Hello everyone, I am in a conundrum here, I did a home inspection for a family member and shortly after he moved in there was water coming into the basement, particularly at the egress stairs. The defect in question is should I have called out that there was no drainage system for the egress stairs because there was an exterior door and a lip there. Water is accumulating in this area and overflowing into the basement over the threshold. This house is located in Michigan and from my quick online search I found that there is no code requirement for a drainage system at the bottom of egress stairs for a basement. I would appreciate any thoughts from you professional professionals.
Did you see another way for the water to drain after a heavy rain? If not, you probably should have recommended adding a drain.
What is the family member expecting out of you after providing them with a free service?
Can you post pictures?
I live in Michigan. I think it is important to call out the lack of drainage in those situations.
Interesting timing of this post.
Our nephew just bought a house and after moving in, had his basement flooded too because the drain that was there was clogged. He had 12” to 18” of water in the basement from his description.
He opened the door and let more water in. Our niece came down the stairs to see what was going on while carrying their youngest baby. When she started through the water she fell and broke her femur into a few pieces, one of which slid up inside her leg. He found her in the water on the floor yelling for him to call 911. The baby was in the water several feet away needing assistance too.
All started with of a lack of drainage.
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Hi thanks for responding, no, the area was watertight. In fact, they sealed the doors with caulk although you can open them they were very well done in the egress area, and there was no indication that moisture could be coming into this area, the moisture was coming in from the ground, not from rain, I did not charge him anything as he was family, but I feel horrible that this happened to him the day he moved in
What does the seller’s disclosure say about water in the basement?
The sellers disclosure says that there was no evidence of water in the basement and we are pursuing that, but the real estate brokers stepped in and are trying to squash it
Are they hiding behind an estate sale on the disclosure? Of course they are trying to squash that. They get involved when that happens. It’s easier to tell the buyer to go after the home inspector.
I have a hard time believing that they never experienced any kind of water in the basement.
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Since it is family, my assumption is that you are not under threat of being sued, but, only you could know that. But, with that in mind, I would just fess up and tell them that you didn’t think about water pooling in this area, since it wasn’t raining at the inspection (assumption).
Some questions to ponder or discuss with your family member,
If you had noted it, would your family member not bought the property?
Would they have asked the seller to install a drain on their own dime?
Would the seller have accommodated, based on competition for the home?
These questions may help put things in perspective with you and your family member.
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Did anyone verify (yet) that all the egress window wells have drains and are properly draining?
Window well drains, (if any are actually present and not clogged), typically drain to a perimeter drain, and if they are not designed or installed correctly, may cause sub-slab flooding / high water table effect.
Time to consult with an Attorney!!
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Thanks, this is not an egress window issue, only egress stairs to an outside basement entrance
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Stop feeling responsible. Offer to help with a solution.
I did one for my sister in law. A couple of months into the home, the cheap, crappy laminate flooring starting warping, curling and popping loose. Turns out, the flooring contractor placed no vapor barrier between the floor covering and the subfloor. There was no way for me to predict this. I did tell her the flooring was cheap, but the problem was with the install but I could not see it. She never even considered it was my fault, it did not cross her mind. (if had, we would have known, lol).
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Good advice. If there is a perimeter drain, it is probably right underneath the slab at the bottom of the stairs.
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Any open exterior stairwell without a roof leading to a basement should have a drain at the bottom. Even if they have a drain they can easily be clogged with a few leaves. I always flag these as a potential basement flooding issue and recommend having a plumber scope the drain to ensure it’s not clogged. Some of the signs of water intrusion, if they haven’t intentionally covered up previous water damage, is the furnace, water heater and washer and dryer are elevated above the basement floor. The bottom plate on any stud walls may have water stains or the basement door at the exterior stairwell has rotted door jams or threshold.
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Morning, Travis, hope to find you well and in good spirits today. And welcome to the interNACHI message board fellow CPI.
Best of luck with your endeavors!
I am going to try, my best to decipher your quandaries/questions, as best as I can.
May I ask for clarity, what type/style of condominium. Divided or undivided.
In my province, Quebec, and I suspect in other provinces and states, divided condos involve individual units with separate land registry numbers, exclusive use, and shared maintenance fees. Undivided co-ownership, on the other hand, involves shared ownership of the entire building, with owners holding a percentage of the property and sharing costs like taxes.
Reasoning, are you inspecting the building or the condo unit only?
Reasoning I am asking you, has a lot to do with the correct answers which can/may put you in legal & contractual jeopardy.
SoP: You can not do inspections for free to have a meaningful legitimate report, unless they are mock style reports for credentials. Inspectors must charge for their professional services. The scale is up to you. I would expect the lowest payment to be one dollar or $1.00.
The exterior steps ‘bottom landing’ should have a drainage system.
A catch water basin & drain conform in size and depth including the catch water basin cover/lid/grate be perforated, have a means to allow bulk water to flow through into the catch water basin and drainage system and the landing basicly unable to flood, retain rain water or snow/ice melt.
The steps and walls should conform to building safety standards as well. “Ensure safe and efficient evacuation.” Minimum width. Steps rise & rise and run. Handrail/s.
Wow Larry, so sorry to hear this. Hope everyone is healing 
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Thanks Neil.
Our niece now has a cast where she needs someone to hold her leg straight out even to use the bathroom.
It will be an adjustment for them, to say the least. They have two children under 2 years and because of the surgery found they are expecting again. Whew!
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From what I know of Neil DeGaris on the message board Larry Kage, “He’s The Best!”
I say this with all sincerity, Larry. They are fortunate to have you in their corner.
I know we never meet formally, but what I have seen through your interactions on the MB, "Larry Kage, “You’re The Best!”
As for your nephew and their young family. Just having two children under 2 years old is a handful. Give them all the best from all of us here at InterNACHI.
Advise them to come here if they have any questions pertaining to there home. It would be our collective pleasure to help.
Regards.
Robert
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Travis,
do you have photos, video of this leaky area? willing to try n help but would need some photos.
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