Structural Inspection for house 8

[HD10]

Hello........I have to perform a Structural Inspection for a house as part of the selling process where the seller wants to provide the report to the buyer. Any tips on how to prepare the report and what language to include with findings and recommendations.....any exclusions to make etc......,to minimize the liability would be greatly appreciated. If there is a template for such report available on some Engineering websites, please guide me to that. Or if someone has any such report template to share, that would be great starting point for me.

The issue prompting the inspection involves drywall cracks in couple of interior walls. The floors seem level and no cracks in floor tiles, ceilings etc. Any tips on how to approach this inspection, what items to consider, will also be great.

 

[SteelPE]

For $900 it will be less than half a day's worth of calcs and report writing after you take out 3-4 hours for travel and commute

You would normally be correct.... most of my projects are an hour or so away in whatever direction.... in this instance the particular project was in town here... less than 5 minutes away. So I had budgeted about 6 hours or so with no travel time. Was it risky... yes, but I informed the client upfront of the risks involved (hard to come up with a definitive solution so quick).

This hits something I don't like to do..... which is work in this town. I do it for select clients (larger contractors who I have had relationships for over the past 10 years), but try to avoid doing work for anyone who lives in town.

 

[HD10]

phamENG, misspoke in between the work duties, and no proof reading. I was assigning 3-4 hours for the travel plus actual two hours on site to observe condition. Remaining I thought should be available for doing the analysis and it didn't seem enough.

 

[JStructsteel]

I do quite a bit of this work, but cherry pick the jobs. Cracks in drywall would be a job I decline. Usually no definitive answer for that. Got a beam thats shimmed up with a beer can? I can give you a report saying thats not going to work.

I always have that I dont do destructive testing, and only whats visable to me. No finishes are removed during the evaluation. I try to not use the work inspection.

I also say that I am only seeing this at one point in time. I cannot predict the future, or know the history of every issue. If I was told the crack was there 10 years ago, I put that int the report, and then say I only see it today.

Anyone ever asks for a discount, I dont do the project. Usually you can get a feel for the bad ones, and you just out price the work, they go elsewhere.

 

[phamENG]

you just out price the work, they go elsewhere

Careful with this one. I had a boss try to do that once, but the person on the phone was fed up with calling around so they said yes. In the middle of the inspection, a neighbor came over to see what was going on, and apparently told the homeowner they knew of an engineer who would have done the inspection for less than half of what my old firm was charging. They were pissed. Fortunately the policy was to collect payment up front. They demanded I return it, but told them I couldn't and that they'd have to contact my boss. Made for a very uncomfortable day.

Bottom line: if you don't want the work, tell them that. "I'm afraid my schedule is full, sorry." "For insurance purposes, I'm unable to take forensic investigations at this time." Something like that. If you give them a proposal, make sure you're willing and able to do it.

 

[dik]

or give them the name of a competitor you don't like.

So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[SteelPE]

For insurance purposes, I'm unable to....

I use this one all the time when anyone asks me to do shoring. I have no clue if I'm insured to do shoring or not.... But I tell everyone no, my insurance prohibits me from designing shoring. Works every time.