National Home Inspector Exam (NHIE) — All Questions

Under a typical home inspector Standard of Practice, which of the following best describes the nature of a general home inspection?

• a.A visual, non-invasive examination of readily accessible systems and components to identify observed defects✓
• b.A code-compliance audit that certifies the home meets all current building codes
• c.A guarantee or warranty that no problems will arise after purchase
• d.A destructive investigation that includes opening walls and dismantling equipment

Standards of Practice define a home inspection as a visual, non-invasive survey of accessible systems, reporting defects observed at the time. It is not a code inspection, a warranty, or a destructive investigation, and reports should reflect those limits.

A code of ethics for home inspectors would most clearly prohibit which of the following?

• a.Recommending the client seek a specialist for further evaluation
• b.Describing observed defects plainly in the report
• c.Declining an inspection outside the inspector's competence
• d.Accepting a referral fee from a contractor in exchange for steering repair work to that contractor✓

Ethics codes prohibit conflicts of interest that could compromise objectivity, such as accepting compensation for directing repair business. Referring clients to specialists or declining work beyond one's competence is encouraged, not prohibited.

Why do professional standards generally bar a home inspector from also performing or offering to perform repairs on a home they inspected for the same client within a defined period?

• a.Because inspectors are legally forbidden from ever doing repair work
• b.Because it creates a conflict of interest that can bias the inspection toward finding work to sell✓
• c.Because repairs are always outside an inspector's skill set
• d.Because the client would have to pay twice for the same service

If an inspector can profit from repairs, there is an incentive to exaggerate or invent defects, undermining the objectivity clients rely on. Standards therefore restrict combining inspection with repair work to preserve impartiality.