Does the Orange County Home Inspector ever miss a defect on a home inspection?

A home inspection is a general visual inspection. To clarify that let me say that the entirety of the home is looked at with a trained eye for clues that may be hiding defects but some defects are in fact hidden and therefore not reported on.

Of course there are obvious defects like a wet cabinet interior due to a plumbing leak, which should never be missed. Or a broken widow or a water heater that is missing the earthquake straps.

A hidden defect that can be missed is a stain on a wall or ceiling that was not readily visible without looking at the stain in the right light, which is why I carry a very bright authorized policeman’s’ flashlight. Even so, I can miss a stain here and there. Stains can sometimes point to roof or plumbing leaks.

When you count up the things that have to be scanned with the eye you can see that, of course something canbe missed.

On many occasions when I have walked the house after finishing the inspection, the buyer will notice something I missed. This doesn’t happen often but it does happen. It’s nearly impossible to catch every single thing wrong in a house and some things are simply wear and tear items that do not fall into the category of defective.

I am a general contractor and an Expert Witness for construction defects and I’ve been on lawsuit related inspections where a whole team of inspectors has walked through a house only to discover that of all the inspectors present, things are pointed out that the other inspectors did not see.

I have never been sued as a result of missing something important but it’s possible that I can miss something and that is why I carry Errors & Omissions insurance. If I were to miss something consequential that costs hundreds or even thousands of dollars then my insurance would pay for it. 

A home inspection is for the purpose of minimizing your risk; it cannot eliminate your risk.