I have an electrical issue and I was wondering if my home inspector should have picked this up?

Question

I bought a 2 fam. back in Feb of 08,I found out that since it doesn't have an owner's meter [by ct.law]I have to have one installed.My electrician brought the town inspector in and now he say's my existing panel is not up to code[needs to be moved]my ? is do I have a case against my home inspector.

Answer 1

No, you do not.  The duty of a home inspector is to check the condition of what exists on the property and to report the condition of the same to you.  Home inspectors are not charged with knowing the current codes concerning electrical, plumbing, etc.

If you wanted a code inspection, you should have contacted an electrician before completing the purchase to determine what is and is not in code compliance.

In the past, I have seen home inspectors call out code violations, if they happen to be aware of them.  However, they are not required to do so.

Answer 2

Probably not.  They're only checking for safety issues, not compliance with local codes.  If you had one meter, but it worked perfectly fine for the tests, than there's nothing he could do other than suggest that maybe you upgrade to a newer panel.

Everyone is far too "sue-happy" in the northeast.

Answer 3

Tough call.  Often home inspectors tell you upfront what they are inspecting and the parameter's of the inspection.  If their literature states that they know building code, then you have a case.  Otherwise, you have no recourse.  This is why some buyers opt to have properties inspected by several different entities who specialize in different areas (electrician, roofer, plumber, HVAC, etc)

Answer 4

Probably not.  Home inspectors usually inspect the home for damage (roofs, mold, stuff like that), not for building code violations.  You might check the contract you signed with the inspector to see what is covered.

Answer 5

.   Yes.  Most inspectors limit their liability to the amount you paid them. So you could ask for a refund. I think they pay for insurance in case you sue them.  It's possible that the insurance company would settle with you.