Starting Jan 1 2018, all single family (aka1-4 unit) home inspections for a real estate transaction in the State of California must have a pool and spa safety inspection included. (SB-442)There is no way to opt out of this inspection. Period.
On two separate city resale inspections, for both Fairfax and Novato, I had items come up on them that are required to remedied. The Fairfax property spa had to have self closing straps added. The Novato home had to have self closing and latching gates added.
The pool/spa safety inspection is limited in scope and precise: It covers exactly 7 safety features, and is not a general inspection of pool or spa systems. There must be two of the seven features present. These 7 safety systems, in brief, are:
The above fixes are “usually” easily accommodated, so it shouldn’t slow the buying or pre-market preparation down, but instead be able to be handled within existing time lines.
