Like everything else in life, there are limitations as to what our inspectors are able to do during your home inspection.

Professional Home Inspections (PHI), for the time being, is limited to serving clients within Yellowstone County or Lewis & Clark Counties, Montana. We would also consider serving clients in ‘unincorporated’ areas, these being properties located in rural areas, outside city limits where permitting or official building authorities have no influence or involvement. These would need to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Home inspections are “limited visual inspections”. Home inspections have two (2) primary purposes: 1) identify equipment, structures and components that are not functioning as intended, 2) identify equipment, structures and components that are not performing safely. Therefore, a home inspection is a “function” and “safety” inspection only.

Home inspections for real estate transactions are not building code inspections. PHI cannot enforce local building codes; however, if deficiencies are noted that cause a system or equipment to not function or function unsafely, it may be a building code violation. For every identified potential deficiency, PHI will always recommend review by a qualified tradesperson (electrician, plumber, roofer, etc).

Professional Home Inspections performs home inspections per the Standards of Practice (2014), published by American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). This national standard exempts certain installed systems and equipment from detailed review/inspection: swimming pools, hot tubs, electronic air filters, dehumidifiers/humidifiers, interiors of chimneys or flues, fuel burning auto-feed systems, or the causes/conditions for any noted deficiency. Also, solar, geothermal, wind or other forms of renewable energy systems are exempt (and any direct current (DC) electrical distribution associated wind solar, i.e., battery chargers/inverters).

The home inspector will not comment on aesthetics, or whether the drapes match the carpet. If the carpet is ugly, you probably already know that. But, if it’s unworn and doesn’t cause a tripping hazard, then it won’t be mentioned in the report - since it functions safely.

The inspector will only review/inspect “readily accessible” areas of the home. Electrical panels, furnaces, water heaters; whatever, if it’s blocked by stored personal items, it won’t be reviewed/inspected. As the potential buyer, please work with the seller/seller’s realtor to ensure access is provided to all areas, which you want included in the inspection. PHI does not perform testing for the presence of radon gas or mold.

To limit our liability and risk of injury during inspections, we minimize our use of ladders. We use binoculars, go-pro cameras and drones to fully inspect roofing, gutter systems, and exterior masonry. Also, to limit liability, PHI is not a member of the Multiple Listing Service (MLS); either the seller’s agent or buyer’s agent must allow access to the property.

If issues are identified after the property is vacated, please work through your realtor or attorney to resolve issues not identified during the PHI inspection. If significant issues are identified by PHI, due to our limitations of service, PHI will not provide recommendations or referrals for repairs. We also will be unable to provide estimates for repairs or equipment replacement, or provide estimates of remaining service life for equipment or systems.