Thread: NEW ASHI 2013 Standard of Practice

For those of you that use or say you use the ASHI Standard of Practice you might want to familiarize yourself with the changes.
2013_standards.pdf

The above PDF is the Standard that was voted on and passed by the ASHI membership. The website will be updated soon to reflect the changes.

I think it would be useful to publish a "Change List" just so there is no confusion about what has changed. Not everyone is thorough as they could/should be.

The changes were available before the vote.

Originally Posted by Bruce Ramsey

I think it would be useful to publish a "Change List" just so there is no confusion about what has changed. Not everyone is thorough as they could/should be.

This is a link to the rationale for each change, it list the section, change and why the change was done.
http://www.homeinspector.org/email_d...tionale5.0.pdf

This gives the rational behind changes. (from ASHI web site)

http://www.homeinspector.org/email_d...tionale5.0.pdf

So other than a bunch of wordsmithing, it looks like the big take aways are:

- Test AFCI in unoccupied houses
- Operate Built-in Kitchen Appliances
- Inspect/report carbon monoxide alarms
- Don't have to report voltage and floor coverings.

Originally Posted by Bruce Ramsey

So other than a bunch of wordsmithing, it looks like the big take aways are:

- Test AFCI in unoccupied houses
- Operate Built-in Kitchen Appliances
- Inspect/report carbon monoxide alarms
- Don't have to report voltage and floor coverings.

Yep, that's pretty much the Readers Digest version of the changes!

Originally Posted by Bruce Ramsey

So other than a bunch of wordsmithing, it looks like the big take aways are:

- Test AFCI in unoccupied houses
- Operate Built-in Kitchen Appliances
- Inspect/report carbon monoxide alarms
- Don't have to report voltage and floor coverings.

In other words, do what most home inspectors do anyway ... (at least down in Florida where operating appliances was/is already the norm).

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

In other words, do what most home inspectors do anyway ... (at least down in Florida where operating appliances was/is already the norm).

You would think that operating built-in appliances would be the norm for most home inspectors across the country but it's not. Surveys showed that those on the Left and Right coast tended to disclaim appliances more than other parts of the country, this group also gave the most resistance to this change in the SoP.

Originally Posted by Scott Patterson

You would think that operating built-in appliances would be the norm for most home inspectors across the country but it's not. Surveys showed that those on the Left and Right coast tended to disclaim appliances more than other parts of the country, this group also gave the most resistance to this change in the SoP.

Hard to imagine doing a home inspection and disclaiming the appliances (including built-in appliances), down in South Florida we operated built-in appliances and other 'major' appliances (such as slid-in ranges, clothes washers, clothes dryers, etc).

Guess it all depends on where one came from and what 'everyone else is doing', and not realizing that 'doing more than everyone else is doing' is a good way to set yourself apart from 'everyone else' so that you can build a following and referrals.

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

Hard to imagine doing a home inspection and disclaiming the appliances (including built-in appliances), down in South Florida we operated built-in appliances and other 'major' appliances (such as slid-in ranges, clothes washers, clothes dryers, etc).

Guess it all depends on where one came from and what 'everyone else is doing', and not realizing that 'doing more than everyone else is doing' is a good way to set yourself apart from 'everyone else' so that you can build a following and referrals.

I agree! Heck I just finished an inspection and just in kitchen appliances they had a conservative $25k just in appliances, and this is fairly normal in my area... Not unusual to see 3k dishwashers; 5k-10k stoves, etc....

Originally Posted by Bruce Ramsey

I think it would be useful to publish a "Change List" just so there is no confusion about what has changed. Not everyone is thorough as they could/should be.

All the more reason to take this opportunity to go through the entire standard both as a refresher and to confirm that your report is covering all the bases.

Any idea when the new standards will be posted to the ASHI site?

Originally Posted by Brian Hannigan

Any idea when the new standards will be posted to the ASHI site?

I don't know but I would think that after this weekends board meeting I might know.

My SWAG is that it will be in a few weeks or after IW. The majority of the ASHI staff have been working on IW for the past few weeks with just a few working on other day to day issues and business. Also the entire ASHI website is being updated with a new look, features, etc... Might be when that happens.....