Local News in Brief : Irvine : City Will Soon Offer Home Inspections

Home buyers in Irvine will soon have the option of having a city inspector look at their prospective dwellings to ensure that fire, building and safety codes are met.

An ordinance passed March 14 and expected to take effect in 2 months requires sellers to tell buyers about the city’s Code Awareness and Inspection program, said Bob Storchheim, the city’s manager of building and safety.

Participation in the program is voluntary, however. Both the buyer and seller may have a city inspector make sure a home meets the city codes in governing wiring, drainage and smoke detectors. The inspector will also let the buyer know whether any added rooms or patios have had previous inspections.

Storchheim said the buyer and seller must decide between themselves how the inspection will be paid for. Current prices are $131 for a single-family home and $98 for a condominium.

The purposes of the program, Storchheim said, are to promote awareness and to help sellers comply with the state disclosure law, which requires sellers to provide signed statements as to the condition of the property being sold.