How do home inspectors stay safe on the job?

Falls from ladders and roofs are among the most serious risks in the work. A NIOSH ladder safety feature says more than 100 people die each year in the U.S. from ladder-related falls, and thousands more are hurt. In about 40% of the injuries it describes, the ladder slid out at the base because it was set at the wrong angle.

OSHA's ladder rule for construction work gives the numbers most inspectors set up by:

NIOSH adds two more: stay at least 10 feet from power lines, and set the ladder where people will not bump it. Russ Motyko's habits are a fiberglass extension ladder, soft-soled non-slip shoes, and three points of contact on every climb, with nothing carried in both hands.

No standard makes you walk a roof. The InterNACHI standard says the inspector is not required to walk on any roof surface and lets the inspection run from the ground or the eaves. ASHI's 2014 standard only asks you to describe the method used, and its 2026 text says plainly that walking roofs is not required.

Wet or mossy shingles, or a roof that looks unsafe, are reasons to stay off. Look from the top of the ladder, from the ground with binoculars, or with a drone, and write the method in the report. A drone flown on a paid inspection falls under the FAA's Part 107 rule. For the certificate and flight rules, see do home inspectors need a Part 107 certificate.

Both are tight, dark, and full of things that cut, shock, or collapse. ASHI's 2014 standard does not require you to walk attic framing that insulation hides. It also sets a size floor for crawlspaces: no entry required under 24 inches of clearance, or through an opening smaller than 16 by 24 inches. InterNACHI uses judgment instead of a size, and does not require entering a crawlspace where entry might pose a hazard to the inspector.

In an older attic, knob-and-tube wiring can sit buried under insulation added later. Look at it, and leave it alone.

In a crawlspace, look the space over from the hatch before you go in. Standing water near wiring or signs of raw sewage are reasons to stay out and note the limitation. Russ's crawlspace kit:

• An N95 at minimum, or a half-face respirator with P100 filters where mold, rodents, or suspect pipe insulation show up
• Disposable coveralls, gloves, and knee pads
• A bright flashlight and a backup
• A combustible gas detector and a carbon monoxide detector
• A charged phone

A respirator only works if it seals. For workers in tight-fitting respirators, OSHA's respirator rule requires a fit test before first use and at least once a year after. The rule binds employers, not an inspector working alone, but the reason behind it still applies.

Treat every panel as live. ASHI's 2014 standard has you inspect the interior components of service panels and subpanels. Its 2026 text names removing panel covers as the one exception to its no-dismantling rule. InterNACHI does not require it at all.

Never touch wiring, bus bars, or other parts inside a panel. A double tapped breaker or poor grounding is something to photograph and report, not to work on. A non-contact voltage tester helps before you touch anything that might be live, but it can miss some conditions.

The federal government banned lead-based paint for homes in 1978, and EPA says a home built before then is more likely to have it. For asbestos, EPA says you generally cannot tell by looking. Its advice is not to saw, sand, scrape, or drill into material that contains it.

Your job is to note materials consistent with these products and recommend testing where it fits. Never break them open to find out.

Inspectors sometimes work alone in an empty house. Tell someone the address and when to expect you back. Keep your phone charged and on you, and leave if a property feels wrong, structurally or otherwise.

Pets are named in the InterNACHI standard. Its list of things an inspector is not required to do includes negotiating with pets. Ask for animals to be put away when the job is booked. If a dog guards the crawlspace door, that area goes in the report as not inspected.

For what each association requires, see the standards of practice compared. For pacing the physical side of the work, see how home inspectors avoid burnout.