Do any of you offer a “Warranty” on the home inspection that will cover a roof repair for a water intrusion event that could take place 30 to 90 days after the inspection date, including reparation of internal damage to drywall materials, ceiling and floors?
This question was presented to me by a realtor.
All feedback is welcome.
Add on gimmicks are usually worth how much they cost, so no I personally do not offer them.
In a word,… nope.
WHAT IS A FREE HOME WARRANTY? It is a gimmick that some Home Inspectors use to limit their liability on missed defects. The warranty period is limited to 90 days from the inspection date and a payout is usually difficult. A 5 yr roof leak warranty has a $500 deductible per leak and consequential damages are excluded.
Most home warranties you pay good money for are dubious, so what do you think a cut-rate outfit will do? Their strategy is to, at most, do band-aide repairs using the cheapest repair people they can hire to limp through to the end of the warranty period. If they actually properly fix or replace something expensive, you should feel like a lotto winner.
(b) Home inspectors are not required to:
1. Offer warranties or guarantees of any kind;
2. Calculate the strength, adequacy, or efficiency of any system or component;
3. Enter any area or perform any procedure that may damage the property or its
components or be dangerous to or adversely affect the health or safety of the
home inspector or other persons;
4. Operate any system or component that is shut down or otherwise inoperable;
5. Operate any system or component that does not respond to normal operating
controls;
6. Move personal items, panels, furniture, equipment, plant life, soil, snow, ice, or
debris that obstructs access or visibility;
7. Determine the effectiveness of any system installed to control or remove
suspected hazardous substances;
8. Predict future condition, including but not limited to failure of components;
9. Project operating costs of components;
10. Evaluate acoustical characteristics of any system or component; or
11. Inspect special equipment or accessories that are not listed as components to be
inspected in this rule.
If you follow your SOP, you don’t need any warranty (See #1).
I was going to make a post about home warranties (and how most of them are a scam) but then re-read Pedro’s post. Now I’m reading it as a warranty on the actual inspection, rather than the home.
I suppose in the end the difference is debatable, but a warranty on the inspection would be more along the lines of offering coverage if something was missed on the inspection that resulted in the roof leak.
In a roundabout way, most of us already offer a type of warranty in the form of E&O insurance.
I also want to make a post dissing most home warranty companies.
You know it’s bad when even Angie thinks they are a rip-off, lol.
(article from 2010)
Excellent! It pays out to be an InterNACHI Member… Thanks for all your feedback. I was initially of the same idea, Home Inspectors Warranties are another scam. and just to pick your brains… here is the reason I asked:
A Realtor asked me ealier this week if I had or offered a “Warranty, like the other inspector I normally use”…! ~ I immediately responded “There is no such thing as a Home Inspection Warranty!..” But was intriged to learn more, such as the Name of “That Other Inspector”, he certainly is not an InterNachi member…! All of you here seem to be in the same page.
Another concern of mine was, If one hires such warranty services to pass them along to our clients… Aren’t we becoming part of the Scam? I think so…! It will be a missleading marketing/promotional tactic… because I don’t think this “warranty Outlets” will cover i.e. Leaking/Broken Roof Repair and associated damages to the interior of the dwelling, Agreed? and I do not think I want to place myself in the position to offer a home buyer a warranty on the roof of the home they are buying, based on an event that happens long after the inspection has taken place. In my personal opinion, 1) The SOP for InterNACHI and the Maryland Statre are clear, the inspection observations are only valid at the moment of the inspection and 2) There is no way any Insurance Company will insure/cover a roof that was not put in place by an unknown third-party contractor prior to the inspection, a day or a year before.
Therefore, insuring or warranting somebody else’s job performance is extremely risky for any insurer or warranty company.
On the other hand, warranting a Home Inspector’s opinion or observation with regard to the performance of any dwelling system lacks logic and is irrational… “So, your refrigerator is working the day of the inspection and three weeks later when you move in, it stops working ~ The home inspector warranty will repair or replace your refrigerator…”… Yeah right!!! …Based on the fact that the Home Inspector should have known that and failed to call it out…"Say What?!? As a consequense, I then picture the Home Inspector advocating on behalf of the Warranty Company…! Is just absurd…!
My final take goes to not only educate the buyer, but the Realtor that makes a living of assisting the buyers in the selection of the Home Inspector who is a liar and presents this type of argument and Home Inspector Warranties.
I open the floor to ALL opinions…!
With that piece of information… Didn’t/doesn’t that scumbag insurance vendor, that scammed multitudes of Internachi members, offer such a product a few years ago? I don’t know for sure, but it sure does ‘ring-a-bell’!
Reply to the realtor that you have more respect and concern for your customers than to use gimmicks. You do a thorough inspection and have every expectation that you will find all the important issues.
I report on the deficiencies present at the time of the inspection only. No need for a warranty.
Warranty: I don’t make use of it, but NACHI has their
Buy Back Warranty. FWIW, you may find it to be helpful for marketing.
I personally don’t give any warranty for anything. It’s a home and anything can happen the next day after inspection.
But some realtors like to refer inspectors that offer a warranty. Guess it makes the realtor feel good if they now the home has hidden issues.
Just my thoughts.
It’s probably different in other areas, but one thing I have noticed around my area is that many of the realtors have already sold a home warranty to the buyer. Lots of times during the walkthrough I hear the agent’s refer to the client’s home warranty as an option if things go south.
From what I have seen in my area, in a normal market, it is fairly standard for the buyer to request and/or the seller to grant a one-year home warranty covering appliances with encouragement from both realtors. In which case, a 90-day home warranty from the home inspector does not have much value.
I want to agree with ‘dissing’, but better to do a posting of ‘awareness’… in positive grounds… will it not be better for a new home owner to just use their Home Insurance company to claim if something goes south with a roof (leak, damage…) after they move in.
A home warranty may work for certain appliance’s failures (microwave, dishwasher…)
I was ‘gifted’ one of those once from my Realtor. I don’t see why a Home inspector should be in the position (morally obligated) to “gift” a home owner anything. We are hire to deliver a consult service to a certain extend and I don’t see a Plumber or Electrician gifting me anything, anytime soon…!
There are several “monthly subscription” warranty companies that either cover the inspector or the home. Some are limited to roofs etc. I have not done the deep dive because I see little upside because I cannot or am unwilling to qualify these companies. I’ve had calls asking if we provide these type warranties and I just redirect the conversation to the value of my services.
I can’t remember the name since I don’t really pay much attention to these things but one company out there had this polished advertisement but when you read the fine print the “warranty” was limited to the cost of the inspection… LOL. Wow, thanks 
