Says Who?

Last weekend, I attended the SE Home Inspectors Conference in order to maintain at least 20+ hours of continuing education every year. 

Sometimes, the best advise comes from an unexpected source - this time from a conference speakers 7 year old son.  He explained that frequently his son would question his parental authority by simply asking "Says Who?"  That got me thinking about similar situations often occur during the Home Inspection process of explaining defects to either Buyer or Seller and their agents. The discussion usually starts by me explaining a particular defect, for example some steps missing a handrail, when the Seller states "that's the way it has always been and our builder said it was OK."

I always try to provide an authoritative reference for any defect listed in the Home Inspection Report, such as manufacturers written installation instructions or the Building Code in effect at the time of the home construction.  It's also good to remember that the building code is the absolute minimum construction standards which are in place for your safety.  You can always exceed the building code, but you should never go below these minimum standards.