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Our File Number: 123456AB-504-01P Date of Report: 4/ X/2015
LICENSED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER’S
INSPECTION REPORT
regarding the house at
123 MAIN STREET
YOURTOWN, NEW YORK
ABSTRACT: On XXX, March XXX, 2014, the house at the subject address was inspected by a
Licensed Professional Engineer from the firm of Heimer Engineering PC. The house was in
a XXXXXXX XXXXXXXX, with costs in the XXCCCCX range. Our findings begin on page XXX,and the expenses are detailed beginning on page XXX. The Table of Contents, beginning on
page XXX, will help guide you through the report. This report is certified by the
principal Licensed Professional Engineer’s seal. The certification is found on page X.
Do not use this report, form any conclusions, or make any commitments
unless you have carefully read this entire X page report. This report
describes the condition of the accessible and observable areas of the
premises at the time of the inspection. The condition can change
substantially after the inspection in ways that cannot be predicted.
This sample report was created from an actual home inspection report. Page and item
numbers have been changed. For this reason, there will be conflicts in the numbering in
this report.
Because this is a sample report, much of the text has been removed to make the sample
report shorter. Page number links have been disabled. The purpose of this sample
report is to provide you an understanding of how the Professional Engineer’s report is
structured. The report you receive will contain all of the details.
This actual Professional Engineer’s report may be different in some respects than this
sample report. The reports are prepared individually for each inspection, and are basedon what the Engineer finds.
The inspection and evaluation of the house was conducted by a Licensed Professional
Engineer from the staff of Heimer Engineering PC, a professional corporation serving the
New York communities of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, NassauCounty, Suffolk County, Westchester County, Putnam County, and Rockland County.
Heimer Engineering PC is a consulting engineering firm professionally incorporated in the
State of New York that provides consulting engineering services to residential and commer-
cial building owners, Architects, and Attorneys concerning building purchases, new con-
struction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, maintenance, corrective work and upgrading of
commercial and residential buildings. During the past four decades the firm has inspected
and evaluated over 85,000 buildings for prospective purchasers, owners, attorneys, and
other interested parties.
The owner and Principal Engineer, Harold Krongelb PE is a Licensed Professional Engineer
in the State of New York (license number 067890-1). Harold Krongelb PE is a Licensed
Home Inspector in the State of New York (license number 16000012642). Harold
Krongelb PE is a graduate Engineer with a Bachelor of Science degree from the Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute (1980). Harold Krongelb PE has over 30 years of experience as an En-
gineer.
Harold Krongelb PE has consulted as a Professional Engineer on home, building, condo, and
co-op inspections, causes of stairway, sidewalk, parking lot, and path trip and fall injuries,
playground injuries, exercise equipment injuries, building code compliance in existingbuildings, water infiltration, contractor’s work, ladders and other construction equipment,
defects in newly constructed and renovated buildings, termite damage, water damage,
of Building Inspection Engineers Standards of Practice, a standard that is currently used by
Licensed Professional Engineers performing pre-purchase Home and Building Inspections.
Harold Krongelb PE has provided Expert Testimony in United States Southern District
Court, New York State Supreme Court, Nassau County, Suffolk County, and City of New YorkCivil Courts, City of New York Landlord-Tenant Court, and the Court of Claims.
Harold Krongelb PE is an Executive Member of the National Academy of Building Inspection
Engineers, and a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers, New York State
Society of Professional Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers, Institute of Electron-
ic and Electrical Engineers, the National Fire Protection Association, the Society of Automo-
tive Engineers, and the International Code Council.
Members of the Engineering Staff have an average over 20 years in building engineering
related fields. Engineers have attended engineering schools such as Northeastern Universi-ty, Syracuse University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York University Polytechnic
School of Engineering, Cooper Union, New York Institute of Technology, Manhattan College,
Pratt Institute, The State University of New York at Stony Brook , The State University of
New York at Binghamton, The State University of New York at Buffalo, and the United States
Merchant Marine Academy. The staff expertise includes technical documentation, termite
inspection, software engineering, HVAC systems, and heat and power engineering (in addi-
tion to building related engineering). Professional Society Memberships include the Na-
tional Society of Professional Engineers, the National Academy of Building Inspection Engi-
neers, the National Fire Protection Association, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engi-
neers, the Society of Automotive Engineers, and the International Code Council.. Staff Engi-
neers are Licensed Professional Engineers in the State of New York .
