Published in full
The NHR
Standard
Every existing “certified pre-owned home” programme is run by the brokerage selling the house. This one is not, and the way you check that is by reading what follows. The bar is published, so a seller knows it before booking and two inspectors reach the same verdict.
- Certified systems
- 8
- Inspected items
- 38
- Blocking conditions
- 64
- Also reported
- 10
Two rules govern everything
- 01
A hazard fails at any age. Age is disclosed.
An active defect or safety hazard blocks the seal no matter how old the house is. Age and obsolescence are published but never block. That is what lets a 1926 home earn a seal while a Federal Pacific panel fails in a house built last year. This certifies condition and safety, not modernity.
- 02
One blocking item means no seal at any tier.
Tiers are not a way to pass a home that should not pass. Below the floor there is no tier at all — the home is not certified until the item is cleared and re-inspected. A seal everyone receives is worth nothing to the buyer it is meant to reassure.
- 03
No warranty, no seal.
An inspector owes a duty only to whoever ordered the inspection, so a seller-paid report gives a buyer nothing they can enforce. A certificate issues only once a carrier-underwritten warranty is bound and set to transfer at closing.
How the tier is set
Above the floor, the tier measures estimated remaining service life across roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC — the systems a buyer actually inherits. The weakest one sets the tier, not the average.
NHR Gold
Every major system has 10+ years of expected life remaining.
NHR Silver
Safe and functional, with some systems in the 5–10 year range.
NHR Certified
Safe and functional, with a major system near the end of its service life.
Where remaining life cannot be established, Silver is the ceiling. Gold is never awarded on a guess.
The eight certified systems
Item numbers are permanent. A certificate issued today will still reference the same items in ten years.
Roof
4 itemsCovering material, age, and conditionRates life
Blocks the seal
- Active leak
- Under 5 years remaining service life
- Missing, displaced, or delaminating covering
Disclosed, never blocks
- 5–10 years remaining service life
- Prior repair or partial replacement
Flashing, penetrations, and terminations
Blocks the seal
- Failed or absent flashing
- Open penetration
Deck condition and sheathing attachment
Blocks the seal
- Deck deterioration
- Visible deflection
Gutters, drainage, and roof water management
Blocks the seal
- Discharge against the foundation
Disclosed, never blocks
- No gutters present
Structure
4 itemsVisible foundation, walls, posts, beams, columns
Blocks the seal
- Evidence of active movement or settlement
- Compromised load-bearing element
- Foundation cracking beyond cosmetic
Disclosed, never blocks
- Historic, stabilised settlement
Joists, rafters, trusses, and framing
Blocks the seal
- Visible deflection
- Cut or notched structural member
Attic, crawlspace, insulation, and ventilation
Blocks the seal
- Absent ventilation with moisture evidence
Disclosed, never blocks
- Insulation below current standard
Improvements consistent with the county record — living area and additions checked against the property appraiser and permit history
Disclosed, never blocks
- Observed living area exceeds county record
- Addition or enclosure with no matching permit
Electrical
7 itemsMain panel and subpanel make, model, conditionRates life
Blocks the seal
- Federal Pacific Stab-Lok panel
- Zinsco or Challenger panel
- Scorching, arcing, or heat damage
- Double-tapped breakers
Service entrance, raceways, and main disconnect
Blocks the seal
- Exposed or unterminated conductors
- No accessible main disconnect
Service amperage and voltage rating
Blocks the seal
- Service under 100A
Disclosed, never blocks
- 100A service — adequate but limited
Branch wiring type
Blocks the seal
- Active knob-and-tube wiring
- Aluminum branch wiring without approved connectors
Disclosed, never blocks
- Two-prong ungrounded receptacles (original to the home)
Grounding and bonding
Blocks the seal
- Absent or discontinuous grounding electrode conductor
GFCI and AFCI protection at required locations
Blocks the seal
