Home Inspection Courses…..
Links….
Real Estate Work Related History
Reading Residential Blueprints – Winter Term (Sept to Dec. 2011) Mark: 92%
- Technically, not a required course, however, i took the course so i had had on official blueprint reading course….and it was the ideal time to take it. The Instructor was interesting and a good instructor!
Property Inspection Courses included:
- BCBC: BC Building Code to June 01, 2006 with updated amendments to 2010 and updated further to 2011, and the amendments that the Instructor had at the time for updates to 2012.
- BLDG 1810 BC Building Code: Housing, Part 9 – Spring Term (April to June 2009) Mark: 70%
BLDG 1810 BC Building Code: Housing, Part 9 – Autumn Term (Sept. to Dec. 2010) Mark: 78%
BLDG 2915 Home Inspection Level 1 – Winter Term (Sept. to Dec. 2011) Mark: 88%
BLDG 2925 Home Inspection Level 2 – Winter Term (Jan to April 2011) Mark: 87%
BLDG 2935 Home Inspection 3: Report Writing – Winter Term (Jan to April 2011) Mark: 89%
BLDG 2945 Home Inspection 4: Field Inspection Spring Term (April to June 2011) Mark: 70%
Overall Mark: 82%
Requirements throughout the course included doing three different home evaluations/reports as official Home Inspection Reports, to be graded on as part of the course content.
- BCIT Home Inspection Graduate – 2009
Registered in the Property Inspection Courses at BCIT (British Columbia Institute of Technology) in 2009 and completed each of the required five courses to qualify for Home Inspection Certification and Licensing with BCIPI (British Columbia Institute of Property Inspectors) and ASTTBC (Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of BC). - Of interest, personal knowledge and usage, completed the BC Building Code; Housing, Part 9 course two times and continue to make own specialized List of Formulas and Methods of Application, and Computerized Code References for New Construction and Home Inspection.
Additional Activity…..
Home Inspection Report Checklist
- Made a computerized copy of a Professional’s Home Inspection Report Checklist – This is the same Checklist the Instructor of BCIT Home Inspection Level 2 uses, he operated his Home Inspection business for years successfully with this Checklist. Includes: Scope of Work, Inspection Report, Maintenance Schedule. It took three difficult weeks to copy the design, the format and make all the check-boxes and intricacies of the report.
Chimneys and Fireplaces Inspection
To
United States and Canadian National Codes Standard Requirements
– Dated 2010 –
- For personal usage, made a report of 61 pages. Includes: Index, Table of Contents, Glossary, Bibliography, Inspection of Fireplaces, Tables for Lintels & Flues, Inspection for Exterior Chimney, BCBC (BC Building Code) Fireplace Code Technicalities, Fireplace Clearances, Chimneys of a House, Factory Built Inserts.
Home Inspection Electrical Inspection
To
United States and Canadian National Codes Standard Requirements
– Dated 2011 –
- For personal usage, made a report of 26 pages. Based on the book by Mr. Knight….Electrical Code Simplified – House Wiring Guide – by P.S. Knight = Based on the Canadian Electrical Code and the BC Amendments. Checklist covers all required Code checks from the Roadway to every part of the house.
The Home Inspection Code Checklist
To
United States and Canadian National Codes Standard Requirements
– Dated 2012 –
475 Pages…..
- Designed to do the Home Inspection from the ground up, from the exterior to the interior as the building process occurs. Each phase of the building process has its own Checklist. Notes and Recommendation spaces provided for each “sentence” of the Code. Each “Section” of the construction phase provided with Summary Pages to address Safety Issues and Causes of Concern and a Recommendation Page so that each phase can be fully documented as the building process occurs.
- Includes and “is” the British Columbia Building Code, Part 9 for Dwelling Units…. word for word, comma for comma with “all” the thousands of calculations for each required measurement from the metric into the imperial measurement…..plus those inclusive acceptable measurements where applicable.
- Provides a space for a check-mark or x mark for every possible way a mistake may have been made. This Home Inspector’s Checklist is Organized and Outlined so that each Part, each Section, is collaborated and numbered exactly with the BC Building Code itself: each Section, Subsection, Article, Sentence, Clause, Sub-clause…….and, a Table of Contents provides a page reference to each Section…..most Sections being a few pages each. Also provides the page number to the Appendixes of the other parts of the National Building Code so tracking and follow up can occur with more detailed explanations in a more time efficient manner than if using the BC Building Code itself.
