What is the difference between a home inspection and a code inspection?
Home inspectors work for you, the buyer or seller, assessing the home's condition across all systems. They flag safety concerns and aging components and help you make purchase decisions, operating to a standard of practice rather than enforcing code.
Code inspections are official and narrow. A municipal inspector checks that permitted work, like new construction, an addition, or a remodel, meets the building code at the time, and signs off for the permit. This is enforcement, not a condition assessment.
Homes are generally not required to meet current code unless work triggers it. So an inspector may note that something does not meet today's standards, such as missing GFCI outlets, as a safety recommendation, while it remains acceptable for the home's era.
