I inspected an A-frame house built in the 80s today. There was no sill plate around the block foundation of the home. I know this is a common building practice back in the day but would this be considered a defect?
Yes it’s wrong, however, a number of houses have been built like that in the past and are still standing. If you did not find any defects (rotten floor joists, movement, cracking, etc…) then all that you need to do is explain what you observed… what the sill plate does and whether or not the structure was performing at the time of the inspection. This has been discussed in detail, so I’m not retyping it 
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OK thank you. Do you think it’s necessary to call out the framing members bearing directly on the Masonary blocking?
Yes, that should be part of what the sill plate does description in the report… the sill plate anchors the frame to the foundation, prevents direct contact with masonry, anchors the joists, etc… while no moisture damage was observed at the time of the inspection, the floor joists siting directly atop of masonry wall are more prone to moisture damage. More movement is also possible because the joists are less secure without the plate.
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I rarely recommend an engineer, do you think thAts needed to cover one’s self?
Do you have a question for an engineer? if not, why would you recommend one? if you do, what is the question? You should only recommend further evaluation when you, yourself, cannot determine something.
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I would definitely take that into account as you analyze what you observed and the condition of the home in general before you decide what to report and/or make any referrals.
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