How much damage can a tree do to your home?
Plenty.
But in this case, the contractor was going to totally rip off the owner on top
of it all. Luckily, the owner suspected a shoddy job due to the speed of repairs
and called a home inspector to look at the repair. The contractor pressured the
owner to pay on the spot after he said he was through, but the owner held off
until we looked at it. And it was a good thing they didn't give in. The repairs
were over $20,000 from an insurance claim. A building permit was signed off on
the work. The owner said the permit inspector only stood at the attic access with
a mini flashlight and looking 30 feet from the repairs. The owner asked if the
permit inspector was going to go over and look? The inspector replied "I
can see all I need to see from right here." Needless to say, after our inspection,
the permit office supervisor came out and pulled the permit. Notice that rafters
were left broken, including the broken hip ridge which is a primary support beam
for the roof. This owner has no plans to move and the shoddy repair could have
went undiscovered for years until they went to sell and had a home inspection.
The owners would then be faced with the likelihood of paying for the repairs themselves.
We recommended a structural engineer inspect and design a proper repair. As for
the contractor, he was allowed to repair the work again, which involved removing
the roof covering and shingles that he just installed. As for the permit inspector,
I bet he or she bought a bigger flashlight or learned to crawl over to a repair.
The Owner was extremely grateful for a thorough home inspection. It is always
wise to have a home inspection after or during any major repairs.
Inspector: Russell Buchanan
