As used in this chapter:

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Terms Used In Ohio Code 4764.01

  • Client: means a person who enters into a written contract with a home inspector to retain for compensation or other valuable consideration the services of that home inspector to conduct a home inspection and to provide a written report on the condition of a residential building. See Ohio Code 4764.01
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Home inspection: means the process by which a home inspector conducts a visual examination of the readily accessible components of a residential building for a client. See Ohio Code 4764.01
  • Home inspection report: means a written report prepared by a licensed home inspector for compensation and issued after an on-site inspection of a residential property. See Ohio Code 4764.01
  • Licensed home inspector: means a person who holds a valid license issued pursuant to section 4764. See Ohio Code 4764.01
  • Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • Property: means real and personal property. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Readily accessible: means available for visual inspection without requiring a person to move or dismantle personal property, take destructive measures, or take any other action that will involve risk to a person or to the property. See Ohio Code 4764.01
  • state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59

(A) “Client” means a person who enters into a written contract with a home inspector to retain for compensation or other valuable consideration the services of that home inspector to conduct a home inspection and to provide a written report on the condition of a residential building.

(B) “Crime of moral turpitude” has the same meaning as in section 4776.10 of the Revised Code.

(C) “Home inspection” means the process by which a home inspector conducts a visual examination of the readily accessible components of a residential building for a client. “Home inspection” does not include pest inspections; environmental testing; inspection of any property or structure conducted by an employee or representative of an insurer licensed to transact business in this state under Title XXXIX of the Revised Code for purposes related to the business of insurance; or determination of compliance with applicable statutes, rules, resolutions, or ordinances, including, without limitation, building, zoning, or historic codes.

(D) “Home inspection report” means a written report prepared by a licensed home inspector for compensation and issued after an on-site inspection of a residential property. A report shall include all of the following:

(1) Information on any system or component inspected that, in the professional opinion of the inspector, is deficient to the degree that it is deficient;

(2) The inspector’s recommendation to repair or monitor deficiencies reported under division (D)(1) of this section;

(3) A list of any systems or components that were designated for inspection in the standards of practice adopted by the board under division (A)(10) of section 4764.05 of the Revised Code but that were not inspected;

(4) The reason a system or component listed under division (D)(3) of this section was not inspected.

(E) “Licensed home inspector” means a person who holds a valid license issued pursuant to section 4764.07 or 4764.10 of the Revised Code to conduct a home inspection for compensation or other valuable consideration.

(F) “Parallel inspection” means a home inspection performed by an applicant for a home inspector license at which both of the following take place concurrently:

(1) A licensed home inspector observes and evaluates the applicant during the inspection to verify the applicant’s compliance with the standards of practice specified in rules adopted by the Ohio home inspector board pursuant to division (A)(10) of section 4764.05 of the Revised Code.

(2) The inspection is an on-site inspection of a residential building for the licensed home inspector’s client.

(G) “Readily accessible” means available for visual inspection without requiring a person to move or dismantle personal property, take destructive measures, or take any other action that will involve risk to a person or to the property.

(H) “Residential building” has the same meaning as in section 3781.06 of the Revised Code but also includes the individual dwelling units within an apartment or condominium complex containing four or more dwelling units.

(I) “Peer review session” means a practical exercise in which a prospective applicant for a home inspector license identifies and reports defects in a residential building that contains previously identified defects for the purpose of evaluating the prospective applicant’s ability to conduct a home inspection and prepare a home inspection report.