Dean Arrington Associates LLC

The following is extracted from the New Jersey standards for home inspections

The inspection will address the following elements: 

·         Structural components (foundation, floors, walls, ceilings, and roof);

·         Exterior components (Exterior surfaces, excluding shutters, and screening, awnings, and other similar seasonal accessories);

·         Roofing system components (roofing surface, excluding antennae and other installed accessories such as solar heating systems, lightning arresters, and satellite dishes; roof drainage systems; flashing; skylights; and exterior of chimneys);

·         Plumbing system components (interior water supply and distribution systems including functional water flow and functional drainage, excluding wells, well pumps, well water sampling or water storage related equipment, determination of water supply quantity or quality and water conditioning systems and lawn irrigation systems; all interior fixtures and faucets, excluding shut off valves, wells, well pumps, well water sampling and water storage related equipment; drain, waste and vent systems, domestic water heating systems, without operating safety valves or automatic safety controls, and excluding solar water heating systems; combustion vent systems excluding interiors of flues and chimneys; fuel distribution systems; and drainage sumps, sump pumps and related piping;

·         Electrical system components (service entrance system, main disconnects, main panel and sub panels, including interior components of main panel and sub panels; service grounding; wiring, without measuring amperage, voltage or impedance, excluding any wiring not a part of the primary electrical power distribution system, such as central vacuum systems, remote control devices, telephone or cable system wiring, intercom systems, security systems and low voltage wiring systems; over-current protection devices and the compatibility of their ampacity with that of the connected wiring; at least one of each interior installed lighting fixture, switch, and receptacle per room and at least one exterior installed lighting fixture, switch, and receptacle per side of house; and ground fault circuit interrupters);

·         Heating system components (installed heating equipment and energy sources, without determining heat supply adequacy or distribution balance, and without operating automatic safety controls or operating heat pumps when weather conditions or other circumstances may cause damage to the pumps, and excluding humidifiers, electronic air filters and solar heating systems, combustion vent systems and chimneys, excluding interiors of flues or chimneys; fuel storage tanks, excluding propane and underground storage tanks; and visible and accessible portions of the heat exchanger, removing the flame roll-out shield if applicable)

·         Cooling system components (central cooling system, excluding electronic air filters and excluding determination of cooling supply adequacy or distribution balance and without operating central cooling equipment when weather conditions or other circumstances may cause damage to the cooling equipment; permanently installed hard-wired, through-wall individual cooling systems; and energy sources);

·         Interior components (walls, ceilings, and floors excluding paint, wallpaper and other finish treatments, carpeting and other non-permanent floor coverings; steps, stairways, and railings; installed kitchen wall cabinets to determine if secure; at least one interior passage door and operate one window per room excluding window treatments; and household appliances limited to the kitchen range and oven to determine operation of burners or heating elements excluding microwave ovens and the operation of self-cleaning cycles and appliance timers and thermostats; dishwasher to determine water supply and drainage; and garbage disposer)

·         Insulation components and ventilation system (Insulation in unfinished spaces without disturbing insulation; and ventilation system (ventilation of attics and crawlspaces; and mechanical ventilation systems)

·         Fireplaces and solid fuel burning appliances. (Fireplaces and solid fuel burning appliances, without testing draft characteristics, excluding fire screens and doors, seals and gaskets, automatic fuel feed devices, mantles and non-structural fireplace surrounds, combustion make-up air devices, or gravity fed and fan assisted heat distribution systems; chimneys and combustion vents excluding interiors of flues and chimneys)

Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a home inspector or associate home inspector to

·         Enter any area or perform any procedure which is, in the opinion of the home inspector or associate home inspector, unsafe and likely to be dangerous to the inspector or other persons; enter any area or perform any procedure which will, in the opinion of the home inspector or associate home inspector, likely damage the property or its systems or components; enter any area which does not have at least 24 inches of unobstructed vertical clearance and at least 30 inches of unobstructed horizontal clearance;

·         Identify concealed conditions and latent defects; determine life expectancy of any system or component; determine the cause of any condition or deficiency; determine future conditions that may occur including the failure of systems and components including consequential damage; determine the operating costs of systems or components; determine the suitability of the property for any specialized use;

·         Determine compliance with codes, regulations and/or ordinances; determine market value of the property or its marketability; determine advisability of purchase of the property; determine the presence of any potentially hazardous plants, animals or diseases or the presence of any suspected hazardous substances or adverse conditions such as mold, fungus, toxins, carcinogens, noise, and contaminants in soil, water, and air; determine the effectiveness of any system installed or method utilized to control or remove suspected hazardous substances;

·         Operate any system or component which is shut down or otherwise inoperable; operate any system or component which does not respond to normal operating controls; operate shut-off valves; determine whether water supply and waste disposal systems are public or private; insert any tool, probe or testing device inside electrical panels; dismantle any electrical device or control other than to remove the covers of main and sub panels; walk on unfloored sections of attics; and light pilot flames or ignite or extinguish fires.

The performance of home inspections is governed by the rules in the New Jersey Administrative Code contained at N.J.A.C. 13:40-15.  Failure to comply with the rules may subject the licensee to discipline. 

This inspection further excludes

• Any adverse condition that may affect the desirability of the property including but not limited to proximity to railroad tracks or airplane routes, boundaries, easements or rights of way, adjoining properties or neighborhood.
• Unique/technically complex systems or components, system or component life expectancy or adequacy or efficiency of any system or component.
• Movement of furniture, appliances, carpets, or other articles or furnishings in the performance of this inspection. 

This inspection is not an engineering inspection or evaluation.

NJ Structural Inspections | Plumbing Inspector NJ | New Jersey Roofing Inspections |
New Jersey Structural Inspector | Plumbing Inspections New Jersey | NJ Roofing Inspector