Inspection Frequently Asked Questions

The SC licensed home inspector’s primary job should be to educate about major conditions of the home under consideration. The job is to inspect the entire property to the SC adopted inspectors’ standard.
The home inspectors’ primary job should be to educate the customer about the homes major components conditions per the South Carolina adopted standard. The job is to inspect the property under consideration:

Free Standing Home:

  • Structural components and basement (lowest level)
  • Electrical, plumbing, domestic water heating, central heating and air conditioning
  • Condition and general age of major systems
  • Kitchen and major appliances
  • General interior, including ceilings, walls, floors, windows, doors and stairs
  • Attic, ventilation and insulation (if readily and safely accessible)
  • General exterior, including roof, gutter, chimney, major drive and walkways, drainage and grading

Condo / Villa:

  • Electrical, plumbing, domestic water heating, central heating and air conditioning
  • Kitchen and major appliances
  • General interior, including ceilings, walls, floors, windows, doors and stairs

Fee Simple Property:

(In many cases, the property structure also involves ownership and maintenance of the exterior, roof, routine maintenances’, painting, structural decks etc.)

  • Structural components and basement (lowest level)
  • Electrical, plumbing, domestic water heating, central heating and air conditioning
  • Condition and general age of major systems
  • Kitchen and major appliances
  • General interior, including ceilings, walls, floors, windows, doors and stairs
  • Attic, ventilation and insulation (if readily and safely accessible)
  • General exterior, including roof, gutter, chimney, major drive and walkways, drainage and grading
“No”. A professional home inspection observation report should report the current condition of a house at the time of the inspection. A snap shot in time.

The report is not an appraisal, which determines market value.

The report is not a municipal code inspection, which verifies local code compliance.

A licensed home inspector, therefore, will not pass or fail a house, but rather describe the physical condition and indicate if components are:

FUNCTIONAL

MARGINAL FUNCTIONAL

NOT FUNCTIONAL

Provide a respective recommendation.

Some systems may need routine maintenance, major repair or replacement depending upon a respective licensed professional appraisal.