Section Home 603.02 - Home Inspection Standards(a) When inspecting structural systems the home inspector shall: (1) Inspect the structural components including the foundation, framing, floor structure, wall structure, ceiling structure, and roof structure;(2) Inspect a representative number of structural components where deterioration is suspected or where clear indications of possible deterioration exist; and(3) Not conduct probing when probing would damage any finished surface or where no deterioration is visible or presumed to exist.(b) When inspecting the structural systems the home inspector shall describe:(1) The type of foundation;(4) The ceiling structure;(5) The roof structure; and(c) The home inspector shall report:(1) The methods used to observe under floor crawl spaces;(2) The methods used to observe attics and roof structures; and(3) The presence or absence of service flooring in the attic.(d) The home inspector shall not be required to:(1) Walk on the exposed or insulation covered framing members;(2) Enter the attic space if obstructed or if the entry could damage the property or if a dangerous or adverse situation is suspected and reported by the inspector; and(3) Enter the under-floor crawl space if not readily accessible or if a dangerous or adverse situation is suspected and reported by the inspection.(e) If any of the exemptions listed in (d) above are utilized the inspector shall document the reason why.(f) The home inspector shall not provide any engineering or architectural service or analysis unless qualified pursuant to RSA 310-A:201, IV.(g) When inspecting the exterior the home inspector shall inspect: (1) Siding, flashing, and trim including exterior window and door trim;(3) Attached decks, balconies, stoops, steps, porches, and their associated railings;(4) Eaves, soffits, and fascia's where accessible from the ground level; and(5) Entryways, walkways, patios, driveways, vegetation, grading, surface drainage, and attached retaining walls which are likely to adversely affect the building.(h) When inspecting the exterior the home inspector shall describe the type of siding.(i) The home inspector shall not have to inspect:(1) Screening, shutters, awnings, and similar seasonal accessories;(3) Geological and soil conditions;(4) Recreational facilities;(5) Outbuildings or detached structures;(6) Seawalls, break-walls, and docks;(7) Erosion control and earth stabilization measures; and(8) Underground utilities, pipes, including gas lines, fuel tanks, buried wires, or conduits.(j) When inspecting roof systems the home inspector shall inspect:(2) Roof drainage systems;(4) Skylights, vents, chimney, and other roof penetrations.(k) When inspecting the roof systems the home inspector shall describe:(2) Roof drainage systems; and(l) When inspecting the roof system the home inspector shall report the methods used to inspect the roofing.(m) The home inspector shall not have to inspect:(2) Interiors of flues or chimneys on or attached to the roof; and(3) Other installed accessories, including but not limited to solar systems, lighting arrestors, and satellite dishes.(n) When inspecting the plumbing system the home inspector shall inspect: (1) Interior water supply and distribution systems including fixtures, faucets, functional flow, and operation by running the water;(2) Interior drain, waste, and vent systems including all sink, tub, and shower fixtures for functional drainage;(3) Water heating equipment and hot water supply system;(5) Fuel storage and fuel distribution systems within the structure; and(6) Interior sewer ejector pumps and related piping and venting.(o) When inspecting the plumbing system the home inspector shall describe: (1) Interior water supply and distribution systems;(2) Drain, waste and vent systems;(3) Water heating equipment and hot water supply system; and(4) Fuel storage and distribution systems.(p) When inspecting the plumbing system the home inspector shall report: (1) The location of main water shut-off valve;(2) The location of the main fuel supply shut-off valve; and(3) The presence or absence of a temperature control mixing valve on water heaters and hot water storage tanks.(q) The home inspector shall not have to inspect:(1) Clothes washing machine or their connections;(2) Interiors of plumbing appliance flues or chimneys;(3) Wells, well pumps, or water storage related equipment;(4) Water conditioning systems;(5) Solar water heating systems;(6) Fire and lawn sprinkler systems;(7) Private waste disposal and exterior sewer ejector systems;(8) Automatic safety controls or manual stop valves; and(r) The home inspector shall not have to determine:(1) Whether water supply and waste disposal systems are public or private; and(2) Water supply quantity, quality, or reliability of the water supply or source.