Please reject Senate Bill 627. Its passage would 1) undermine the consumer protection that the home inspection regulations have created for the Commonwealth and 2) be detrimental to the home inspection industry.  

The bill fails to reflect:

• what a home inspection service really consists of, what is not included in the standards of practice, and the benefits of the home inspection to homebuyers.
• the substantial administrative, training, continuing education and insurance requirements related to a home inspector obtaining and maintaining a home inspector license in the Commonwealth, and
• the negative impacts of this bill on the home inspection businesses and their clients.

Negative Impacts on Consumers.  If this bill were to be enacted, insurers might drop home inspectors from coverage and/or rates would skyrocket.  Home Inspection providers would leave the business and/or these costs would need to be passed on to consumers.  If inspections became too expensive, many home purchasers would forgo the service and enter into transactions uninformed and unprotected with respect to the condition of the homes they are buying.  The impact on the availability of home inspectors would vary across the Commonwealth, and potentially leave some areas with reduced availability of qualified and licensed home inspectors.  (Moreover, if insurance was unavailable, inspectors would be unable to meet the state requirements for licensure.) Failure to use the professional services of a licensed home inspector could result in not only a negative financial impact to the homebuyer, but safety as well, as in the area of fire, carbon monoxide poisoning and other life threatening events. These impacts seem contrary to the underlying core purpose of home inspection regulations.

Limited liability is a necessary protection in this profession. Home inspectors test and assess a number of components within a home, most of which have a limited life span. Home inspectors are limited in the extent to which they can assess the components of a home - limited by time, the visual and non-destructive requirements, and what customers are willing to pay for a well-trained generalist.  (Customers could choose to hire a plumber, roofer, electrician, structural engineer, and other specialists at far greater expense to assess the individual components of a home, but that would be impractical and cost prohibitive.)    As it is, many customers blame home inspectors when components that were working at the inspection, but fail during the months that follow.  Eliminating the liability limitations would probably increase the number and cost of frivolous claims.   As part of the licensure requirement that was enacted in 2016, consumers can file complaints with the Board of Asbestos, Lead and Home Inspectors. If a home inspector is found to be negligent by the Board, it can suspend or revoke the inspector's license.

Senate Bill 627 would undermine the consumer protection that the home inspection regulations have created for the Commonwealth.  Please consider the information and vote this bill down. 

Thank you for your consideration,

Barry Holt, Principal

PepperWood Home Inspections, LLC