The published inspection standards of the two major home inspector associations and the State of Florida specifically exclude inspecting paint finishes at the “Interior” section of their Standards of Practice. The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI), for example, states that the inspector is not required to "inspect paint, wallpaper, window treatments or finish treatments” inside a home. The one exception would be any area of bubbling, peeling, or discolored paint that could be an indication of a problem beneath the paint surface.

    But, while paint is essentially a decorative surface on the interior of a home, it is a moisture protection coating at the exterior. Deteriorated or missing areas of paint can allow water intrusion and, on wood surfaces, wood rot. So the condition of exterior paint is definitely a required part of a home inspection.

    To read the full text of the State of Florida’s Standards of Practice, go to our blog post Are there any minimum inspection standards that a Florida licensed home inspector must meet? 

    Click on any of the links below to read other articles about what is required to be included, or not, in a home inspection:

AFCI •• Air conditioner •• Ants •• Appliance recalls •• Appliance testing •• Attic •• Awnings •• Barns and ag blgs. •• Bathroom exhaust fan •• Bonding •• Carpet •• Ceiling fans •• Central vacuum •• Chimneys •• Chinese drywall •• Clothes dryer •• Dryer exhaust •• CO alarms •• Code violations •• Condemn a house •• Crawl space •• Detached carport •• Detached garage •• Dishwasher •• Docks •• Doors •• Electrical •• Electrical panel •• Electromagnetic radiation •• Fences •• Fireplaces  Furnace •• Garbage disposal •• Generator •• GFCIs •• Gutters •• Ice maker •• Inspect in the rain •• Insulation •• Insurance •• Interior Finishes •• Grading & drainage •• Lead paint •• Level of thoroughness •• Lift carpet •• Low voltage wiring •• Microwave •• Mold •• Move things •• Help negotiate •• Not allowed •• Outbuildings •• Paint •• Permits •• Pilot lights •• Plumbing •• Plumbing under slab •• Pools •• Questions won't answer •• Radon •• Range/cooktop •• Receptacle outlet •• Refrigerator •• Reinspection •• Remove panel cover •• Repairs •• Repair estimates •• Retaining walls •• Roaches •• Rodents •• Roof •• Screens •• Seawalls •• Septic loading dye test •• Septic tank •• Sewer lines •• Shower pan leak test •• Shutters •• Sinkholes •• Smoke alarms •• Solar panels •• Specify repairs •• Sprinklers •• Termites •• Toilets •• Trees •• Troubleshooting •• Wall air conditioners •• Walk roof •• Washing machine •• Water heater •• Water pressure •• Water shut-offs •• Main water shut-off •• Water softener •• Water treatment systems •• Well •• Windows •• Window/wall air conditioners •• Window blinds •• Wiring 

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Here’s links to a collection of our blog posts about "DOES A HOME INSPECTOR…?":

• Does a home inspector inspect barns and other agricultural buildings on a farm? 

• Does a home inspector inspect outbuildings?

• Does a home inspector give cost estimates for repairs?

• Does a home inspector inspect in the rain?

• Does a home inspector remove the electric panel cover plate and examine the inside of the panel? 

• Can a home inspector do repairs to a house after doing the inspection? 

• Does a home inspector lift up the carpet to look for cracks in the floor? 

• Do home inspectors go on the roof? Do they get in the attic?

• What are the questions a home inspector won't (or shouldn't) answer?

• Does a home inspector make sure the house is up to code?

• Will the home inspector help a homebuyer get the seller to reduce the price of the house? 

• Does a home inspector need insurance?

• Does a home inspector check doors and windows?

• Does a home inspector check for permits? 

• Does a home inspector have to be bonded?

• Does a home inspector check and test shut-off valves? 

• Does a home inspector check the plumbing under the floor slab?

• Does a home inspector do a leak test on the shower pan?

• Does a home inspector check the GFCI receptacles and breakers?

     Visit our "DOES A HOME INSPECTOR…?" page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.