The site evaluation was performed by XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, P.E. on XXXXXXXXXXX,
2015. The post site evaluation field notes were reviewed and finalized by
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, P.E. on XXXXXXXXXXX, 2015. The report was drafted on
XXXXXXXXXXX, 2015 under the supervision of Harold Krongelb, P.E. The final report was
finalized under the supervision of Harold Krongelb, P.E. on XXXXXXXXXXX, 2015, and the
report released to the client as soon as possible thereafter. An electronic copy of the report
is stored at a secure off-site location.
Following the onsite inspection, the Engineer needs to review the notes. The inspection re-
port must then be drafted, reviewed for quality control, finalized, and emailed to you and
your Attorney. For these reasons, it takes a minimum of three hours (and often longer) of
off-site processing for each report.
It is a violation of the law for any person, unless he or she is acting under the direction of a
Licensed Professional Engineer, to alter an item in any way. If an item bearing the seal of anEngineer is altered, the altering Engineer shall affix to the item his or her seal and the
notation "altered by" followed by his or her signature and the date of such alteration, and a
On XXX, April XXX, 2015, the house at 123 Main Street, Yourtown, New York, was inspected
on behalf of Joe Client of Theirtown, New York.
This approximately 45-year old, expanded, Cape Cod style house is located on the southerly
side of Main Street. The exterior accessories and the improvements to the site (besides the
house itself) include, but are not limited to, the blacktop driveway, the brick and concrete
front porch, the path to the front porch, the rear stoops, and general landscaping.
The house itself has three principal levels. These are as follows:
1. The basement which has been partitioned into a playroom, a storage room, and a utility
room. On this level are located the boiler, the water main, the water meter, the circuit
breaker panel, the main drain lines, and the indirect fired hot water heater. (The electric
meter and the central air conditioning compressor are located outside of the house.)
2. The first floor which contains a living room/dining room with a fireplace, a family room, a
kitchen, a laundry room, a master bedroom, a master bathroom, two other bedrooms, a hall
bathroom, and a connecting hallway.
3. The second floor which contains three bedrooms, a bathroom, a connecting hallway, and
some unfinished storage space. The unfinished storage space is insulated.
The report begins with a description of the house, condominium unit, co-op unit, orbuilding that the Licensed Professional Engineer inspected on your behalf.
Five reasons to choose a
Professional Engineer Inspector
Are you considering using a non-Engineer to inspect the house, building, condo, or co-op that
you may purchase? Consider the following:
1. Under New York law, only a Professional Engineer can assess structural integrity, sufficiency
of electrical service or heating, etc. A Home Inspector who is not a Professional Engineer cannot
advise you about structural soundness.
2. Becoming a Professional Engineer requires a minimum of four years of Engineering College,
passing Engineering exams, and four years relevant experience with relevant Building Codes,
Engineering Standards, etc. A New York Licensed Home Inspector only needs to take 140 hours,
which is the equivalent of one month of training.
3. If there are structural issues, you need a Professional Engineer to assess them. If a non-
Engineer does not recognize a structural issue, how will you know to call in a Professional
Engineer?
4. A Professional Engineer is required to take continuing education to keep up-to-date. With
many thousands of approved online courses, the Professional Engineer can choose Engineering
topics that improve inspection skills.
5. The Professional Engineer's training and experience help him detect deficiencies that a non-
Engineer would miss. Engineers are, by training and experience, problem solvers. An Engineer
can analyze areas of concern and provide you with reliable recommendations.
Section §197-4.2 of the New York State Home Inspector law requires Home Inspectors to have
the following wording in the pre-inspection agreement:
Home inspectors are not permitted to provide engineering orarchitectural services
THINK about the above restriction and why it is required when choosing who should inspect the
home, building, condo, or co-op you are considering purchasing.
The United States EPA says that most buildings are not likely to have high radon levels.
There is no way to predict radon levels without testing.
A radon-screening test is the only way to determine current radon gas levels…
11.
