The areas of a home that are not heated and cooled living spaces require adequate ventilation to avoid condensation and moisture buildup that can lead to mold, wood rot, and metal corrosion, to name just a few potential problems. The Standards of Practice of the two national home inspector associations require that unfinished spaces be inspected for adequate ventilation. The InterNational Association of Certified Home Inspector's (InterNACHI) standard states that “the inspector shall inspect ventilation of unfinished spaces, including attic, crawl spaces and foundation areas.”

    American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) says that “the inspector shall inspect ventilation of attic and foundation areas.” And the State of Florida’s inspection standards have ventilation of attics and ventilation of foundation areas included, but listed separately as part of their requirements. In some cases, the attic and/or crawlspace may be sealed (sometimes called encapsulated), instead of ventilated, to control moisture. This should be noted too, if present. 

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Here’s links to some of our other articles about ATTICS and CRAWL SPACES:

• Is an attic required to have a light by the building code? 

• Is the crawl space under a house required to be ventilated if the floor is concrete? 

• How much ventilation is required for the under-floor crawl space of a home? 

• What does a home inspector look for in the crawl space under a home? 

• Why are there leaves in my attic? 

• Does code require water pipes in a crawl space to be insulated? 

• Why does venting a clothes dryer into a garage, attic, or crawl space cause problems? 

• Are soffit/eave vents required by code for attic ventilation? 

• Should I buy a house with no attic access hatch? 

• Why is it a mistake to store lumber in the crawl space under a house? 

• Should I move my air conditioner into the attic?

• What is the minimum size for attic access opening?

• What are the code requirements for an attic catwalk/walkway? 

• Is white mold on wood in a crawl space dangerous? 

• Is it acceptable for an air conditioning condensate drain line to terminate under the house? 

• What is code for minimum height of crawl space from ground to bottom of floor joists?