(s) When inspecting the electrical system the home inspector shall inspect:(2) Service entrance conductors, cables, and raceways;(3) Service equipment and main disconnects;(5) Interior components of service panels and sub panels;(7) Overcurrent protection devices; and(8) A representative number of installed lighting fixtures, switches, and receptacles.(t) When inspecting the electrical system the home inspector shall describe:(1) The amperage and voltage rating of the service;(2) The location of main disconnects and sub panels;(4) Service grounding; and(5) Over current protection devices.(u) When inspecting the electrical system the home inspector shall report: (1) Presence of solid conductor aluminum branch circuit wiring;(2) Absence of smoke detectors and ground fault circuit interrupters;(3) Absence of carbon monoxide detectors;(4) Absence of arc fault circuit interrupters; and(5) Reason for inability to remove service panel covers.(v) The home inspector shall not have to inspect:(1) Remote control devices;(2) Alarm systems and components;(3) Low voltage wiring systems and components;(4) Ancillary wiring systems and components not a part of the primary electrical power distribution system within the house structure;(5) Generators and their control and distribution systems, including but not limited to interlock switches;(6) The operation of smoke detectors;(7) The operation of carbon monoxide detectors; and(8) Solar equipment and components.(w) The home inspector shall not measure amperage, voltage, or impedance.(x) When inspecting the heating system the home inspector shall open readily accessible panels and inspect using normal operating controls:(1) Installed central heating system;(3) Vent systems and chimney exteriors; and(4) Fuel storage and distribution systems excluding propane tanks.(y) When inspecting the heating system the home inspector shall describe:(1) Installed central heating system;(2) Distribution system; and(z) When inspecting the heating system the home inspector shall report energy source or sources.(aa) The home inspector shall not have to inspect:(1) Interiors of heat source flues or chimneys;(3) Humidifiers or dehumidifiers;(4) Electronic air filters;(5) Solar space heating systems;(8) Solar, wind, or exterior components of geothermal systems;(9) Operate heating systems when the conditions adversely affect the operation of the equipment; and(10) The condition of underground storage tanks.(ab) The home inspector shall not have to determine heat supply adequacy or distribution balance.(ac) When inspecting the air conditioning system the home inspector shall open readily accessible panels to inspect using normal operating controls: (1) Permanently installed central systems; and(2) Distribution systems.(ad) When inspecting the air conditioning system the home inspector shall describe permanently installed central systems.(ae) The home inspector shall not have to: (1) Inspect electronic air filters;(2) Determine cooling supply adequacy or distribution balance;(3) Inspect window or wall mounted air conditioning units; and(4) Operate air conditioning systems when the conditions adversely affect the operation of the equipment.(af) When inspecting the interior the home inspector shall inspect:(1) Walls, ceilings, and floors;(2) Steps, stairways, and railings;(3) Countertops and a representative number of installed cabinets;(4) Garage doors and garage door operators; and(5) A representative number of windows and doors.(ag) The home inspector shall not have to inspect or determine: (1) Paint, wallpaper, and other finish treatments;(2) Finished floor coverings;(4) Central vacuum systems;(5) Household appliances; and(6) Recreational facilities.(ah) When inspecting the insulation and ventilation the home inspector shall inspect: (1) Insulation in unfinished spaces;(2) Ventilation of attics and foundation areas; and(3) Mechanical ventilation systems.(ai) When inspecting insulation and ventilation the home inspector shall describe: (1) Insulation in unfinished spaces; and(2) Ventilation of attics and foundation areas.(aj) When inspecting insulation and ventilation the home inspector shall report the absence of insulation in unfinished spaces at conditioned surfaces.(ak) The home inspector shall not have to: (2) Identify types of insulation; and(3) Inspect air-to-air exchangers or other similar systems.(al) When inspecting fireplaces the home inspector shall inspect:(1) Built-in fireplaces; and(2) Chimney exterior and vents.(am) When inspecting fireplaces the home inspector shall describe built-in fireplaces.