Why does an inspector confirm who the client is before the inspection begins?

Identifying the client establishes to whom the inspector's duties run, and those duties are substantial. Confidentiality means the report belongs to the client and is not disclosed to the seller, the agents or anyone else without permission — a distinction that matters constantly, since other parties are frequently present and interested. The reporting obligation runs to the client too: findings are communicated to them, and pressure from a referral source to soften or redirect that communication is resolved by remembering whose inspection it is. Ambiguity is common in practice — a buyer's agent may schedule and even pay, a relative may attend, an investor may be buying through an entity — which is exactly why the question is settled before work begins rather than after a dispute.

Confidentiality and the duty to report run to the client, so establishing who that is determines who receives the report and to whom the inspector's obligations are owed.

The inspection agreement establishes the client relationship. Standards impose confidentiality obligations and require reporting to the client, so the identity of the client governs disclosure and communication throughout.

Who Hired You Owns the Report. Everything about who hears what follows from that one answer.

Payment does not establish the client relationship. An agent who pays the fee is not the client if the agreement names the buyer.

• •Treating whoever scheduled or paid as the client
• •Sharing the report with other parties without permission
• •Letting a referral source direct what is reported