11 NCAC 08 .1116             CODE OF ETHICS

(a)  Licensees shall discharge their duties with fidelity to the public and to their clients, with fairness and impartiality to all.

(b)  Opinions expressed by licensees shall be based only on their education, experience, and honest convictions.

(c)  A licensee shall not disclose any information about the results of an inspection without the approval of the client for whom the inspection was performed, or the client's representative.

(d)  No licensee shall accept compensation or any other consideration from more than one interested party for the same service without the written consent of all interested parties.

(e)  No licensee shall compensate, either financially or through other services or benefits, realty agents or other parties with a financial interest in closing or settlement of real estate transactions for the following:

(1)           Referral of inspections; or

(2)           Inclusion on a list of recommended inspectors or preferred providers.

(f)  No licensee shall express, within the context of an inspection, an appraisal or opinion of the market value of the inspected property.

(g)  Before the execution of a contract to perform a home inspection, a licensee shall disclose to the client any interest he or she has in a business that may create a conflict of interest for the home inspector. No licensee shall allow his or her interest in any business to affect the quality or results of the inspection work that the licensee may be called upon to perform.

(h)  A licensee shall not solicit for repairs of systems or components found defective in the course of a home inspection performed by the licensee or that licensee's company.

(i)  Licensees shall not engage in false or misleading advertising or otherwise misrepresent any matters to the public.

(j)  Licensees shall not inspect properties under contingent arrangements whereby any compensation or future referrals are dependent on reported findings or on the sale of a property.

(k)  A licensee shall not impugn the professional reputation or practice of another home inspector, nor criticize another inspector's reports.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 143-151.49;

Codifier determined that agency findings did not meet criteria for temporary rule Eff. October 15, 1996;

Temporary Adoption Eff. October 24, 1996;

Eff. July 1, 1998;

Amended Eff. May 1, 2013; October 1, 2010; July 1, 2000;

Readopted Eff. October 1, 2018.