Of course, home inspectors inspect what’s visible and accessible. And some crawlspaces are unsafe for anyone besides a mouse. But what’s lurking inside could cause the customer problems down the road.

Older homes might have a low crawl space that’s so shallow you can’t fit inside. Some might have obstacles that block access. And some might have clear issues, such as flooding, that you’re not required to brave.

Chances are, you’ll one day encounter a tiny crawl space that you can’t inspect as you normally would. But you still have a duty of care to report as best you can. Here’s how to handle those cases and what you might find if you try a different route.

The main access to the crawlspace might be so small that you can’t fit through. The homeowner might have inadvertently closed off or locked the access. Or maybe heavy rains have created a swimming pool under the house. Regardless of why you can’t access the space, you might still find ways to take a look and report back to the customer.

One type of access is the foundation vent. In some homes, ventilation points are wide enough to shine a flashlight through. If the flashlight isn’t enough, maybe a camera will help. Most digital cameras have a zoom feature that lets you see deeper into the space. And that could let you check for (and photograph) at least some defects.

The key is trying to inspect the crawl space. Although you’re not required to attempt shimmying through a 14-inch access, you should make a reasonable attempt to inspect from the outside. ASHI Reporter says inspectors who don’t try alternative measures could, at least in some cases, be liable for report omissions.

If a defect is possible in a wide-open crawl space, it’s possible in one that you can’t inspect up close. The area might be tiny, but it’s not safe to assume that doesn’t have the usual home systems running through it. Here’s what can hide between joists and behind pillars:

The list could go on. Just remember if it’s possible in a full crawl space, it’s possible in a tiny one. And for every system that you can’t inspect up close, there’s the possibility of a defect.

If there’s no way to gain entry and no way to look inside, customers should be alerted to the situation. That way, you’ll cover your liability bases and they can consider hiring a specialist with tools such as a mini remote-controlled rover with a camera or a long camera scope.

Like it or not, the crawl space is part of a complete home inspection. At least if it’s accessible and doesn’t pose any obvious hazards. But if there’s no way to gain access, most inspectors still try to have a look, even if it’s through a foundation vent at a distance. When you go the extra mile, your customers get an inspection report that’s as complete as possible.

Some home defects are so scary that they’d give Stephen King a run for his money! And the longer you’re in the business, the more likely you are to collect some creepy tales of your very own. From fried wiring and wild animal infestations to crumbling foundations that put the whole house at risk, here are 5 of the scariest defects that home inspectors have found.

Is it a Fireplace or a Blow Torch?

If it does (or can) generate fire, it needs to be safe. You’ve probably heard many tales about bad wiring, which is a fire hazard. But a gas-fueled fireplace that’s improperly installed can put everyone in the home at risk. That’s what Foundation to Rooftop home inspectors in Omaha discovered on a routine inspection.

The gas-start, wood-burning fireplace that they inspected had two glaring problems. First, the gas supply tube openings faced out toward the user. That’s a fine way to lose your eyebrows in a hurry. But perhaps worse than that, the gas shutoff was located inside the firebox. Hopefully, the previous homeowners had fireproof gloves on hand.

DIY Home Modifications Can Topple

Perhaps the most dangerous things that any home inspector can find is the DIY structural modification. Every framing member in every house has a purpose, or at least it should. And if one of the framing members is altered by a non-professional, bad things can happen.

Dale Trach of NewLook Inspections in Canada writes for Real Estate Weekly that one homeowner put the whole house at risk, all for additional storage space. Pesky roof trusses took up a lot of room in the attic. And so the easiest thing to do was chop out a few of them. Unfortunately, the homeowner didn’t add reinforcements after the modification. The roof will likely sag or collapse entirely under heavy snow, says Trach.

Uninvited Guests Don’t Want to Leave

Uninvited guests aren’t always of the family variety. Sometimes they’re covered in fur and live inside crawlspaces, attics and between walls. Industrious critters can even find their way inside the living area.

Trach has seen his fair share of animal infestations in his career. In one case, a poor mouse lived and died inside a ventilation fan housing. Raccoons are another common problem, especially as the weather turns colder. Mother raccoons need a warm place to give birth. And attics provide a fluffy bed of insulation plus warmth from the living space below. Animals can damage the roof to get in, they nearly always use insulation as a litter pan, and some unfortunate ones get trapped and die.

Water Hiding in Plain Sight

A wet basement isn’t anyone’s idea of good news. Oftentimes, the water is controllable although it might take a lot of effort and expense. Unfortunately, some water infiltration hides. Homeowners might not see or suspect a thing until the next problem arises: mold. By then, there might be considerable damage to the home.

