CPI case studies

CPI · Put your knowledge to work in context.

The Certified Professional Inspector (CPI)® is a United States federally registered certification mark for the building inspector professional credential, registered on the Principal Register at the USPTO. Per the USPTO description quoted by the certifier, the mark certifies that inspections of residential and commercial buildings were performed by an inspector who has met the online examination requirements established by the certifier. The CPI case studies are 5 cases and about 4,759 words.

Crawlspace Joists Cut for Plumbing, an Unfooted Pier, and an Agent Asking for 'Fine'

During a crawlspace inspection of a 1958 ranch with a 24-inch access hatch, you find a 2x8 floor joist spanning 12 feet that has been notched 1 1/2 inches deep across its bottom edge roughly mid-span to clear a 3/4-inch copper heating pipe. Two joists away, a previous owner cut a 3-inch hole through the center of another 2x8 for a drain line.

946 words, about 5 min 2

Bonded Subpanel, Double Taps, and Aluminum Branch Wiring in a 1972 Split-Level

You inspect a 1972 split-level whose 200-amp main panel was replaced in 2016. Removing the deadfront, you find two 20-amp breakers with two conductors each under a single terminal screw, one feeding a bedroom and one a garage circuit.

914 words, about 5 min 3

Hail, an Eight-Year-Old Roof Certification, and a Friday Deadline

You are inspecting a 1998 two-story house with a 5:12 gable roof. The south slope carries two layers of three-tab asphalt shingles - the original plus a 2009 overlay - and granules are collecting in the valleys and at the gutter line.

930 words, about 5 min 4

Flue Gas Spillage, a Disconnected Return, and a Tune-Up Invoice

You are called to a 2007 house with a 3-ton R-410A split system: an 80% gas furnace in the attic and a matching outdoor condenser. In the attic you find the furnace's single-wall galvanized flue connector running about 12 feet through the unconditioned space to a Type B chimney, with rust streaks at the draft hood and a corrosion line at the joints.

1,020 words, about 5 min 5

Efflorescence, Blistering Paint, and a Sump Pump Nobody Has Tested

You inspect a 2004 walk-out ranch with a partially finished basement. Along the uphill block wall, a band of white crystalline powder runs from the floor up about 18 inches, and the lower two courses are darker than the wall above.

949 words, about 5 min