Well I screwed up today. I inspected the wrong house today, should have done the one next door. Both new houses and the house numbers were not installed yet. When I looked at the GIS the house I was to inspect was the last one on the left, however the contractor built another house that didn’t show up on GIS.
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I inspected the wrong house a couple months ago. New construction. Fortunately, it was not my mistake and our client rescheduled for the correct house when he informed us the wrong house had been previously inspected.
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It happens.
When I was working for a HVAC company, the owner’s son & his helper tore out a furnace & AC at the wrong house. When he went back to make up his metal, he started yelling at the salesman for not telling him to take the hammer drill for his vent. Of course, the owner took his kids side and joined in on chewing on the salesman. They all went back to the house to discover that the hammer drill wasn’t needed after all.
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You guys…that’s nothing…
Many years ago, I knocked on the door. A 15ish-old young lady answered the door. I told her that I am there for the inspection. She says, “Ok.”
The agent and client were supposed to be coming, so I figured I’d be joined by them soon.
I finished inspecting the outside and still no agent or client, but I am in focus mode, so I didn’t really think much about it. I moved inside. My cell phone rings. It’s the agent asking me when I am going to make it. I inform him that I am here. He comments that he can’t see me and confirms the address…a different address…about 3 miles away.
I explained that there is a young lady here and I need to make some phone calls to clear this up. He said that he’ll make the calls and explain his mistake and get over here to start the inspection.
I announced to the teenager who was watching TV in the living room that I was done and thank you. Without ever glancing my way, she waived her hand.
I decided that I would never do anything like that again, but I have never had another situation like that since.
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Years ago had a nearly similar situation. Brand new development and the street signs were wrong and the Builder changed some street names without even getting the City and tax authority involved. The house I started at was not even the model house the client claimed they bought. Had to go to the sales office to get a new street map.
I had an almost like that a few weeks back.
New roads, new houses, no numbers. The roads were sand, not pavement or gravel.
The only thing that save me was that I noticed the permit box had washed out(Debbie) and was laying down mostly covered in sand. Once I uncovered it and looked inside at the soaked paperwork, I realized I was off by about 100 yards and 2 houses. There are about 6 houses in various stages on this sandy development and none had numbers and I’ll be damned If I know where the permit box was for the right house. I found a build sheet in the house I was to inspect. I turned it in and got paid. shrug.
I live in rural Maine, a lot of houses I go to are not numbered. I make sure I look them up online before so I can get a visual on where I am going. If there are no numbers on the house or at the end of the driveway, I make that a safety issue in the report. If I cant find it in day light with ease, then maybe the ambulance wont be able to find it in the dark when you need help.
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I did the same thing a few years ago. When the agent pointed it out, I hurried back and did the correct one. I ate the loss of time. Thankfully it was new construction and didn’t take a lot of time plus didn’t cause anyone else the inconvenience.
I try to be more attentive to my circumstances: lot numbers and any pictures received from agents.
I also report missing numbers like Kevin.
A lot of rural houses in Maine don’t even have a mailbox at the end of the driveway.
That sucks but it could be always be worse. I heard about a crew that painted the wrong house.
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I did something similar a few years back, I was setting a radon monitor for a up coming inspection, so I set it up, and went home, 3 days later I pull up the the inspection, both new builds, and realize I set the monitor in the next door, wrong house, so I grabbed the monitor and reset it in the correct house and did my inspection. It happens.
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A long time ago my fumigation goons tented the vacant house across the street
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This ^^^^^ 
It happened to a couple of times. Once, there were two houses next door to each other and the ‘wrong’ house had a for sale sign, but the one I was supposed to inspect did not.
Takeaways from my experience:
- I double check the house number. If a new build with no house number, I take a picture of the house and check with the agent or buyer.
- If I do screw up, I contact the listing agent and offer the inspection report at a discount. You never know…the buyer may take you up on that.
- Don’t trust google maps or other GPS mapping, especially in new developments. Even in existing communities, the directions often lead to addresses several houses off.
- If the house you’re inspecting doesn’t seem to match your notes (occupied vs. unoccupied, two-story vs. ranch, etc), time to double check the house number! Not all houses have for sale or realtor’s signs out front.
It could always be worse!
Ouch… wish I could say that’s never happened to me, but I can’t. I’ve started one only to realize I was at the wrong house after 30 minutes into it. I may have realized it if I tried to get inside first but due to possible storms coming, I wanted to get the exterior & roof done before the storm. I’ve also had an agent send me to a wrong address. I’m guessing you will be returning to the correct home to inspect it. You could offer a pre-inspected report to the buyers of the wrong house you inspected!
I did it once. 2 houses side by side were both for sale. I went to the one on the right and should have gone left. I was working on my first exterior walk around when another inspector showed up to inspect that house. Kind of embarrassing!
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Just had my first one this week. My client sent me the address for a 5k $1.7m 5 bath 4 bedroom new construction, it was not an inexpensive inspection. I was finishing up and he sends me a text asking about the den. I call him up to see which one he considered a den because all the bedrooms had bathrooms. He seemed confused by the question and we figured out that he sent me the wrong address. I got another inspection out of it 4 houses over and didn’t have to write a report that night, which is a huge bonus. So I guess it all worked out.
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