Thread: Pre inspection agreement clause

I am looking for the legal wording to add a clause to the pre inspection agreement that would allow changes to be made to the inspection report within a 7 to 10 day period after the report is complete. Most often it's a big rush to get the report out and I don't get the necessary time to research. Thanks for the help

I'm not an attorney, nor have I stayed at a Holiday Inn, but here is what I have in my contract...
RIGHT TO MAKE ADDITIONS / CORRECTIONS (this is in BOLD print)
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS TO THIS REPORT FOR FIVE (5) BUSINESS DAYS. This includes, but is not limited to changing the status of a system or component when reviewing and re-evaluating the conditions observed.

Feel free to use this as you wish.

Originally Posted by Bill Anglin

I am looking for the legal wording to add a clause to the pre inspection agreement that would allow changes to be made to the inspection report within a 7 to 10 day period after the report is complete. Most often it's a big rush to get the report out and I don't get the necessary time to research. Thanks for the help

I don't think "Changes " is the phrase you are looking for.

* Amendments to the Home Inspection Report my be added .

Why even put that in an agreement? It is your work product so you can amend or do with it as you please, IMVHO! On the other hand I can't see allowing 7-10 days to correct an error.... 90% of what we do is time sensitive and after a day or so most of the contingencies are signed off or lifted.

I am with Scott, your asking for trouble and opening Pandoras box. Are you going to add 3 days later after the inspection clause has been waived you reassessed the findings and now state the foundation is collapsing?

I doubt your E&O provider would provide coverage and leave you high and dry, and you would have no coverage.

I have a 24 hour amendment clause in my inspection agreement. I know it is fairly common for other inspectors to have that around here.
For me and other HI's I have talked with it comes in handy. Client wants report now, now, now; you get it done that night; and then I personally wake up in the morning and think 'wait I forgot to add in about X'; make 10 minutes of edit changes in the morning and resend a report I am happy with.
As far as 7-10 days that just won't work. You can't do that to yourself or the client. If you are having that many concerns about your reports or what you are including you may want to consider making structural changes. I would suggest taking a couple days off and reformatting your report info or doing research and gathering the info you typically need or want so it is handy and can easily be added into the report.
When I start a new type of inspection work ( I don't just do regular HI, I usually do the inspections others don't want to do) I usually take a day or two 'off' to gather necessary data, etc so report writing isn't a nightmare.

So is the need for amending your report after you wake in the middle of the night 5 days later and realize you forgot something?

1. My contract is reviewed by my E&O provider every year, and they have not had any problems with this part of my contract. It's been in there for years.
2. Once in a while I see something at an inspection I have never seen before and need to de a little research.
3. Once in a while I make a typo or an error that needs correction. Yesterday a Realtor called me and told me I had the age of the house as 1990, instead of 1940. While I obviously knew the house was built in 40 when I was there, the night before, when I was setting up the inspection on my laptop, the 4 looked like a 9 on my order form.
4. Or the 3 AM sudden wake up when you realize your forgot to add a photo, or could have worded something a little better.

While I have made changes to my reports, they have never been a "major" change, such as a foundation suddenly failing. They have also never been more than the next day.

I don't see a problem having a clause in there to cover yourself. As far as timing goes, many times they are waiting two days for the radon results to come back anyway. If they are waiting till the last hour to get an inspection, its not my problem. Some commercial inspections take a couple days to finish anyway.

Thank you all for your responses. Definitely some good food for thought.

If you have a clause or not, make an addendum and sent it to your client as quickly as you can.
Receiving updated information is better than having incorrect information.
Chances are really really good, the deal can still be put on hold.