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South Carolina SOP Changes


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The State of South Carolina just adopted the ASHI Standards of Practice.

I wonder how much that was paid off? I am not a big fan of any of these organization, even though I am a member of NAHI ( The least of all the evils, IMO. ).

I remember when I posted as a guest on the Internachi message board about being a home inspector. I was informed by Nick himself that if I did not join InterNachi I would never pass the South Carolina test. He was wrong!

As of yet I have not had a chance to compare the differences, if any.

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I doubt there was any payoff. It's a decent standard and the oldest, most established.

A word here, a phrase there. Haven't checked them against each other in quite some time but memory says:

If you follow ASHI you'll meet the NAHI or iNachi

If you follow iNACHI you'll meet the NAHI or ASHI

If you follow NAHI, eh, a little weak on some stuff.

Go to this page on IJ and you'll find a comparison of the standards from 2007.

https://www.inspectorsjournal.com/forum ... n=toprated

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What I don't get about all of the doggone association SOPs is how come they're all formatted like an inspection report? It's so hard to find out exactly what the inspector is required to do. Not unlike an HI report that makes you read an 'Illiad' of words before you get what you need to know.

I once broke down the Louisiana SOP (ASHI based) into each of it's every elements and reassemble them according to what's covered, what's not, etc. Never did entirely finish it though I might someday and present it to our Board for adoption. Fat chance I'll have at that.

Marc

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What I don't get about all of the doggone association SOPs is how come they're all formatted like an inspection report? It's so hard to find out exactly what the inspector is required to do. Not unlike an HI report that makes you read an 'Illiad' of words before you get what you need to know.

I once broke down the Louisiana SOP (ASHI based) into each of it's every elements and reassemble them according to what's covered, what's not, etc. Never did entirely finish it though I might someday and present it to our Board for adoption. Fat chance I'll have at that.

Marc

I think it is more like home inspection reports follow the SOP. I find the ASHI SOP fairly simple to read. This is what you do; This is what you don't have to do.

ASHI never receives money for allowing the various licensing authorities to use their SOP. Around 30 states use or their SOP's are based on various versions of the ASHI SOP.

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I can quibble about a lot of specifics, but it's not hard to read or understand. It's the usual committee promulgated document.

I don't know why code documents don't follow the Code Check lead and phrase things like humans think and speak. They all have that same official baritone phrasing and voice. Probably for the same reason HI's write passive voice blather. People think it sounds official and important.

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Readindg may be a challenge sinse SOP is more about what HI is not responsible for. More about diminishing liability.

That's funny in an ironic sort of way.

We gotta figure out a way to have a "like" button!

Chad, save this thread for use in the school room of the library.

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The first SOP that all the other SOP's copy or follow (ASHI, poi) was not written as a guideline about how we should inspect stuff. Its a document crafted in the big tent style by a professional organization trying to include everyone.....franchisees, individuals, small to big shops...everyone.

As such, it's a both surprisingly good and a total mess, like sausage should be. When I created my software, I used it and my State SOP as a guidline; it was useful.

The guy that put together the original, Rich Matzen, is a pretty good guy. He knew what he was trying to accomplish. Rich intended it to be just what it is, and what it is, is a way to begin thinking about this thing we do. That's all.

Why anyone places much credence in it for anything other than the most basic guideline for beginners is a mystery for me.

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Rich did a masterful job, considering the huge task. However, he did not do it alone. ASHI sop is a basic guide and at the same time very complex. I suppose it could be considered a "living" document and certainly has changed. The change was from us inspectors and we continue to offer ways to improve the product offered to the public.

I am not in total agreement with it now, nor have I ever been in total agreement. It is as good as it can be, given the relative newness of this business. Somewhere above it is mentioned that all other sop's evolved/devolved from ASHI and I agree.

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The SOP I use is CAHPI, based on ASHI, but with variations nobody here cares to hear.

We are told constantly that if we do not adhere strictly to the SOP, our lawyers, who are retained by our CAHPI(BC) chapter, will have a harder time defending our actions in court, or better, keeping us out of court. Our E+O insurance is based on this SOP and the lawyers are well versed in all the intricate SOP fine points.

So call it what you will, for me at least, it is a legal document, not to be ignored or misinterpreted. Exceed it, no problem.

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The SOP I use is CAHPI, based on ASHI, but with variations nobody here cares to hear.

We are told constantly that if we do not adhere strictly to the SOP, our lawyers, who are retained by our CAHPI(BC) chapter, will have a harder time defending our actions in court, or better, keeping us out of court. Our E+O insurance is based on this SOP and the lawyers are well versed in all the intricate SOP fine points.

So call it what you will, for me at least, it is a legal document, not to be ignored or misinterpreted. Exceed it, no problem.

I think your post bloats the actual significance of an SOP. It's significance is easily exceeded by an inspection that meets the client's expectations.

I like Kurt's answer above in that the current ASHI SOP remains a beginner's SOP. It seems like enlightenment came and left with Matzen.

Marc

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Readindg may be a challenge sinse SOP is more about what HI is not responsible for. More about diminishing liability.

That's funny in an ironic sort of way.

Isn't most inspection agreements/contracts used by HIs as much about what they are not doing as what they are doing for the inspection. Also, the overriding desire for the HI contract to limit the liability of the HI.

Would have been interesting to hear how the discussion went in the early drafting of the ASHI sop. Quite sure there was a lot of discussion about liability in one form or another; and possibility how to write something that would be the most minimalist and generalist at the same time.

I doubt that any of the other SOPs that followed ASHI's would not have been considered plagiarism if turned in as a collage English paper. Do not think any SOP cited a ASHI as their source or basis of construction.

Then again the ASHI sop creators would not have thought that so many would use the ASHI SOP as their own SOP, changed the wording a little and phrasing a little, but pretty much a carbon copy.

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The first line of my SOP states this:

CAHPI(BC) Standards of Practice

Copyright 2000 American Society of Home Inspectors, Inc

Marc, the bloating of importance is done by lawyers and judges, not by me.

The SOP is the second thing lawyers on both sides are going to look at, after they pick the contract apart, word by word.

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