Engineer's Report or Home Inspection? 


 Q. Is a "Home inspection" the same as an Engineer's  Report? 
 Will the bank accept a "Home Inspection" instead of  the
 "Engineer's Report" they asked for?  

 A. Prior to 2004, real estate transaction inspections were unregulated in
 Alaska.  Anyone could do them, qualified or not.  The most reliable ones
 were performed by civil engineers who added this service to their normal
 design services. Hence the name "Engineer's Report". 

 Since July of 2004, the State of Alaska has required real estate transaction  inspections to be performed by qualified and licensed "Home Inspectors"
 who have specific qualifications, follow "Standards of Practice", pass a
 national home inspection exam, take continuing education courses, and be
 bonded and insured.  The exception is that licensed architects and 
 engineers may perform real estate transaction inspections without any of
 the above restrictions but they may not call them "Home Inspections".


 Q. Is a "Home Inspection" as good as an Engineer's Report? 
    
 A. Potentially, a Home Inspection should be better than an Engineer's
 Report as a Home Inspector has specific training and knowledge to look
 for problems in existing houses while an Engineer or Architect may have
 no such specific knowledge.  That does not mean that Engineers and  
 Architects are not good at real estate transaction inspections as they
 may have been doing it for years and may be following standards of
 practice, may be obtaining continuing education, etc.  There is just no
 guarantee as they are not regulated.

 
Q.  Then how can I tell if I am getting the services of a qualified
inspector?

 A.  As with most professions, skills and competency vary with the
 practioner.  Look at the Qualifications of the inspector, check out
 Customer Satisfaction and Sample Reports, ask trusted acquaintances
 for recommendations. 


 Q.  So, in a nut shell, what is the difference between the average
 Home Inspection and the average Engineer's Report"?

 A.  A Home Inspection addresses all of the systems and components of a
 home; generally is about 30 or more pages long; usually  includes
 photographs and maintenance advice.

 An Engineer's Report often is 4 to 6 pages long; usually does not include
 photographs; often excludes some of the homes systems and components
 and usually contains few, if any maintenance suggestions.

 A Home Inspection is generally a more detailed and complete report on the condition of a home and usually contains observations of the following systems and components:

          Structure        Interior               Appliances                       
          Roof               Insulation           Fireplaces/Woodstoves 
          Exterior          Ventilation        Garages/Sheds
          Electrical        Heating            Attics
          Plumbing        Cooling            Crawlspaces
          Grading          Vegetation       Appliances
          Decks             Driveway          Walkways
          Detectors       Egress