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At Rook Home Inspections we strive to maintain the highest professional and ethical standards in the industry. When you select Rook Home Inspections LLC, you know that you will receive a professional and thorough home inspection with excellent customer service. We guarantee that you will be completely satisfied with your home inspection. We adhere to the New Jersey Standards of Practice as defined in N.J.A.C. 13:40-15.16.

We are also available for consultation on individual components including roof inspections, driveway inspections, patio inspections, structure inspections, siding inspections, window installation inspections, garage door installation inspections, addition inspections, plumbing inspections, electrical inspections, and many more. Please call us for details regarding your specific situation. We are happy to help.

Excerpts of the Inspected components listed below are taken from the New Jersey Home Inspection Standards of Practice

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13:40-15.16 Standards of practice

1. All home inspectors shall comply with the standards of practice contained in this section when conducting home inspections. The scope of home inspection services performed in compliance with the requirements set forth in this section shall provide the client with objective information regarding the condition of the systems and components of the home as determined at the time of the home inspection.
3. Home inspectors shall:
   1. Inspect the following systems and components in residential buildings and other related residential housing components:
      1. Structural components as required by (e) below;
         
      2. Exterior components as required by (f) below;
         
      3. Roofing system components as required by (g) below;
         
      4. Plumbing system components as required by (h) below;
         
      5. Electrical system components as required by (i) below;
         
      6. Heating system components as required by (j) below;
         
      7. Cooling system components as required by (k) below;
         
      8. Interior components as required by (l) below;
         
      9. Insulation components and ventilation system as required by (m) below; and
         
      10. Fireplaces and solid fuel burning appliances as required by (n) below.
5. When conducting the inspection of the structural components, the home inspector shall:
   1. Inspect:
      1. Foundation;
         
      2. Floors;
         
      3. Walls;
         
      4. Ceilings; and
         
      5. Roof.
6. When conducting the inspection of the exterior components, a home inspector shall:
   Inspect:
   
   1. Exterior surfaces, excluding shutters, and screening, awnings, and other similar seasonal accessories;
      
   2. Exterior doors excluding storm doors or safety glazing;
      
   3. Windows excluding storm windows and safety glazing;
      
   4. Attached or adjacent decks, balconies, stoops, steps, porches, and their railings;
      
   5. Vegetation, grading, drainage, and retaining walls with respect to their immediate detrimental effect on the condition of the residential building, excluding fences, geological and/or soil conditions, sea walls, break-walls, bulkheads and docks, or erosion control and earth stabilization;
      
   6. Attached or adjacent walkways, patios, and driveways; and
      
   7. Garage doors including automatic door openers and entrapment protection mechanisms, excluding remote control devices.
7. When inspecting the roof of a residential building, the home inspector shall:
   1. Inspect:
      
      1. Roofing surface, excluding antennae and other installed accessories such as solar heating systems, lightning arresters, and satellite dishes;
         
      2. Roof drainage systems;
         
      3. Flashing;
         
      4. Skylights; and
         
      5. Exterior of chimneys.
8. When inspecting the plumbing system, a home inspector shall:
   1. Inspect:
      
      1. Interior water supply and distribution systems including functional water flow and functional drainage, excluding wells, well pumps, well water sampling or water storage related equipment, determination of water supply quantity or quality and water conditioning systems and lawn irrigation systems;
         
      2. All interior fixtures and faucets, excluding shut off valves, wells, well pumps, well water sampling and water storage related equipment;
         
      3. Drain, waste and vent systems;
         
      4. Domestic water heating systems, without operating safety valves or automatic safety controls, and excluding solar water heating systems;
         
      5. Combustion vent systems excluding interiors of flues and chimneys;
         
      6. Fuel distribution systems; and
         
      7. Drainage sumps, sump pumps and related piping.
9. When inspecting the electrical system, a home inspector shall:
   1. Inspect:
      
      1. Service entrance system;
         
      2. Main disconnects, main panel and sub panels, including interior components of main panel and sub panels;
         
      3. Service grounding;
         
      4. Wiring, without measuring amperage, voltage or impedance, excluding any wiring not a part of the primary electrical power distribution system, such as central vacuum systems, remote control devices, telephone or cable system wiring, intercom systems, security systems and low voltage wiring systems;
         
      5. Over-current protection devices and the compatibility of their ampacity with that of the connected wiring;
         
      6. At least one of each interior installed lighting fixture, switch, and receptacle per room and at least one exterior installed lighting fixture, switch, and receptacle per side of house; and
         
      7. Ground fault circuit interrupters.
10. When inspecting the heating system, a home inspector shall:
    1. Inspect:
       
       1. Installed heating equipment and energy sources, without determining heat supply adequacy or distribution balance, and without operating automatic safety controls or operating heat pumps when weather conditions or other circumstances may cause damage to the pumps, and excluding humidifiers, electronic air filters and solar heating systems;
          
       2. Combustion vent systems and chimneys, excluding interiors of flues or chimneys;
          
       3. Fuel storage tanks, excluding propane and underground storage tanks; and
          
       4. Visible and accessible portions of the heat exchanger, removing the flame roll-out shield if applicable.
11. When inspecting the cooling system, a home inspector shall:
    1. Inspect:
       
       1. Central cooling system, excluding electronic air filters and excluding determination of cooling supply adequacy or distribution balance and without operating central cooling equipment when weather conditions or other circumstances may cause damage to the cooling equipment;
          
       2. Permanently installed hard-wired, through-wall individual cooling systems; and
          
       3. Energy sources.
12. When inspecting the interior of a residential building, a home inspector shall:
    1. Inspect:
       
       1. Walls, ceilings, and floors excluding paint, wallpaper and other finish treatments, carpeting and other non-permanent floor coverings;
          
       2. Steps, stairways, and railings;
          
       3. Installed kitchen wall cabinets to determine if secure;
          
       4. At least one interior passage door and operate one window per room excluding window treatments; and
          
       5. Household appliances limited to:
          
          1. The kitchen range and oven to determine operation of burners or heating elements excluding microwave ovens and the operation of self-cleaning cycles and appliance timers and thermostats;
             
          2. Dishwasher to determine water supply and drainage; and
             
          3. Garbage disposer.
13. When inspecting the insulation components and ventilation system of a residential building, the home inspector shall:
    1. Inspect:
       
       1. Insulation in unfinished spaces without disturbing insulation;
          
       2. Ventilation of attics and crawlspaces; and
          
       3. Mechanical ventilation systems.
14. When inspecting fireplaces and solid fuel burning appliances, a home inspector shall:
    1. Inspect:
       
       1. Fireplaces and solid fuel burning appliances, without testing draft characteristics, excluding fire screens and doors, seals and gaskets, automatic fuel feed devices, mantles and non-structural fireplace surrounds, combustion make-up air devices, or gravity fed and fan assisted heat distribution systems; and
          
       2. Chimneys and combustion vents excluding interiors of flues and chimneys.
          
          
          

Complete NJ Standards of Practice

Mercer County Condo Inspections

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