- Missing GFCI at wet locations
Disclosed, never blocks
- No AFCI protection (pre-dates requirement)
Overcurrent devices, fixtures, switches, receptacles — representative sample
Blocks the seal
- Over-fused circuit
- Open ground on a grounded-type receptacle
Plumbing
7 itemsSupply line material and conditionRates life
Blocks the seal
- Polybutylene supply lines
- Active leak
Disclosed, never blocks
- Galvanized supply — reduced remaining life
Drain, waste, and vent — function and material
Blocks the seal
- Drain backup or standing water
- Unvented fixture
Disclosed, never blocks
- Cast iron drain lines — age-limited
Water heater age, capacity, TPR valve, and conditionRates life
Blocks the seal
- Failed or absent TPR valve
- Leaking tank
- Past service life
Disclosed, never blocks
- Within 3 years of expected service life
Main shutoff and fixture function — representative sample
Blocks the seal
- No functional main shutoff
Water supply source and waste disposal (municipal, well, septic)
Blocks the seal
- Failed septic or surfacing effluent
Disclosed, never blocks
- Private well or septic — separate specialist evaluation advised
Underground drain lateral — camera scope, required on homes built before 1980
Blocks the seal
- Collapsed, separated, or root-infiltrated lateral
Disclosed, never blocks
- Cast iron lateral serviceable with wall thinning — replacement horizon under 10 years
Underground or basement fuel oil storage tank
Blocks the seal
- Leaking or unregistered underground tank
Disclosed, never blocks
- Tank present — age and testing history
HVAC
3 itemsSystem type, age, and refrigerantRates life
Blocks the seal
- Not operational in heating or cooling
- Refrigerant leak
Disclosed, never blocks
- R-22 refrigerant — phased out, costly to service
Heat exchanger, coils, and combustion safety
Blocks the seal
- Cracked heat exchanger
- Unvented fuel-burning appliance
- Backdrafting
Condensate drainage, ducts, and electrical connection at the unit
Blocks the seal
- Condensate not draining
- Unsafe electrical connection
Disclosed, never blocks
- Duct leakage or missing insulation
Water intrusion
5 itemsInterior moisture, staining, and microbial growth
Blocks the seal
- Active intrusion
- Visible microbial growth beyond de minimis
- Elevated moisture in finished space
Disclosed, never blocks
- Historic staining, dry at inspection
Site grading, drainage, and water management
Blocks the seal
- Grading directing water toward the foundation
- Failed or absent site drainage
Exterior cladding, flashing, trim, and openings
Blocks the seal
- Failed cladding or flashing permitting entry
Disclosed, never blocks
- Cosmetic deterioration
Subfloor and substrate beneath finished flooring
Blocks the seal
- Subfloor rot or delamination
- Active moisture beneath finished flooring
Basement moisture, sump, and foundation drainage
Blocks the seal
- Active seepage
- Non-functioning sump where required
Life safety
7 itemsSmoke and carbon monoxide alarms
Blocks the seal
- Missing or non-functioning alarms
Bedroom egress
Blocks the seal
- Blocked or non-conforming egress
Stairs, guards, and handrails
Blocks the seal
- Unsafe or absent guard or handrail
Disclosed, never blocks
- Riser or baluster spacing below current code (original construction)
Fireplace, chimney, and solid-fuel appliances
Blocks the seal
- Unlined or damaged flue
- Combustible clearance violation
Disclosed, never blocks
- No recent chimney sweep record
Garage — firewall separation, self-closing door, opener auto-reverse
Blocks the seal
- Breached firewall separation
- Opener auto-reverse not functioning
Radon — measured concentration
Blocks the seal
- Radon at or above 4.0 pCi/L without mitigation
Disclosed, never blocks
- Radon 2.0–3.9 pCi/L
Suspected asbestos-containing materials and lead paint (pre-1978)
Disclosed, never blocks
- Pre-1978 construction — presumed lead paint
- Suspected ACM present, undisturbed
Insurability
1 itemConditions that cause carriers in this market to decline coverage
Blocks the seal
- Any condition that would cause a regional carrier to decline
Also reported
Inspected, graded, and published — but never blocking. Wear is not a defect and taste is not a condition. Where a finish could conceal damage, a certified item catches it.
