Residential Rehabilitation Inspection Guide, recently released by HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R), is designed to help evaluate the rehabilitation potential of small buildings and structures. Contractors, builders, Realtors, engineers, home inspectors, preservationists, and others with a basic knowledge of building construction can use the guide to make rehab decisions. When used in conjunction with local building codes, the guide can help to identify unsafe or hazardous conditions and uncover functional deficiencies that should be corrected. It does not establish rehab standards or address construction, operation, and maintenance costs. First published by HUD in 1984 as the Guideline on Residential Building Systems Inspection, the guide was updated and expanded by the National Institute of Building Sciences for PD&R under the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing initiative. It includes current assessment techniques and standards, information about additional building materials, and broader coverage of hazardous substances and the effects of earthquakes, wind, and floods. Residential Rehabilitation Inspection Guide is another resource for preserving and reusing the Nation's building stock. Illustrated with photographs and line drawings, Residential Rehabilitation Inspection Guide is divided into seven chapters. Chapter 1 emphasizes site inspections that include drainage, site improvements, yards, and flood regions. Chapter 2 describes exterior building inspection, and Chapter 3 covers building interiors. Chapter 4 looks at a building's structural system and discusses the importance of assessing seismic resistance in earthquake areas and wind resistance in areas subject to tornadoes and hurricanes. Chapters 5, 6, and 7 review inspections of electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems. Limited copies of Residential Rehabilitation Inspection Guide are available from HUD USER for $5 each. Use the order form. The guide is accessible from the HUD USER website at www.huduser.gov.
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