Review the EPA booklet: Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home. Click here to
download a copy of the booklet …
Federal law requires sellers to disclose known information on lead-based paint hazards
in pre-1978 buildings designated as target housing. This building may have been
painted with lead-based paint in the past…
Lead was added to paint beginning in the early 1900s as a preservative. At that time,
the hazards of lead were unknown. Click here for the history of lead paint …
Because of lead paint’s sweet taste, children and pets may eat or suck surfaces that havebeen painted with lead-based paint. Sanding or scraping surfaces painted with lead-
based paint releases lead particles that can be inhaled or swallowed, which can result in
lead poisoning. Lead poisoning can cause serious damage to the brain, kidneys, nervous
system, and red blood cells.
Assume the paint contains lead until it can be proven otherwise. Until you know
whether the paint contains lead, good housekeeping practices that keep dust to a
minimum will limit exposure to lead-containing dust.
12.
Ask the seller for the name of the manufacturer and the color of the paint used in thishouse…
13. Change all door locks upon taking Title…
14. The finished basement is built on a concrete slab…
15. Ask the owner to explain which light(s) the light switches control…
16. Obtain the bills of sale and any warranties, extended warranties, and service contracts
for the…
17. Mold is part of the natural environment and…
All buildings have mold in inaccessible and unobservable areas….
The risk of mold is increased if any of the following conditions…
The PDF version of the report is web-linked. Clickable links are included to help you
research further on man to ics.
There are many general and specific recommendations in the report. These help you
prepare for home ownership and the expenses involved.
33. Contact the Department of Buildings and find out if this building has…
34. Contact the Department of Buildings and find out if this building has met all
requirements regarding…
35.
Verify that the site is zoned…
36. Check with all agencies having jurisdiction over this building for information…
37. Return to the building, if possible, during a…
38. Many communities have added rules requiring the installation of…
39. Contact the insurance company that you expect to provide insurance on this property
well before Closing. Find out about their requirements to provide insurance. If
possible, have the insurance company examine the house and provide you with a list ofrequirements. Among the changes the insurance company may require are…
40. Contact the Department of Buildings and find out if there are any outstanding permits…
41. Ask the seller for a copy of any…
42. Ask the Seller for a copy of all claims related to…
43. Ask the insurance agent that you expect to provide insurance on this property to run a
search of past…
44. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) imposes…
45. The State of New York has passed a law requiring that the Seller of one to four family
residential property…
The PDF report is designed to be readable on a smartphone. You will need the Adobe
Smartphone PDF reader, which is available at no cost.
These are costs that a limited inspection, such as this one, does not provide sufficientinformation to allow the Licensed Professional Engineer to formulate a proper evaluation.Note that when more information is obtained, it may turn out that the expenses are higherthan the what we have estimated:
COST
General Contractor ..................................................... $
We have read this entire report, investigated the facts set forth in the report and the factsunderlying the report, and conducted the visual inspection referred to above with duediligence in order to form a basis for this certification.
We certify that this report which is prepared by us discloses all the material facts whichwere discernible from a one-engineer, limited time, limited observation, walk-throughvisual inspection of those accessible and observable areas of the building that wereinspected. This certification is made for the benefit of the buyer. We certify that this report,which is based on our visual inspection:
(i) sets forth in narrative form the physical condition of the accessible and
observable areas of the building and is current and accurate as of the date ofinspection;
(ii) affords, in our professional opinion, potential purchasers an adequate basisupon which to base their judgment concerning the reported aspects of thephysical condition of the building provided that the purchaser reads thisreport, follows our recommendations, and calls our offices with anyquestions that might result from that reading;
(iii) does not omit any material fact;
(iv) does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact;
(v) does not contain any fraud, deception, concealment, or suppression;
(vi) does not contain any promise or representation as to the future which isbeyond reasonable expectation or unwarranted by existing circumstances;
(vii) does not contain any representation or statement which is false, where we:
(a) knew the truth;
(b) with reasonable effort could have known the truth;
(c) made no reasonable effort to ascertain the truth, or
(d) did not have knowledge concerning the representations or statementmade.
We further certify that to our knowledge, we are not owned or controlled by and have nobeneficial interest in the building owner or any building occupant.
Because all inspections are performed by a Licensed Professional Engineer, an Engineer’s