HOME PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS

Home Performance Assessment Facts:
Most houses leak 25-40% of conditioned air, much of it to outside
About 1/3 of houses have combustion safety issues
Our homes are making us sick due to trapped contaminants
These problems are made worse by adding bigger air conditioners
8-25% of electricity is wasted by appliances with motors

Purpose: improve energy efficiency, IAQ, and moisture control

Goal: healthy, safe, durable, comfortable, & energy efficient home

Reasons to Inspect:
High gas and electric bills
Presence of mold, including mildew
Uncomfortable rooms
Difficulty breathing
Excessive dust
High humidity
Flu-like symptoms in the middle of summer
Unexplained headaches, itchiness, sinus trouble, burning eyes

Benefits:
Buyers: Understand building performance issues before purchase
Owners: Improve health and correct building performance issues
Sellers: ENERGY STAR certificate makes it easier to sell house

Inspection Focus:
The goals of a Home Performance Assessment are as follows:
1. Identify issues with combustion appliances, particularly drafting and carbon monoxide production
2. Identify conditions affecting indoor air quality, such as moisture intrusion
3. Check for high water use plumbing fixtures, such as toilets and showerheads
4. Identify air leakage sites, where unconditioned air is introduced in the building
5. Quantify air infiltration into the building in terms of average annual natural air changes per hour
6. Quantify air leakage from the air distribution system

A complete visual inspection of all the components of a home and their operation is the scope of a home inspection. This assessment considers how all the components of the building work together and their effects on health and safety, building durability, comfort, and energy efficiency--work outside the scope of a standard home inspection. This assessment may identify issues covered by a home inspection and are offered as spin-off benefit. Ideally, a complete home inspection should be performed first.

Report Content:
Inspection report w/ pictures
Scorecard (Prioritized list of improvements)
Three summary reports
General Statement of Work, including steps to take to address your main concerns
Key Considerations: major issues to consider to improve the house
Controls, Cleanouts, and Filters: locations to find these things quickly and easily

Note: Report addresses ENERGY STAR's concerns as well as yours: more information!

Pricing Variables:
Heated square feet or number of bathrooms
Types of under-floor spaces
Number of central heating and cooling systems
Number of combustion appliance zones: groups of gas furnaces & water heater
Travel Time
Age of building

Availability:
Need at least 1 hour of daylight to investigate the exterior
Inspection Time:
Usually 5-8 hours on site

More Information:
Resources
Freqently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Home Performance Assessments
Visual Home Performance Assessments