PART 3: STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
If you and your home inspector agree that certain categories in Part
3 will not be included in your inspection, all changes or deviations must
be stated in the written contract that you and your inspector sign.
General Exclusions
(a) Oregon certified home inspectors may, but are not required to,
report on:
• Life expectancy of any component or system;
• The causes of the need for a repair;
• The methods, materials, and costs of corrections;
• The suitability of the property for any specialized use;
• Compliance or non-compliance with codes, ordinances, statutes,
regulatory requirements or restrictions;
• The advisability or inadvisability of purchase of the property;
• The presence or absence of pests such as wood damaging organisms,
rodents, or insects;
• Cosmetic items, underground items, or items not permanently installed;
or
• Detached structures.
(b) Oregon certified home inspectors are not required to:
• Offer or undertake any act or service contrary to law;
• Offer warranties or guarantees of any kind;
• Offer to undertake engineering, architectural, plumbing, electrical
or any other job function requiring an occupational license in the jurisdiction
where the inspection is taking place, unless the Oregon certified home
inspector holds a valid occupational license, in which case the Oregon
certified home inspector may inform the client that the home inspector
is so certified, and is therefore qualified to go beyond these rules and
undertake additional inspections beyond those within the scope of the basic
inspection;
• Calculate the strength, adequacy, or efficiency of any system
or component;
• Enter any area, undertake any procedure that may damage the property
or its components, or be dangerous to the Oregon certified home inspector
or other persons;
• Operate any system or component that is shut down or otherwise
inoperable;
• Operate any system or component that does not respond to normal
operating controls;
• Disturb insulation, move personal items, panels, furniture, equipment,
plant life, soil, snow, ice, or debris that obstructs access or visibility;
• Determine the presence or absence of any suspected adverse environmental
condition or hazardous substance, including but not limited to toxins,
carcinogens, noise or contaminants in the building or soil, water, and
air;
• Determine the effectiveness of any system installed to control
or remove suspected hazardous substances;
• Predict future condition, including but not limited to failure
of components;
• Project operating costs of components;
• Evaluate acoustical characteristics of any system or component;
• Observe special equipment or accessories that are not listed as
components to be observed in these rules; or
• Identify presence of odors or their source
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Mark Pierce
Oregon Certified Home Inspector
Office: 800-995-4063 
Cell:503-757-7784
OCHI #345-NIBI
#143902RT-PCO #153495-WSDA WDO #61752
