How do I include a summary page to a report with no callouts? A summary page stating everything was good to go. 
Personally… I would NEVER say “Everything is good to go”!
Well, I wouldn’t either Jeff. I think everyone would get the gist of what I’m asking besides you.
If that is what you wanted to do than just type your text in whatever inspection item you wanted and checked the summary box at the bottom of page.
I agree with the others that it sounds like a bad idea!
Wow. Really?
In this biz, it is wise to always be specific.
Obviously, you feel you got exactly what you gave… nothing!
Where did you find a house like that? I’m still looking.
I think he’s ‘Bigfooting’ us. Unless he provides undoctored photos or a report, I’m not buying it. Until we see proof, I’m chalking it up at #3, right after the #2 El Chupacabra and the #1 previously-mentioned sasquatch.
So, what you doubters are saying is that none of you have ever done a new- build house or condo with no defects? Or how about one that was previously inspected by another inspector and “repaired”. I certainly have.
I have done some $multi-million condo pre-move-in inspections where the buyers, realtors and contractor reps were present, and the only issues found by any of us were cosmetic. Nothing to put in a summary on my part.
I have also done many pre-sale inspections for sellers that subsequently fixed all the issues I found. If I have any confidence in my inspection abilities, I would like to think that the next inspector wouldn’t find anything after my findings were fixed.
I have never, ever, performed an inspection and NOT found at least a couple of defects (non-cosmetic). Age and $$$ mean n-o-t-h-i-n-g. Oftentimes the bigger and fancier they are, the bigger and fancier the defects are… usually in the way of poor workmanship.
Never say or imply all is good.
Personally though it would be real difficult to find a home where there is nothing to call out.
That NEVER happens
I have always found something. Even in new construction.
OK, here are couple hypothetical questions:
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Let’s say that one of you does an inspection on a vacant property and finds the usual number of issues, and the seller fixes every one of these issues before the sale. However, the buyer backs out, and the sale falls through. Now, a few days later another buyer hires me to perform another inspection on the same property. I perform this inspection and find nothing because everything you found has been fixed. Does make me a bad inspector because I didn’t find anything, or does that make you a super inspector because you found everything initially? What if the roles were reversed - does that make you a bad inspector for not finding anything? Whatever the case, the second inspection found nothing…or should something “be found” just to justify the cost of the inspection? Absolutely not!
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Let’s say that one of you does a pre-sale inspection on a vacant property and finds the usual number of issues, and the seller fixes every one of these issues before listing it for sale. A few days later I am hired by a prospective buyer to do an inspection on the same property, and I find nothing because everything you found has been fixed. Same result as above…
In the above examples I made the properties vacant, so nobody could say the tenants/owners caused more defects in between inspections by living there. I also made the time frame in between short because that’s the way it happens here - sometimes a matter of only one day.
My point is that it is entirely possible to have an inspection where nothing is found, and it doesn’t mean you’re a bad inspector or a super inspector. I have run into this many times while inspecting upper scale condotels where a studio apartment is only 300-400 sq ft and is maintained on a daily basis because it’s rented on a daily or weekly basis. I rarely find many issues with these units because they’re very minimal and spartan - no washer/dryer, no range, no AC, etc. I should add also that I’m an engineer and am very picky when I do inspections. Just sayin…
Only happened once for me in 12 years. Custom builder personal residence. He spared no expense and was years ahead of any code cycle at the time.
The chances of two inspectors performing an inspection on the same home and coming up with the exact same “no findings” are somewhere between slim, none, zip and zilch. No two inspectors have the same eye and opinions. This message board is a prime example.
Why should inspectors have different eyes and different opinions? The inspection process is not based on opinions. It is based on pure and simple facts - not open to interpretation. Either there’s an issue or not an issue. Either a GFCI is required or it isn’t required. Neither the UPC, NEC, or IBC are open to inspector opinion. Try telling a City and County inspector that you think he/she is wrong because your opinion of the standard is different. See how far that gets you. The standard is the standard, and if inspectors don’t know the standard, then maybe they shouldn’t be inspecting. Perhaps I’m just biased because I worked as a federal inspector for many years, and I did not have the privilege of my interpretation of any federal guidelines.
I do have a problem with inspector education - especially in my state. We really need to have, at least, a state-wide qualification/certification/education program to be an inspector. We don’t. Obviously, there are going to be inspectors who see different things first, and if you call that having a “different eye”, then I agree. But if having a “different eye” means an inspector just doesn’t see something or isn’t aware of an issue, then maybe he/she needs to get more education or maybe shouldn’t be an inspector at all.
Sorry for the rant, but in 16 years I’ve come across far too many inspectors who have absolutely no business being inspectors because they have no clue what they’re looking at. They maybe have some contractor experience or have done home repairs for a while or have read some books or maybe taken an online course, and now figure they’ll try their hand at home inspection. These “inspectors” are still out there and still doing inspections every single day, and it’s making the inspection profession look bad as a whole. Part of this is due to realtors who seek out and recommend an “inspector” who finds very few issues, so their sale will go smoothly. This keeps those “inspectors” in business. Who suffers? The buyers suffer. Again, sorry for the rant.
Gary. The inspection process is all about opinions. Not all inspectors limit themselves to inspecting items covered by various codes. After all, the codes are the MINIMUM standard and have nothing to do with best building practice. The best quote for this business is, “A home built to code is the cheapest home you can legally build.” Some inspectors report on much more than the SOP of some organization or state. Some inspectors report on items that other inspectors would consider inconsequential. Some inspectors may go a step beyond what your opinion of an inspection might be.
Not all inspectors are the same. It doesn’t mean one is right and one is wrong, just different.
I respectfully disagree.
I do new conxstruction all the time and, while some of the lists are short, there is alsways a list.
If the buyers, realtors and contractor reps didn’t find anything, I will!
I have never done a re-inspection and found everything on my llist had been fixed.
I think you might need to take off your sunglassed when you go in the home.
Funny. So what you’re saying is that I’m not competent enough to check my own list to see if everything I called out was fixed. I recently did a condo re-inspection where I found 10 issues in the original inspection I did for previous clients. When I returned to do a reinspection for a new client, all of my issues had been repaired, and there were no new ones. I guess I’m incapable of counting to 10, or should I have called out something new just to justify my inspection fee.