A Position Paper of the National Academy of Building Inspection Engineers
This
paper sets forth the official position of the National Academy of Building
Inspection Engineers, a membership organization of licensed professional
engineers (P.E.'s) and architects (R.A.'s or A.I.A.'s). The Academy
represents a national working group dedicated to the highest standards of
performance in the evaluation of conditions in buildings, both residential
and commercial. In addition this paper reiterates the long held
position of the state governing authorities and the courts that only
licensed engineers and architects are qualified to evaluate and judge the
adequacy of systems and structures to perform their intended functions.
The
National Academy of Building Inspection Engineers (NABIE) is a
chartered affinity group of the National Society of Professional
Engineers. NABIE was formed in 1989 to advance the professional standing
of the building inspection engineering profession.
NABIE's
current membership includes some 150 licensed professional engineers and
architects who are engaged in the practice of building inspection
engineering. The scope of our members' practices range from
inspecting single family residential structures to large commercial and
industrial buildings.
It
is NABIE's official position that those aspects of building inspection
which require the application of engineering principles constitute the
practice of engineering and should only be performed by licensed
professional engineers. Such aspects include but are not limited to
the evaluation of commercial, industrial, and institutional building and
residential dwellings, regarding the structural, electrical, or mechanical
systems.
Furthermore,
it is NABIE's official position to oppose the imposition of additional
licensing requirements on licensed professional engineers and architects
engaged in the practice of building inspection engineering, by requiring
licensed engineers and architects to acquire another license as a home
inspector.
Licensing
of engineers and architects falls within the jurisdiction of the
individual states and is always, even when privatized, governed by a state
licensing board. Typical licensing requirements include a bachelors level
degree from an accredited engineering university, an initial eight hour
written examination on the fundamentals of engineering followed by an
internship of four years practice under the direction of a licensed
engineer, and a final written examination of eight hours on the principles
and practices of engineering. In addition, many states require a
level of continuing education as a precondition for renewal of the one or
two year license. Fundamental to the ethical requirements of the
licensed engineer is the stipulation that no engineer will practice
outside the scope of his/her area of competence
Licensed
engineers and architects are typically the only professionals authorized
to sign and seal plans and other documents certifying the proper
functioning of a building's structure and systems. Such components
of a building typically include, but are not limited to its structure,
i.e.: foundation, framing, and roofing, electrical, HVAC, plumbing,
fire safety, and other systems. For the engineer or architect to be
authorized to sign and seal plans for such engineering components and yet
be required to obtain a lower level license in order to perform a home
inspection, (which is a visual assessment of those very systems) has no
basis in logic. This requirement would be analogous to requiring a
licensed physician to obtain an additional license, as a mid-wife, in
order to deliver a baby.
Engineers
have been conducting inspections and certifying the condition of buildings
for decades. It is only with the recent rise in popularity of the
home inspection industry and the concerns about the qualifications of the
non-engineer home inspector that has let to the need to address the
licensing of these individuals.
The
public has long regarded the professional engineer and architect as having
the highest technical credentials and level of trust on building issues.
Attorneys often seek the advice and council of engineers as technical
experts when dealing with highly technical issues. It is problematic
to require a licensed engineer or architect to obtain a second , lesser
license, to perform a service that engineers and architects have been
providing for many years under their existing licenses.
Additionally, only a licensed engineer or architect can legally conduct a
building inspection for a multi-story commercial building containing
systems many times more complex than a single family residence.
Requiring this same professional to have a separate license to inspect a
single family residence is clearly not warranted.
It
is also the official position of NABIE to vigorously oppose the continuing
intrusion into the practice of engineering by other, non-engineer,
non-licensed individuals. In the course of conducting home
inspections, many home inspectors routinely render professional opinions
as to the suitability of structures and systems to perform their intended
function. Such opinions and conclusions can only be technically
valid when they result from the application of professional judgment and
engineering principles. It is not in the public's interest or
allow non-engineer, non-licensed individuals to render
such opinions. It also erodes the public's understanding and
confidence in the overall role of the licensed engineer. Legislation
or administrative regulations should clearly stipulate that non-engineer
home inspectors do not practice or infringe on the practice of the
profession of engineering.
NABIE
encourages legislative or administrative regulations that require real
estate professionals to provide a home inspector qualification disclosure
notice to prospective purchasers of residential real property which shall
explain the scope of practice and authority of persons licensed as
professional engineers versus persons not licensed as professional
engineers offering to provide home inspection.
Endorsed
by the National Society of Professional Engineers, April 27, 2002.
Please
address inquiries to:
Michael
L. Stotts
NABIE Executive Director
Phone/Fax:
207-351-1915
Toll Free: 800-294-7729
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NABIE's Position Paper