Home Inspections WA
Does anyone know if it's the LAW in Washington State for the buyer to have the home they are buying inspected? If it is, does it have to be by a professional licensed home inspector?
Can it be waved by the buyer and or seller?
I know it’s recommended but I don’t know if it’s the law.
I'm trying to fine tune my contracts. 
Thanks![ Edited by Goose_man on Date 11/26/2003 ]
Short answer-I don't know WA law. Ask a Realtor, they will know.
Advice: While you as a Seller may have the Buyer waive her rights to a home inspection-this is almost a guaranteed invitiation to a lawsuit---- don't do it.
I don’t care if my buyer has the home inspected... it's not money out of my pocket.
I have my guy for inspecting homes before I buy them. The only thing is that he’s not licensed. I don’t want to have to fork out 300-400 bucks a pop for a licensed inspector when I buy a property when I can just buy my guy a 6 pack or treat him to dinner.
If you feel confortable with your man, go with him. Nothing in any state law that prevents you from bringing a contractor, uncle louie, or your grandmother to do the inspection.
The short answer is no, a buyer is not required to have an inspection performed. It is in the best interest for the buyer to have one performed though. There is a RE form (in WA) that a buyer provides as a contiguency (condition) to the actual RE contract (Purchase and Sales Agreement). That said, if an inspection is not performed, the bank's apraisal MIGHT call out a problem. (It happened to me when I represented a seller and the buyer did not request a inspection.) While it was a minor issue, it did hold up the sale for a week or so. I would suggest you confine your question a little finer. i.e. are you the seller, buyer, is the home under contract????? Issues of your questions....
Todd is right, no WA law requiring home inspection, but bank might require it.
As seller you'd definitely want the buyers to waive it, in writing, and you'd want to acknowledge receipt of a disclosure, warning them the home might have all kinds of evil or harmful things* so he's taking all the risk on himself if he does waive...trust me, that won't stop him and he'll proceed to waive anyway.
The standard WA MLS P&S Agreement has OK language to use for this, whereby buyer is choosing to waive all such rights.
* In my property condition disclosure form I tell the buyer that the property might collapsible roof, ceiling, floors, lead paint, asbestos, and also wolves, bears, rats, snakes, poisonous spiders, dinosaurs, alligators, etc...and the buyer always laughs and signs! In fact, IMHO, the more outrageous your disclosure language, the harder they laugh and faster they sign.
My recommendation is that you insist that the buyer get a home inspection, by a firm that is run by a licensed contractor. Otherwise you are setting yourself up for a lawsuit.