A recent notification sent by an engineering firm to all home inspectors warns that their licenses may be at risk.
It goes on to quote the law, with regard to the fact that it does not permit home inspectors to practice professional engineering.
It seems to me that, way back on the old message board, I warned NY HIs that this verbiage was problematic. I was told that I was making something out of nothing. Apparently, they were wrong, and I was right.
I say this because, as published within this same notification, the author goes on to state that a recent decision by the NY Board of Land Surveyors and Engineers has determined that the inspection and examination of a multiple of structures, including single and multi family residential dwellings, regarding their structure, electrical, and mechanical subsystems for proper integrety or capacity, constitutes the practice of engineering as defined by law.
Further, any attempt to determine the structural integrety, capacity including any subsystem, other than detection of problems by visual inspection or normal operation of the user’s controls, constitutes the practice of engineering. This would include the diagnosis and analysis of problems within buildings.
Now, by law, Home Inspectors will e bound by a Standard of Care (SOP) at some point. I imagine that it will be based upon generally adfopted and accepted Standards of Practice. If we took our own, or ASHIs, it would clearly state that we were bound to do wnat we all currently do. The engineering law, as interpreted by the Board of Land Surveyors and Professional Engineers, puts us in violation of law.
The flyer goes on to state that even making the statement “This is a good house” can be cunstrued as a lass E Felony, regardless of the credentials of the inspector.
I believe that, if trye, it is an attempt by some NY State licensed PEs to try and control the HI industry in the state. PE Licensing falls under the NY State Education Department n NY, while HIs fall under the Department of State.
A turf battle is brewing, I believe, with HIs as the prize.
I believe we should mobilize, immediately.