e990513 Can a home inspector perform ancillary services for clients?
Identifier: e990513
Date: 09/01/1999
Question
May structural pest repair work be performed on a home following a structural pest inspection that occurred after a home inspection was performed on the same property by the same inspector representing separate companies?
Interpretation by ASHI Code of Ethics Committee :
The ASHI Code of Ethics states in item six, "The member will promptly disclose to his client any interest in a business which may affect the client. The member will not allow an interest in any business to affect the quality or results of their inspection work which they may be called upon to perform. T
he inspection work may not be used as a vehicle by the inspector to deliberately obtain work in another field." The Standards Committee reviews the Code of Ethics in relation to the potential for conflicts of interest in areas involving ancillary services or fee-paid services beyond the home inspection. Among these ancillary services are pest control inspections.
ASHI has long recognized that qualified members can offer these services as ancillary to a home inspection without violating the Code of Ethics. While inspecting for wood destroying organisms and other inspection/consultation activities are allowable activities for qualified ASHI members, the potential for conflict enters the equation when the same inspector or the firm with which he is associated goes beyond the inspection and offers or performs remediation, extermination, repairs or alterations.
The CoE states members shall ". . . avoid association with any enterprise of questionable character, or apparent conflict of interest." This does not say a blatant or an immediate or a real conflict but simply an apparent one. Of course, a real conflict of interest is a violation, but also an apparent conflict of interest is to be avoided. The appearance of a conflict is sufficient to create doubt. The prohibition against apparent conflict of interest has been established to avoid the temptation to make or the suspicion of having made an intentional misstatement concerning a given condition in hopes of eliciting further work.
The findings and recommendations of an ASHI home inspector are too important to be clouded with this suspicion. This is why any ASHI member performing additional, for-profit services as described below would be in violation of the ASHI Code of Ethics.
The distinguishing aspect is that these activities (corrective measures such as remediation, extermination, repairs or alterations) which provide for additional compensation (beyond the inspection fee) normally require a separate contract and are no longer ancillary services. any work or service requiring a home improvement contract or a special permit is for-profit work that violates the intent of the CoE. These works or services are often only to be performed by properly licensed firms under appropriate contract.