(an) The home inspector shall not have to inspect:(1) Interiors of fireplace flues or chimneys;(2) Fire screens and doors;(4) Automatic fuel feed devices;(5) Mantles and fireplace surrounds;(6) Combustion make-up air devices;(7) Heat distribution assists, gravity fed and fan assisted;(8) Solid fuel burning appliances;(9) Solid fuel burning systems; and(ao) The home inspector shall not have to: (1) Determine draft characteristics; and(2) Move fireplace inserts and stoves or firebox contents.(ap) The home inspector shall not have to determine:(1) Conditions of systems or components which are not readily accessible;(2) Remaining life expectancy of any system or component;(3) Strength, adequacy, effectiveness, or efficiency of any system or component;(4) The causes of any condition or deficiency;(5) Methods or materials necessary for corrections;(6) The suitability of the property for any specialized use;(7) Compliance with regulatory requirements including codes, regulations, laws, ordinances, manufacturers installation specifications, and utility company requirements;(8) The presence of potentially hazardous plants or animals including, but not limited to wood destroying organisms or diseases harmful to humans including molds or mold-like substances;(9) The presence of any environmental hazards including, but not limited to toxins, carcinogens, noise, and contaminants in soil, water, and air;(10) The effectiveness of any system installed, or method utilized to control or remove suspected hazardous substances; and(11) Soil conditions relating to geotechnical or hydrologic specialties.(aq) Home inspectors shall not have to enter:(1) Any area that will, in the opinion of the inspector, likely be dangerous to the inspector or other persons or damage the property or its systems or components; and(2) Attics and under-floor crawl spaces which are not readily accessible.(ar) Home inspectors shall not have to inspect:(1) Underground items including, but not limited to underground storage tanks or other underground indications of their presence, whether abandoned or active;(2) Items that are not installed;(3) Installed decorative items;(4) Items in areas that are not entered in accordance with Home 603.02 (ar) (1);(6) Common elements or common areas in multi-unit housing, such as condominium properties or cooperative housing; and(7) Interiors of multi-unit housing flues, vents, or chimneys.(as) Home inspectors shall not be required to:(1) Perform any procedure or operation that will, in the opinion of the inspector, likely be dangerous to the inspector or other persons or damage the property or its systems or components;(3) Describe or report on any system or component that is not included in these standards and was not inspected;(4) Move personal property, furniture, equipment, plants, soil, snow, ice, or debris;(5) Dismantle any system or component, except as explicitly required by Home 600;(at) Home inspectors shall not: (1) Report on market value of property or its marketability;(2) Report on the advisability or inadvisability of the purchase of the property;(3) Offer or perform additional inspectional services such as engineering, architectural, surveying, plumbing, electrical, pest control, or any other inspectional service requiring an occupational license or registration in New Hampshire unless the inspector holds a valid registration or occupational license, in which case the inspector may inform the client that they are so registered or licensed, and is therefore qualified to go beyond this subdivision;(4) Estimate or project the cost of repairs or exclude any defects from the report based on their cost of repair;(5) Determine or verify property lines;(6) Operate any system or component that is shut down or otherwise inoperable;(7) Operate any system or component, which does not respond to normal operating controls;(8) Predict future conditions and failure of systems or components;(9) Project operating costs of systems or components;(10) Evaluate acoustical characteristics of any system or component;(11) Determine any basement or crawlspace water tightness;(12) Ignite or turn off any solid or liquid gas fuel burning device;(13) Warranty or certify any component; and(14) Be held liable for the accuracy of third-party information.(au) The home inspector shall not have to perform any action or make any determination not specifically stated in these standards of practice.(av) Inspections performed in accordance with these standards of practice shall not have to identify concealed conditions, latent defects, or consequential damage or damages.N.H. Admin. Code § Home 603.02
Amended by Volume XXXVIII Number 06, Filed February 8, 2018, Proposed by #12463, Effective 1/23/2018, Expires 1/23/2028.Amended by Number 28, Filed July 11, 2024, Proposed by #14001, Effective 8/18/2024, Expires 8/18/2034.