SpecRite Real Estate Inspections illustrates just how valuable infrared or thermal imaging cameras can be in an inspection. Not only can they detect heat loss, but also the telltale cold spots that indicate hidden water. You might be amazed by how much water can hide in plain sight.

Sometimes the Whole House is Defective

All houses have a few defects, and some houses have many. But there are a few houses that almost defy reason and logic with the volume of defects that exist. Maybe the seller never noticed them. Or maybe they’re trying to beat a hasty retreat.

If you really want a horror story for this season, Paul Rude tells Independent Home Inspectors of North America about a fascinating case. The 1890s Victorian house looked great at a glance. But upon closer inspection, he found an amazing array of defects. The buyers had already invested in another inspection, which failed to report on any of these defects:

Every home has a story to tell. Sometimes it’s a feel-good tale. And sometimes it’s better left for sharing around a campfire. That’s why a home inspector’s work is so important. Buyers aren’t always well-versed in home systems and the myriad defects that can creep up. And some homeowners aren’t aware of them, either. With a solid home inspection, you protect everyone.

Is there anything as charming, especially this time of year, as a cozy log home in the woods? Log homes have been American standards for generations upon generations. Many of the older homes still stand, and new ones pop up all the time. Inspecting them requires additional knowledge and a keen eye for defects that fall outside your usual inspections. And that makes your service highly marketable.

For as different as they look, log homes have some of the same systems as a stick-built house. But they vary in some important ways that require a different focus. If you’re looking to expand your home inspection service to include these rustic-looking homes, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Unless you know how the logs were dried before the home was built, you can’t know how much they’ll eventually settle. And that’s a problem. Settling affects practically every square inch of a log home, and it can create defects from one end to the other.

Kiln-dried logs will naturally settle the least because they have less moisture content to dry and shrink the logs. If the house was built green, it will dry and settle for years. Shrinking walls might shrink several inches in height over time, and that puts doors, windows, staircases and even plumbing at risk.

Log homes can ward off settling problems by design. Windows and doors may have additional above and hidden behind the trim, because if they don’t they will eventually stick and perhaps break under the pressure. Porch and interior posts might have a bottle jack underneath that’s adjusted periodically to eliminate pressure.

Eaves, gables, and every other intersection carries the potential for misalignment, gaps, and excessive pressure. If the house was built properly, you will spot different ways, such as the spaces and bottle jacks, to manage it.

Because logs are wood and wood is vulnerable, a log home might have visible or hidden wood rot or insect infestation. Breathable sealants help protect against degrading UV rays, water and insects, but a quick mist from a water bottle will reveal whether the finish is intact, missing or wearing away.

The dark evidence of water rot is more often visible at log ends, which are porous. Widespread rot puts the whole home at risk.

Infestations might be hidden deep inside the logs, so you’ll need to learn the signs. One of them is a pile of insect wings. Termites and carpenter ants grow wings when they migrate and drop them when they find a new wood host.

Don’t worry too much bout lengthwise cracks. This is a normal and natural process called “checking,” and it doesn’t often affect the integrity of the logs. It’s more often superficial, and part of the drying out process.

It might surprise you to know that as hefty and warm as a log home looks, it’s often less energy efficient than a stick-built house. There are a couple of reasons why.

First is the most obvious, which is air gaps between the logs. Filler material called “chinking” fills gaps between logs, but it can shrink over time and leave numerous openings. But log home owners know that chinking must be touched up periodically and sometimes replaced.

Modern, flexible chinking is not necessarily an improvement over the traditional clay, lime and sand mix. It’s more like caulk, and it doesn’t always hold up or insulate as well.

The more surprising reason a log home isn’t as efficient is the R-value of the wood. Compared to stick-built, which has an average of R-14, log home walls come in at only about R-8. For this reason, the U.S. Department of Energy says they often fall outside energy efficient building code requirements. But some states exempt log homes from compliance.

Log homes are an American classic, and they’re not likely to lose any of their aesthetic appeal soon. Modern building methods that claim to improve on traditional ones aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be. A log home is a total system where every element is supposed to work in harmony with the rest. When it’s built properly, that’s what happens.

Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) seemed like a great idea, but something didn’t work out as well as was expected. “It’s complicated,” says ASHI Reporter. There isn’t just one EIFS system, and there’s no single way to install it. Likewise, there are numerous methods for evaluating the integrity of this common exterior wall cladding.

Originating in Europe and making its way to the U.S. in the 1960s, synthetic stucco made real headway in the 1990s. This system of cladding was originally used only on masonry walls. But in time, its use broadened wood frame construction as well.