- Includes all Tables, Climatic Tables, Span Table Appendixes.
- Includes also a special 14 pages of Conversion Quick Table References……for Code Measurements from the Imperial Measurements to the Metric Measurements……note that 97% of all Canadian construction is done in the Imperial (British, U.S. Canada) measurements…….as is Industry Manufacturing……therefore, these 14 pages are important references.
- Includes: Sections – Exterior and Sections – Interior for easy quick reference. For example Section 9.23 applies to the Exterior: Wood-Frame Construction whereas for example, Section 9.32. applies to the Interior: Ventilation.
- Includes: Agreement/Contract, Maintenance Schedule, Scope of Work, an 11 page Preface, Summary pages for notes and comments for each Section of the Inspection Report.
Comment on Level 4 Instructor
It is on the opinion of many students that the level 4 instructor should never have been allowed to be an instructor. Never in my life have I ever lodged a complaint, however, in this case that is exactly what I did. A long story could be created here, but to keep it brief….the Assistant Dean of BCIT as well as the Program Head of the Construction Department both wished to fire this particular instructor as there had previously been
due to union protection contract clauses for all instructors. Requirements for cause of firing required verbal calls to the Program Head followed up by formal written complaint. Three verbal calls were made by three students, however, I was the only one within the time limitation to forward a written complaint (11 pages). One student who was not given a passing mark, an Architect, was given the passing grade at 70% while I did not bother to pursue arguing for a higher mark with this instructor. Even the creator of the Home Inspection Courses several years ago when initially becoming aware of this person allowed to be signed up as an instructor immediately complained that this person was never a good student in any of his classes and that he should never be allowed to be an instructor. Again, later when I made a complaint, it turned out that the course originator, a tremendously well respected house and commercial property inspector…
discussions with the Program Head and the Assistant Dean a new coordination with students has been made to make students aware that they have a right to complain and how to do it so it is effective from the perspective both from BCIT’s concern as well as their and their fellow students concern so an instructor may indeed be fired and replaced.
If all had gone well, then the Level 2 Instructor, Steve Banfield would have taken up the Level 4 Instructor’s position as well…..upon that occurring, I would have taken the Level 4 course again. I had questions he would have answered about electrical panel inspection and about hot water tanks and boiler heaters testing, i.e. HVAC Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning inspection. Although knowing most of it, still there are specific procedures
which must be followed during the testing process. The other instructor wasn’t capable of teaching these things (plus many more other things).
Consequently what I did was a substantial amount of research which resulted in the creation a Booklet for Electrical Inspection Checklist of 26 pages…..it defines everything, however things are forgotten easily unless one does things practically. I have yet to have a mentor regarding this process.
As regards to heating, I again researched and created a 61 page Booklet for Chimney and Fire Place Code Checklist, and again say I am best to take another course on HVAC and be mentored in it. I say this despite formerly employed with a Plumbing/Heating company many years ago de-installing and re-installing many hot water tanks, oil tanks and oil stoves, gas furnaces and repaired many steam pressured radiators and installed numerous electrical baseboard heaters and fixed them. Still, I say, I need proper instruction in this. No one in the Level 4 class got any instruction is this whatsoever and I say it is still needed.
I will be registering with Inter-Naci, (International Association of Code Inspectors) for courses for both these subjects: HVAC and Electrical Inspection, but do not have in intention to become a BC Registered Licensed Home Inspector……my original purpose in taking the home inspection courses was purely ‘to learn what I didn’t know’ and ‘to know what a contractor and a home inspector or commercial property inspector is really talking about….if he knew at all what he was talking about’….and thank him appropriately.
At some point, I will take the Building Code course for Commercial Properties….and create my own checklist. As it is the Home Inspection Code Checklist (it is mainly developed for new construction ) is sufficient for ‘almost all’ aspects of inspecting a commercial property should I wish to use it.
For home inspections investigating the question of whether to invest in a certain property or not, I will do my own inspection using a Checklist the Level 2 instructor gave me as an exchange gift while I gave him a copy of both my Electrical Code Inspection Checklist, and a copy of my Chimney and Fireplace Code Checklist.
Even if I do my own inspection, still, every property prior to putting investment in it will have a registered professional home inspector do a inspection on the house and a Commercial Property Inspector for commercial property investments. It is, in BC, part of the law to have a house inspected and is always best done before signing any document prior to purchasing decisions.