DeanThe Standard

Published in full

The Dean
Standard

Every existing “certified pre-owned home” programme is run by the brokerage selling the house. This one is not, and the way you check that is by reading what follows. The bar is published, so a seller knows it before booking and two inspectors reach the same verdict.

Certified systems
8
Inspected items
35
Blocking conditions
63
Also reported
10

Two rules govern everything

  1. 01

    A hazard fails at any age. Age is disclosed.

    An active defect or safety hazard blocks the seal no matter how old the house is. Age and obsolescence are published but never block. That is what lets a 1926 home earn a seal while a Federal Pacific panel fails in a house built last year. This certifies condition and safety, not modernity.

  2. 02

    One blocking item means no seal at any tier.

    Tiers are not a way to pass a home that should not pass. Below the floor there is no tier at all — the home is not certified until the item is cleared and re-inspected. A seal everyone receives is worth nothing to the buyer it is meant to reassure.

  3. 03

    No warranty, no seal.

    An inspector owes a duty only to whoever ordered the inspection, so a seller-paid report gives a buyer nothing they can enforce. A certificate issues only once a carrier-underwritten warranty is bound and set to transfer at closing.

How the tier is set

Above the floor, the tier measures estimated remaining service life across roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC — the systems a buyer actually inherits. The weakest one sets the tier, not the average.

Gold

Every major system has 10+ years of expected life remaining.

Silver

Safe and functional, with some systems in the 5–10 year range.

Certified

Safe and functional, with a major system near the end of its service life.

Where remaining life cannot be established, Silver is the ceiling. Gold is never awarded on a guess.

Assembled for

FLCATXNYIL

Midwest — radon and basements. The eight certified systems are national; hazards, forms, and credentials are not.

The eight certified systems

Item numbers are permanent. A certificate issued today will still reference the same items in ten years.

Roof

4 items
R1

Covering material, age, and conditionRates life

Blocks the seal

  • Active leak
  • Under 5 years remaining service life
  • Missing, displaced, or delaminating covering

Disclosed, never blocks

  • 5–10 years remaining service life
  • Prior repair or partial replacement
R2

Flashing, penetrations, and terminations

Blocks the seal

  • Failed or absent flashing
  • Open penetration
R3

Deck condition and sheathing attachment

Blocks the seal

  • Deck deterioration
  • Visible deflection
R4

Gutters, drainage, and roof water management

Blocks the seal

  • Discharge against the foundation

Disclosed, never blocks

  • No gutters present

Structure

3 items
S1

Visible foundation, walls, posts, beams, columns

Blocks the seal

  • Evidence of active movement or settlement
  • Compromised load-bearing element
  • Foundation cracking beyond cosmetic

Disclosed, never blocks

  • Historic, stabilised settlement
S2

Joists, rafters, trusses, and framing

Blocks the seal

  • Visible deflection
  • Cut or notched structural member
S3

Attic, crawlspace, insulation, and ventilation

Blocks the seal

  • Absent ventilation with moisture evidence

Disclosed, never blocks

  • Insulation below current standard

Electrical

7 items
E1

Main panel and subpanel make, model, conditionRates life

Blocks the seal

  • Federal Pacific Stab-Lok panel
  • Zinsco or Challenger panel
  • Scorching, arcing, or heat damage
  • Double-tapped breakers
E2

Service entrance, raceways, and main disconnect

Blocks the seal

  • Exposed or unterminated conductors
  • No accessible main disconnect
E3

Service amperage and voltage rating

Blocks the seal

  • Service under 100A

Disclosed, never blocks

  • 100A service — adequate but limited
E4

Branch wiring type

Blocks the seal

  • Active knob-and-tube wiring
  • Aluminum branch wiring without approved connectors

Disclosed, never blocks

  • Two-prong ungrounded receptacles (original to the home)
E5

Grounding and bonding

Blocks the seal

  • Absent or discontinuous grounding electrode conductor
E6

GFCI and AFCI protection at required locations

Blocks the seal

  • Missing GFCI at wet locations

Disclosed, never blocks

  • No AFCI protection (pre-dates requirement)
E7

Overcurrent devices, fixtures, switches, receptacles — representative sample

Blocks the seal

  • Over-fused circuit
  • Open ground on a grounded-type receptacle

Plumbing

5 items
P1

Supply line material and conditionRates life

Blocks the seal

  • Polybutylene supply lines
  • Active leak

Disclosed, never blocks

  • Galvanized supply — reduced remaining life
P2

Drain, waste, and vent — function and material

Blocks the seal

  • Drain backup or standing water
  • Unvented fixture

Disclosed, never blocks

  • Cast iron drain lines — age-limited
P3

Water heater age, capacity, TPR valve, and conditionRates life

Blocks the seal

  • Failed or absent TPR valve
  • Leaking tank
  • Past service life

Disclosed, never blocks

  • Within 3 years of expected service life
P4

Main shutoff and fixture function — representative sample

Blocks the seal

  • No functional main shutoff
P5

Water supply source and waste disposal (municipal, well, septic)

