Oregon standards of practice

Visual, and not technically exhaustive

OAR 812-008-0203 sets the frame: inspections undertaken in accordance with division 8 are visual and are not technically exhaustive. OAR 812-008-0204 then excludes underground items, and the plumbing standard reaches only above ground oil storage.

That single rule explains why heating oil tanks, sewer laterals, radon and concealed seismic condition all need their own specialist. It is a statement of adopted law, not an opinion, and it is the organising spine of this site.

What an inspector is not required to report on

• Life expectancy of any component, or causes of the need for repair
• Methods, materials or costs of correction
• Code compliance, or advisability of purchase
• Presence or absence of pests, wood damaging organisms, rodents or insects
• Cosmetic items, underground items, or items not permanently installed
• Detached structures

The mandatory reliance disclaimer

Every contract and every report must carry, on the first page, in bold capitals at 12pt or larger, a notice that no person other than the purchaser of the inspection services may rely on the report.

That is the strongest practical argument for a buyer commissioning their own inspection rather than reading the seller's: reliance, and CCB complaint rights, both attach to the person who bought it.

Conduct rules worth knowing

OAR 812-008-0201 bars an inspector from compensating a realty agent for referrals or for inclusion on a preferred provider list, from taking compensation for recommending contractors, from contingent fees tied to findings or to closing, and from offering an opinion of market value.