Lonestar Livestock Equipment Company, Inc.

Please keep in mind that a home inspection is not a "Pass or Fail" situation, a...

"building code check", or a "warranty or insurance policy".
 
A home inspection is intended to find visual major defects that may effect the value of the property. Some ask why our reports identify some minor problems but not others. The minor problems found are discovered while looking for more significant problems. We note them simply as a courtesy.
There may be a time that you discover something wrong with the house, and you
may be upset or disappointed with your home inspection.
Some problems can only be discovered by living in a house. They cannot be discovered during the few hours of a home inspection. For example, some shower stalls leak when people are in the shower, but do not leak when you simply turn on the tap. Some roofs and basements only leak when specific conditions exist. Some problems will only be discovered when carpets were lifted, furniture is moved or finishes are removed.
These problems may have existed at the time of the inspection but there were no clues to their existence. Our inspections are based on the past performance of the house. If there are no clues to a problem on the day of the inspection, a home inspector will not find it.
The main source of dissatisfaction with home inspectors comes from comments made by contractors. Contractors' opinions can and often differ from ours. Don't be surprised when three roofers all say the roof needs replacement when we said
that, with minor repairs, the roof will last a few more years.
While our advice represents the most prudent thing to do, many contractors are reluctant to undertake these repairs. This is because of the Last-One-In
Syndrome. The contractor fears that the last person to work on the roof will get blamed if the roof leaks, regardless of whose fault it is. Consequently, there is an understandable reluctance to do a minor repair with high liability when the entire house could be re-roofed for more money and reduce the likelihood of
a callback.
The Last-One-In Syndrome also suggests that it is human nature for homeowners to believe the last bit of "expert" advice they receive, even if it is contrary to previous advice. As home inspectors, we unfortunately find ourselves in the position of "first one in" and consequently it is our advice that is often
disbelieved.
Why Didn't I See It?
Contractors may say, "I can't believe you had this house inspected, and they didn't find this problem." There are several reasons for these apparent oversights:
1.  It's impossible for contractors to know what the circumstances were the day
the inspection was performed.
2.  When the problem manifests itself, it is very easy to have 20/20 hindsight. Anybody can say that the basement is wet when there are two inches of water on
the floor. Predicting the problem is a different story.
3.    If we spent half an hour under the kitchen sink or 45 minutes disassembling and servicing the furnace, we'd find more problems too. Unfortunately, the inspection would take several days and would cost considerably more then our small nominal fee.
4.    It is difficult for homeowners to remember the circumstances in the house at the time of the inspection. Homeowners seldom remember that it was snowing, there was storage everywhere in the basement or that the air conditioner could not be turned on because the outside temperature was below 65 degrees, for example.
5.    Home Inspectors are generalists not specialists. Like a family doctor not a cardiologist, optometrist, etc,.
6.    Problems can often become apparent when carpets or plaster are removed, when fixtures or cabinets are pulled out, and so on. A home inspection is a visual examination. We don't perform any invasive or destructive tests.
Not an Insurance policy and not a Home Warranty program.
In conclusion, a home inspection is designed to better your odds It is not designed to eliminate all risk. We are not clairvoyant and therefore cant predict the exact day or time your appliance or mechanical device will fail. For that reason, a home inspection should not be considered an insurance policy. The premium that an insurance company would have to charge for a policy with no deductible, no limit and an indefinite policy period would be considerably more than the fee we charge. It would also not include the value added by the inspection.
Thank Yon
Michael S[redacted]
Certified Home Inspection

On May 15th of 2015 I inspected the property [redacted] for buyer [redacted] for the fee of $310.00. This inspection ran over I believe 3 hours of time. My normal inspection time frame is 2 hours. During the inspection I found Electrical problems, vinyl siding problems, plumbing leaks, ceiling water stains, and active carpenter bee activity on the home. Mrs. [redacted] contacted me some months later and said she had a chimney contractor come out to clean chimney as I suggested and he said she needed a chimney liner and without that her house would burn to the ground and insurance wouldn’t pay for it. His cost $2900.00? I told her this often happens with contractors and suggested she get a SECOND OPINION. This home was built in 1994 and was inspected by a local building inspector for current codes at the time of build. Chimney liners are a building code of 1994. We stand by our report that this home did in fact have chimney liners at the time of inspection. Unfortunately things do happen to homes after the sale that is out of our control. We can only report on major items working at the time of inspection. The FEE of $310.00 is for the Home inspection only and is not an insurance policy nor is it a Warranty program. To offer that we would have to charge much much more! Sincerely, Michael S[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that the response would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.The reasoning response sent back was about everything but my complaint on one of our main sources of heat, the wood burning stove. It states that they identify problems visual to the home inspector. This was clearly a visual issue. By looking at it, it was clear there was no liner in chimney. He stated that the chimney he inspected had the liner and that he did not realize at time of inspection that their were two chimneys. Due to this mistake, that source of heat for home can not be used at all until fixed. If house was to catch fire, it would not be covered by our homeowners homeowners insurance. They requested I get two appraisals and they would see what they can do. I got second appraisal and when I called them back, they said it was not their problem. What is the piloint in a home inspection if major problems are not addressed? I am not a home Inspector, they are. I pay them expecting g that they are certified enough to know a major issue and to inspect all reachable areas. Not offering to cover an expense to their mistake of inspecting, is poor business and I would not recommend using an inspector that misses a major issue that could have been identified during home purchase offer. 
Regards,
[redacted]