Blocks the seal

  • Failed septic or surfacing effluent

Disclosed, never blocks

  • Private well or septic — separate specialist evaluation advised

HVAC

4 items
H1

System type, age, and refrigerantRates life

Blocks the seal

  • Not operational in heating or cooling
  • Refrigerant leak

Disclosed, never blocks

  • R-22 refrigerant — phased out, costly to service
H2

Heat exchanger, coils, and combustion safety

Blocks the seal

  • Cracked heat exchanger
  • Unvented fuel-burning appliance
  • Backdrafting
H3

Condensate drainage, ducts, and electrical connection at the unit

Blocks the seal

  • Condensate not draining
  • Unsafe electrical connection

Disclosed, never blocks

  • Duct leakage or missing insulation
MW-3

Heating capacity for design temperature

Blocks the seal

  • Heating system unable to maintain design temperature

Water intrusion

5 items
W1

Interior moisture, staining, and microbial growth

Blocks the seal

  • Active intrusion
  • Visible microbial growth beyond de minimis
  • Elevated moisture in finished space

Disclosed, never blocks

  • Historic staining, dry at inspection
W2

Site grading, drainage, and water management

Blocks the seal

  • Grading directing water toward the foundation
  • Failed or absent site drainage
W3

Exterior cladding, flashing, trim, and openings

Blocks the seal

  • Failed cladding or flashing permitting entry

Disclosed, never blocks

  • Cosmetic deterioration
W4

Subfloor and substrate beneath finished flooring

Blocks the seal

  • Subfloor rot or delamination
  • Active moisture beneath finished flooring
MW-2

Basement moisture, sump, and drain tile

Blocks the seal

  • Active seepage
  • Non-functioning sump where required

Life safety

6 items
L1

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

Blocks the seal

  • Missing or non-functioning alarms
L2

Bedroom egress

Blocks the seal

  • Blocked or non-conforming egress
L3

Stairs, guards, and handrails

Blocks the seal

  • Unsafe or absent guard or handrail

Disclosed, never blocks

  • Riser or baluster spacing below current code (original construction)
L4

Fireplace, chimney, and solid-fuel appliances

Blocks the seal

  • Unlined or damaged flue
  • Combustible clearance violation

Disclosed, never blocks

  • No recent chimney sweep record
L5

Garage — firewall separation, self-closing door, opener auto-reverse

Blocks the seal

  • Breached firewall separation
  • Opener auto-reverse not functioning
MW-1

Radon — measured concentration

Blocks the seal

  • Radon at or above 4.0 pCi/L without mitigation

Disclosed, never blocks

  • Radon 2.0–3.9 pCi/L

Insurability

1 item
I1

Conditions that cause carriers in this market to decline coverage

Blocks the seal

  • Any condition that would cause a regional carrier to decline

Also reported

Inspected, graded, and published — but never blocking. Wear is not a defect and taste is not a condition. Where a finish could conceal damage, a certified item catches it.

C1

Flooring

Floor coverings throughout — material, wear, and transitions

C2

Interior finishes

Walls, ceilings, trim, and paint

C3

Windows & doors

Operation, glazing, seals, and hardware

C4

Kitchen

Cabinetry, counters, and built-in appliances — operated on normal controls

C5

Bathrooms

Fixtures, surrounds, ventilation, and caulking

C6

Laundry

Connections, venting, and drainage

C7

Exterior surfaces

Driveway, walkways, patios, decks, and railings

C8

Landscape & site

Grading, retaining walls, fencing, and irrigation

C9

Pool & spa equipment

Pump, heater, and surface condition, where present

C10

Garage & storage

Slab, storage, and non-safety garage components

Who may inspect

Separate findings require separately licensed people. Combining them under one credential invalidates the report, not merely the warranty.

HOME

IL licensed home inspector

Performs to the state Standards of Practice.

RADON

NRPP or NRSB certified radon measurement professional

Several Midwest states recommend testing at every property transfer.

What it costs to clear an item

Every blocking condition maps to a remedy at a rate the contractor network has already accepted, so a quote generates the moment the inspection is filed rather than a week later. 16 remedies are published across the trades.

Dean is paid the same flat network fee whether a job is a $400 gate latch or a $60,000 roof. Nobody here earns more when your home needs more, and the inspector who writes the finding holds no interest in the contractor who clears it.

What this is not