Flooring
Floor coverings throughout — material, wear, and transitions
Interior finishes
Walls, ceilings, trim, and paint
Windows & doors
Operation, glazing, seals, and hardware
Kitchen
Cabinetry, counters, and built-in appliances — operated on normal controls
Bathrooms
Fixtures, surrounds, ventilation, and caulking
Laundry
Connections, venting, and drainage
Exterior surfaces
Driveway, walkways, patios, decks, and railings
Landscape & site
Grading, retaining walls, fencing, and irrigation
Pool & spa equipment
Pump, heater, and surface condition, where present
Garage & storage
Slab, storage, and non-safety garage components
Who may inspect
Separate findings require separately licensed people. Combining them under one credential invalidates the report, not merely the warranty.
NY licensed home inspector
Performs to the state Standards of Practice.
NRPP or NRSB certified radon measurement professional
Separate certification in most states.
Licensed tank inspector
Underground storage tanks carry environmental liability that transfers with the property.
What certification costs
Published, because everything here is. Priced by county-recorded living area — never by the home’s value, and never by what the inspection finds. Collected at closing from proceeds; nothing upfront; charged whether or not the home earns a seal, and you keep the full findings either way.
How re-verification works: upload the evidence — photos, the contractor’s invoice, the permit number — and we verify it on paper. Permitted work (roofs, panels, water heaters): we confirm the permit is finaled in the county record and the licence with the state — the municipal inspector was already on your roof, and you should not pay us to send another one. Simple items a photo can prove beyond doubt (smoke alarms installed, a pool-barrier latch, cover plates): the photo is the proof. An inspector returns on site only when paper can’t be conclusive — unpermitted repairs to major systems, moisture and leak repairs, or three or more blocked systems. Either way the original inspection stays good for 90 days — past that, a fresh inspection at the band fee.
Launch pricing, South Florida. Includes the full inspection, the separately-licensed termite (WDO) inspection, wind-mitigation and 4-point insurance documentation, the NHR Report, certificate publication, and enrollment in the 12-month transferable warranty — bought separately, the inspections and forms alone retail near the certification fee. Unknown recorded size quotes the smallest band and is corrected by on-site measurement before you sign — never after.
What it costs to clear an item
Every blocking condition maps to a remedy at a rate the contractor network has already accepted, so a quote generates the moment the inspection is filed rather than a week later. 16 remedies are published across the trades.
Paid by the contractor, never the seller. Flat within each class — set by the published price-book band, never by any individual invoice — and never charged on work paid from property-insurance proceeds, or when a seller uses their own trades.
NHR is paid the same flat network fee whether a job is a $400 gate latch or a $60,000 roof. Nobody here earns more when your home needs more, and the inspector who writes the finding holds no interest in the contractor who clears it.
What this is not
- It is a visual inspection. Nothing concealed, inaccessible, or behind a finished surface is evaluated.
- It is nota substitute for a buyer’s own inspection. A buyer should still inspect, and no NHR material will ever suggest otherwise.
- It is not an appraisal, a survey, or an opinion on title.
- It reflects condition on the date of inspection. Certification expires 180 days after that date.
- It is not a warranty of the property. The transferring warranty covers what its own policy says and nothing beyond it.
Never in scope — at any tier
A seal is trusted for its edges. These are outside every NHR certification, and the certificate says so in print:
- Seawalls, docks, davits, and boat lifts — marine engineering, separate specialist
- Well water quality and quantity — lab analysis, separate specialist
- Buried fuel or oil tanks — locating service, separate specialist
- Detached structures not named on the certificate (sheds, guest quarters)
- Land survey, boundaries, and encroachments — surveyor and title company
- Title, liens, and ownership — title company and closing agent
- Future performance of any system — the warranty, not the inspection, covers what happens next
- Cosmetics after certification date — paint, finishes, wear from ordinary living