What a camera sees that a walk-through cannot

A flue is a tube behind brick or a metal casing. You cannot see a crack in it from the room. A person standing in the yard cannot see it either.

The camera can. It travels the length of the flue and records what it finds, so you are looking at the actual condition instead of guessing.

A Level 1 is a look at the things that are easy to reach. A Level 2 does that and adds the flue camera. It also takes in the attic, crawlspace and roof parts where we can get in.

For a house changing hands, the standard (NFPA 211) points to the Level 2. That is the one we suggest for buyers in Tarzana, Encino and Woodland Hills.

The report says what we saw, in everyday terms, with photos next to each note. We say what can wait and what should be fixed before anyone lights a fire. Choose who gets a copy, whether that is the buyer, the seller, the agent or a mix.

Nobody waits long for the file. Report and photos are sent the same day we visit.

Some notes will be small. Others will name a condition that does not meet NFPA 211 or the town's building code. Nobody in government marks it fail. It only means a repair should happen before the fireplace is used again.

What the buyer does next, whether asking for the repair, a price credit or a second look, is for the buyer, the seller and the two agents to settle. Contract and legal advice is outside our work.