Because it’s an inexpensive system, builders, and home improvement companies switched to synthetic because of its impressive ability to insulate and its “architectural flexibility,” says ASHI. But whether it’s less expensive than real stucco depends on your contractor. Home Advisor asserts that EIFS is more expensive than the real thing.

Most synthetic stucco installations consist of sheathing such as plywood, a water-resistant barrier, insulating foam board, a base coat of the stucco material, and then a finish coat of acrylic on top. But the layering order, as well as the types of layers, can vary. Authentic stucco has no underlying insulation but does have felt paper, wire mesh, a base coat of Portland cement, or metal lath and a cement layer on top.

Two of the biggest attractors of EIFS were its insulating power and its flexibility. Real stucco doesn’t insulate as well as EIFS. And installers could apply an EIFS system over intricate details, unlike authentic stucco. It’s a watertight system, which sounds like a good idea. But it’s only a good idea in a perfect world.

Problems started creeping up in the southeast but ultimately spread around the country. Water infiltration caused the wood framework to rot, says ASHI. What’s worse is that the damage didn’t take a decade or more to emerge, sometimes it happened within the first year or two.

EIFS keeps water out, but it also holds water in. “It’s a little bit like putting a building in a plastic bag,” says ASHI. EIFS is not breathable. And anywhere the watertight seal was compromised, such as around windows and doors or where a light fixture was installed, water had an entry point. But unfortunately, it didn’t have a way back out. Real stucco absorbs water and lets it drain away.

ASHI identifies certainly “problem areas” that inspectors should always investigate. Those include the windows and doors already mentioned, every penetration through the stucco (plumbing, electrical, etc.), along roof flashing, fancy architectural details and everywhere EIFS runs below grade.

The simplest way to know whether you’re dealing with EIFS and not stucco is the knock test. EIFS sounds more hollow and it’s got a softer, almost flexible feel. Conversely, stucco produces a hard tap sound and has a rigid feel that doesn’t “give.”

Water infiltration with EIFS can clue you in on substantial and costly structural problems. When reported, customers should be advised to hire a pro in EIFS installation and repair. That’s the safest way to gauge the scope of damage and get an accurate quote for restoring the home.

The legal agreements used in your home inspection business can protect you and your customers. But only if they cover all of the bases. That applies to the formal home inspection agreement, and it’s also a good idea for the simpler walk-through inspection.

Since a walk-through isn’t technically an inspection, you might be tempted to skip using a formal agreement. That’s probably a bad idea. A written agreement explains what you’ll do, but it also explains what you won’t do. One simple document can help manage your liability and customer expectations at the same time.

Here are 4 important areas that yours should cover.

The top of the walk-through agreement is critical for conveying the most important information. In the opening sentences, you’ll explain the purpose of the walk-through inspection and summarize your process.

Inform the customer in clear language that the walk-through is not a home inspection, and as such, is not subject to industry Standards of Practice or home inspecting laws. You may also explain that the walk-through is a simple observation and something they can build on if they choose to have a home inspection later.

Using the most concise language possible, provide the fees that you charge for a walk-through and list the terms for payment. It’s a good idea to leave blanks to fill in later in case your fees change or have to be calculated from one customer to the next.

As for terms, ensure the customer understands when payment is due and what forms of payment you accept. If you have past-due, late payment or declined payment conditions, cover them, as well.

The body of the walk-through agreement is where you can expand on the procedure and clarify its scope and process. For example, explain which rooms you’ll observe, whether there are any exceptions (such as an attic or crawl space) and how you approach homes with unusual spaces. Does your walk-through extend to outbuildings? Or is it limited to the house and garage?

At least as important as what you’ll do is what you won’t. If any issues leap out, explain that you’ll address them with the customer. And if not, explain that you’re under no obligation to find them. Enumerate specific issues not covered, such as radon, mold, termites plus structural fitness of the foundation or engineering issues.

Every good contract has comprehensive boilerplate provisions. Each one won’t apply to every customer. But just like insurance, it’s always good to have them in place. Here are several that your walk-through agreement should cover:

While you probably won’t draft this legal document on your own, knowing what to include gives your attorney a good place to start. Unless your lawyer routinely works with home inspectors, they’ll need at least some industry guidance.

Of course, you can include or exclude any provision that you like. You’ll probably think of more to add and some that you’d rather not have. With the severability clause, even an unenforceable provision won’t render the whole contract void. Get creative, cover as many bases as you can, then go talk with a lawyer to draw up the final document.

Home inspectors might not relish the paperwork side of the business, but it’s there for your protection. You’ll need a home inspection agreement to use in your daily work. So while you’re at it, go one step more with a walk-through agreement.