT mention WDO Issue (pest, fungus, etc) or else you would be in violation because only Licensed SPI's can legally comment on them in a report... Please enlighten me. Again, I'm just curious of your report wording, I'm not picking a side here.

I'd report this as:

Floor joist appears to have been damaged by screwdriver-like impliment and seems to have sustained damage of indeterminate degree. Suggest client hire a licensed.......

Well, you get the point.

[wforsyth]

Originally Posted by lcapaul

Excellent James, now try a water leak under a sink or reverse grade at the foundation or any of these

a) Earth in direct contact with wood or inadequate clearance between earth and any wood or material subject to damage from moisture.
(b) Vegetation, in direct contact with the exterior of a structure, which may contribute to moisture or damage by WDOs.
(c) Restricted or nonfunctioning gutter systems.
(d) Conducive debris in substructures.
(e) Bare or unimproved ground in substructures.
(f) Standing water or evidence of seasonal standing water in a substructure.
(g) Failed or missing caulk or grout at water splash areas.
(h) Moisture from plumbing leaks, lack of ventilation, or other sources that may contribute to damage by WDOs

You have email

Do you have me on block or something?

I already did that one. It's not hard if you are creative, not using a checklist, are able to write your own report language rather than looking for prewritten content, and just think a little more about how to phrase things. It's really not hard at all. You just believed Dr.Suomi when he told you it would be hard, and you've been "not trying" ever since.

[jclark1]

Jim, you must just be yanking our chains here. You can't be that thick, or maybe you have some agenda in regards to the complaint investigation and a built in bias against any kind of state licensing. All of the legitimate home inspectors, the realtor article that was linked here, the people at WSDA, all of the State of Washington literature that states specifically that a home inspector must have an spi license, I guess all of that is bs. The only people I hear saying it is not mandated is you and Windy. You've really hitched wagon to a real winner there. Good luck with that. If you refuse to read the appropriate material and/or make the neccessary calls to the WSDA then I don't think you would be a fair arbitor in any kind of investigation, because you're friggin blind for one reason or another.

[wforsyth]

Oh, and you're REALLY UN-biased. LOL!

[jclark1]

Nothing to do with bias. I can read and follow the law.

[wforsyth]

Love the skull and crossbones james. Any significance?

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by lcapaul

You have email

Got it.

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by jclark1

Jim, you must just be yanking our chains here. You can't be that thick, or maybe you have some agenda in regards to the complaint investigation and a built in bias against any kind of state licensing. All of the legitimate home inspectors, the realtor article that was linked here, the people at WSDA, all of the State of Washington literature that states specifically that a home inspector must have an spi license, I guess all of that is bs. The only people I hear saying it is not mandated is you and Windy. You've really hitched wagon to a real winner there. Good luck with that. If you refuse to read the appropriate material and/or make the neccessary calls to the WSDA then I don't think you would be a fair arbitor in any kind of investigation, because you're friggin blind for one reason or another.

I am only stating that nothing presented on your side of this argument states, as you have stated in the above post, that in your state "a home inspector must have a SPI license". If it did, there would be no argument or room for interpretation.

Nick explained to me that, at a Seattle NACHI Chapter Meeting he attended, the head of the department explained that "there is a very strong recommendation" to be licensed, but no legal requirement at this time. Perhaps someone else who attended that meeting would like to shed some light on this.

[Harold E. Miller]

Originally Posted by jbushart

I am only stating that nothing presented on your side of this argument states, as you have stated in the above post, that in your state "a home inspector must have a SPI license". If it did, there would be no argument or room for interpretation.

Nick explained to me that, at a Seattle NACHI Chapter Meeting he attended, the head of the department explained that "there is a very strong recommendation" to be licensed, but no legal requirement at this time. Perhaps someone else who attended that meeting would like to shed some light on this.

Isn't that hear say? With all due respect to Nick has he read the laws?
And what head of what department?

[Harold E. Miller]

Originally Posted by hmiller

James Bushart
Have you read this WSDA document? (attached in PDF)

Here is an excerpt;

"The financial responsibility aspect of becoming a home inspector cannot be overstated. Yes, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) requires you to obtain financial coverage for the pest inspection part of your inspections"

What else do you want? ........................Eggs in you beer?

Have you contacted Dr Soumi yet? This whole argument would be over the moment you spent some time corresponding with someone that can rattle the WACs and RCWs off of their head.

I don't think you are going to get the answers you are looking for from us regular guys here on the NACHI board. We are not legislators, attorneys, department heads, directors, etc. etc.

James Bushart
I would like you to read the PDF, and explain why hear say at a Seattle Nachi chapter meeting, is stronger than a document prepared by the State that informs home inspectors what our responsibilities under the law is.

[Harold E. Miller]

Please spend more than a couple seconds at paragraph five......

[James H. Bushart]

Harold,

You have done extensive research and have acquired a mass of material on this topic. Please pour through everything you have and find for me the following statement from your legislature or other law making/law interpretting agency in your state:

"All home inspectors who do business in Washington are required to be licensed as structural pest inspectors."

It will be helpful, not only for this discussion, but for future references to this as well. Thus far, while there are implications, encouragements and advice...nothing provided has stated that your law actually requires home inspectors to be licensed as SPIs.

I don't live in your state and am not familiar with how you guys operate, but in my state (and many others) when laws are passed and requirements are made for compliance with them, it is clearly stated and widely disseminated.

[Harold E. Miller]

OK...well if you are going to ignore the document I have already provided twice.... that says that a home inspector has to be licensed to perform pest inspections, then why waste any more of my time.....E-mail Dr Dan Suomi at WSDA, and I know he can provide it for you.

In fact James I doubt heavily that you will.

You seem to rely upon what is said on this board by one inspector who has been in the business for a very short period of time, and ignore the rest of us who have been in business longer. (10 years for me)

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by hmiller

that says that a home inspector has to be licensed to perform pest inspections, then why waste any more of my time

Do you have anything...anything at all...that says a home inspector must be SPI licensed to perform home inspections? That is the issue.

We know that your state requires licensing to perform pest inspections.

We know that any home inspection that would include a pest inspection must be performed by one who is licensed.

What we lack in this discussion is something provided by your state that a home inspector who is performing a home inspection must be licensed as an SPI. This is what several of you are insisting that your law states, but you have yet to provide that portion of the law that states it. Why?

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by hmiller

You seem to rely upon what is said on this board by one inspector who has been in the business for a very short period of time, and ignore the rest of us who have been in business longer. (10 years for me)

Harold, I am not relying upon anything stated by anyone on this message board, for no one has presented any evidence to support either position.

However, until someone can provide a reference to a state law that specifically states that a home inspector must be licensed as an SPI in order to perform a home inspection, IMO there is no such restriction.