We get together each month to have a board meeting to discuss ideas on how to improve the inspection process. We discuss quarterly goals, new services, building relationships, networking events, continuing education, and much more. Here’s a few photos from meetings we have done.

Continuing education at the internachi house of horrors in Boulder, Co. We learned a lot, and it was great to get everyone together and discuss ideas.

We got together and had lunch to set yearly goals. Then went indoor skydiving to build team relationships.

Met up with the team to build dream boards, to set goals for the future.

Breakfast to go over our report writing and layout. We’re always taking feedback from clients, and making improvements. Then off to some team bowling.

Lunch to discuss new services and growth opportunities in the inspection process.

If you are a Realtor, Lender, Buyer or Seller in need of a HUD Foundation Certification or Addition Certification we can help.

We pair with MFD Home Certifications in the process. We will go on-site and gather required data, and submit it to the engineers at MFD. They will do a full report on what’s required based on HUD guidelines. We offer this service with a full home inspection or as a standalone service. Schedule Now

What are HUD Guidelines?

The current HUD Permanent Foundation Guide for Manufactured housing is dated September of 1996. The guidelines specify many things in regards to the construction of Manufactured Homes. Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards mandate federal standards for design, construction, and installation of manufactured homes to assure the quality, durability, safety, and affordability of manufactured homes.

Nature of Program: HUD issues and enforces appropriate standards for the construction, design, performance, and installation of manufactured homes to assure their quality, durability, affordability, and safety. The construction and safety standards preempt state and local laws that are not identical to the federal standards; they apply to all manufactured homes produced after June 15, 1976. HUD may enforce these standards directly or by various states that have established state administrative agencies in order to participate in the program. HUD may inspect factories and retailer lots and review records to enforce such standards. If a manufactured home does not conform to federal standards, the manufacturer must take certain actions, including possibly notifying the consumer and correcting the problem.

The statute generally prohibits selling, leasing, or offering for sale or lease, homes that do not meet the standards. Civil and criminal penalties may be sought for violations of the statute.

HUD also administers programs regulating the installation of the homes, reviewing the installation standard programs that 35 states have, and administering a federal installation program in the other 15 states. HUD also reviews the administration of state dispute resolution programs in 35 states and administers a HUD dispute resolution program in the other 15 states.

What is A HUD Permanent Foundation Inspection?

A HUD engineering foundation inspection is:

To conduct a structural inspection for determining:

• If the manufactured home is permanently tied down, and

• That the home would not float off the piers or foundation,

• That the drainage of the house will not flood the crawlspace or basement.

What about Engineering Inspections of Additions?

Decks, porches and room additions are regulated by the construction codes for each state and/or local housing authority. If the property has an addition attached after the home was sited, the attachment is not regulated by HUD Standards or Regulations. If an addition has been added to a manufactured home, it may take the home out of conformance with the Standards.

Schedule Now

On this new build you can see there’s a number of loose lateral braces. Recommend home inspections on new builds. If you went to sell this a few years later and the buyer had a home inspection done, and called these out. Now it’s on your plate to fix versus the builder.

#homeinspector

#detailshomeinspections

This is the main air intake for a new build furnace in the attic. You can see that it’s not installed in a great location. The intake is so close to this flex duct that it’s sucking in the plastic. This would make the furnace not very efficient. Recommend licensed HVAC contractor evaluate/repair as needed.

This plumbing vent was missing the actual vent. Basically it was a hole in the roof while it was raining. I highly recommend inspections on new builds. Supervisor didn’t even know about it.

Recently flipped house. Bathroom exhaust vent, venting to the attic. This can bring hot air to the attic and cause condensation issues. Recommend routing vents to the exterior.

#homeinspector

#detailshomeinspections

#homeinspectornearme

Water Quality Testing

Details Home Inspections offers water quality testing with well flow testing, and a standalone service. If you are purchasing a property with a private water source you should consider a water quality test be done prior to purchase. It’s recommended that private water sources be tested annually. We will take the water sample via lab directions, and take to to local lab for analyst on rush order usually 7 business days. Schedule Now.

Information for Private Well Owners From Department Of Health (DOH)

CONTAMINATED WELLS

Contaminants could show up in your drinking water, potentially putting your family’s health at risk. Because you may not taste, smell, or see many types of contaminants, the state Department of Health (DOH) believes regular water testing is very important.

WELL WATER TESTING

If you own a private well, you are responsible for testing your own water. In most counties when you buy or sell a home with a private well, the county health or planning department, or the lending institution involved, may require the seller to provide water-sampling results to show the water is safe to drink. Contact your local county health or planning department for information on the requirements and the testing needed.

DOH recommends that private well owners test their drinking water every year for coliform bacteria and nitrate. These two contaminants rapidly could affect a person’s health—possibly even with just one drink of water. If your nitrate level is 5 milligrams per liter (mg/L) or higher, you may want to re-test in six months.

At least twice, while you own the well we also suggest testing for arsenic--once in summer and again in winter--to check any seasonal influences that may occur. Though arsenic does not cause rapid health affects, continued consumption over a relatively short time could lead to health concerns. Many certified labs in Washington perform these tests. We use a local lab to analyze samples. The standard well water quality tests for total Coliform, E. Coli bacteria, Nitrates, and Arsenic. Additional contaminate tests upon request. Read more (PDF, DOH 331-349).

New Build Inspections. Why are they so important to do? The main reason I find, is that the builder has contracted with many different subcontractors to build the house. They are not monitoring every subcontractor for quality assurance and things get missed. Here’s a few examples of some common items that we find doing new build inspections. Check out the sample report at detailshomeinspection.com it’s an actual New Build Inspection that was preformed this year.

Check out this damaged truss in the attic of a new build found this week. People think they don’t need an inspection on a NEW BUILD. Well imagine selling this a few years later and having the inspector find it. Then it’s on you to repair this instead of the builder. We also found moisture stains and mildew in the attic.

Here’s a new build I did this week. Went in the attic and boom, no insulation. They already had the certificate of occupancy, so they were done. Which means the city code inspector already did their work and signed off on the property.

The attic of this new build had a loose lateral brace. These are used to help hold up the trusses when they are constructing the roof framing. We find this all the time. Recommend repair.

Here’s a photo of the sewer line on a new build sewer scope recently done. You can see there’s a rod/stake going through the main line. This would have caused some big problems once the occupants moved in. New build sewer scopes are a great way to find issues like this for peace of mind and not having it become a bigger issue down the road.

If you are purchasing a new build, let us help with the inspection process. You can schedule now with current online availability and pricing.