Eric B

If the tank is over a habitable area I look for the pan with drain line. Ditto for clothes washers and furnaces.

I expected (prayed) that the numbers would thin out. Now we'll see how many are just late payers and how many new inspectors continue to come in. Not getting off my knees yet.

If you value the friendship encourage him to spend a little more money as Terry indicated.

Would it not be better to say that such and such light did not turn on, or no power found at.....? To say that a fixture is inoperative may lead some people to believe that it's the fixture itself that's the problem. Yes?

Bobby, If I write no power present it's because I did check for voltage. Easiest way is with a stick type volt tester which I carry on my belt. If I've got the time I'll unscrew the bulb and check the socket. I don't take time to open fixtures. I will sometimes also use a tic tracer or volt meter, again depending on time and curiousity. To ignore such situation on the report and to tell the client that it's typically a burned out bulb is an assumption, and usually you'd be right. But if you're not...... I've gotten into the habit of trying to write exactly what I know or found. I don't make big issues of lights not turning on or no power somewhere. I just raise the question - is it a bulb? a switch I didn't find? or some other concern? I leave it up to the client to follow up with the seller or make his own assumptions.

This is new construction. Garage outside wall is built solely of wood studs, drywall and vinyl siding. No plywood, no OSB and no paper. I could't tell what the rest of the house was - for some reason they used housewrap.

Would it not be better to say that such and such light did not turn on, or no power found at.....? To say that a fixture is inoperative may lead some people to believe that it's the fixture itself that's the problem. Yes?

I can understand the effort to find more ways to bring in money but for those who have turned to training new inspectors they are making all of our jobs more difficult. I agree, at first glance this job looks like the cat's pajamas and it will always draw many people into the field. But I can't see having a training program and then telling your students how difficult it can be to stay in business - not if you want them the finish the course and pay your fee. The other side of the coin - new guys are going to charge bottom rates just to get a foothold. Marketing in general has conditioned buyers to shop on lowest price. For some reason the "You get what you pay for" idea isn't even a thought for most people.

Very often I find just the J-channel over the doors and windows (windows w/o nailing flange). In BillieBob circles the J is considered the flashing, that and a nice bead of caulk! I write up the missing flashing but I think that I'm in a minority on this in our area. I haven't yet made a big issue of the caulk, but I may change my mind on that. We sided our house in cedar about 20 years ago. Now I wish we used felt paper with furring strips. Ever see what cedar does to building paper? Live and learn!

Gotta appreciate the "We'll make it work" approach.

I see a fair number of electric water heaters - virtually all with no adjacent disconnect. I do not take issue with it. Now on electric furnaces - I note missing disconnects. Why are they installed differently? I have no idea.