Pro tip: Debating home inspection findings on the job site gets you banned from the crew chat real fast

Honestly, I found a corroded ground wire on a panel upgrade in Austin last week and told the client their house might burn down. My boss pulled me aside and said 'we don't say that to the customer because it opens us up to liability.' I get the legal side, but isn't honesty the whole point of paying for an inspection? Ngl, I learned that covering your ass is more important than warning someone, and that messed with me. What do you guys think, do you hold back or say what you see?

2 comments

2 Comments

lopez.brooke8d ago

Haven't you ever had a client who heard 'fire hazard' and immediately started asking for a full refund or threatened to sue? Tbh, the reality is that most homeowners don't understand the difference between a critical safety issue and a minor code violation, so keeping it vague protects everyone from unnecessary panic. Ngl, if you drop a bomb like 'your house might burn down' and then have to walk it back because it's actually just a loose ground screw, you lose all credibility and open the company up to a headache.

barbara2788d ago

You've got a good point about homeowners panicking, but I think the real issue is a little different. When you say "minor code violation" vs "critical safety issue" the truth is that most code violations are there for a reason, even the small ones. A loose ground screw might not burn the house down today, but it could cause a shock hazard down the road if something else goes wrong. By keeping it vague you're not protecting them, you're making it harder for them to make an informed decision about fixing it now versus later. I've seen too many cases where a small issue got ignored because someone downplayed it, and then it turned into a big expensive problem. Keeping people in the dark doesn't help anyone, it just kicks the can down the road. @lopez.brooke I get the fear of lawsuits, but being upfront builds trust way more than dodging the truth.