Home Inspection, CA

[NillaWafers]

Hello everyone, this is my first post! I've submitted my application for a license after a VERY long year of getting my house ready (aka, the backyard was a JUNGLE).

CA home inspection criteria seem to be REALLY vague, is it just me? I want to make sure that I pass the first time. Here are a few questions I have about it.

a) I have a fireplace, but it has glass doors (it can be shut completely) and is locked by a child lock. Do I still need a screen in front of it?
b) I put my knives in a drawer and am planning on putting a lock on that too, originally they were in a knife block on the counter.
c) My backyard is still being finished, I want to put some play substrate down and gravel by my veggie boxes. There really wasn't many things on their checklist about the backyard. Did they say anything to you about yours (CA peeps)? Right now the back section is dirt, would that make me fail my inspection?

Thanks, I'm so nervous and excited about starting this up finally!

[NillaWafers]

Also, how long was your turnaround from doing your livescan to getting an inspection scheduled? I'm debating holding off on the Livescan till everything is 100%, but I also just want to get it done.

[Margarete]

Hello everyone, this is my first post! I've submitted my application for a license after a VERY long year of getting my house ready (aka, the backyard was a JUNGLE).

CA home inspection criteria seem to be REALLY vague, is it just me? I want to make sure that I pass the first time. Here are a few questions I have about it.

a) I have a fireplace, but it has glass doors (it can be shut completely) and is locked by a child lock. Do I still need a screen in front of it?
b) I put my knives in a drawer and am planning on putting a lock on that too, originally they were in a knife block on the counter.
c) My backyard is still being finished, I want to put some play substrate down and gravel by my veggie boxes. There really wasn't many things on their checklist about the backyard. Did they say anything to you about yours (CA peeps)? Right now the back section is dirt, would that make me fail my inspection?

Thanks, I'm so nervous and excited about starting this up finally!

I have glass doors on fireplace with a child lock too. I've had 3 different people look at it and they were fine with it the way it was, knowing that I don't use it, and would never ever use it while children are in care. If you plan on using it during childcare you will need more protection... otherwise it's just a child locked inaccessible alcove.
It's possible you may get a different answer, but I would leave it the way it is and verify that it is acceptable with your analyst.

[daycare]

One thing you will find about CA regulations is that they are never consistent

Knives cannot be in a drawer. They must be as least 4.5ft from the ground or higher , as well as all cleaning supplies. I store mine ontop my fridge

Fireplace must be blocked off. At my old house I gated it off with a baby gate and threw a shelf in front of it.

Don't feel stressed about your inspection. LIC will help you fix things and educate you , they won't fail you or write you up.

If something major needs to be fixed then they might give you time to fix it and reschedule a time to come back and see if you did.

The dirt should not be a problem.
Good luck and welcome to the form

[daycare]

Also, how long was your turnaround from doing your livescan to getting an inspection scheduled? I'm debating holding off on the Livescan till everything is 100%, but I also just want to get it done.

What county are you in.

Most counties require you pass the background before they will even come and inspect your house.

[Baby lady]

One thing you will find about CA regulations is that they are never consistent

Knives cannot be in a drawer. They must be as least 4.5ft from the ground or higher , as well as all cleaning supplies. I store mine ontop my fridge

Fireplace must be blocked off. At my old house I gated it off with a baby gate and threw a shelf in front of it.

Don't feel stressed about your inspection. LIC will help you fix things and educate you , they won't fail you or write you up.

If something major needs to be fixed then they might give you time to fix it and reschedule a time to come back and see if you did.

The dirt should not be a problem.
Good luck and welcome to the form

So true about no consistency here in CA!

My knives are in a drawer with a child proof latch :confused:

The dirt shouldn't be a problem, my yard was dirt for a long time

I also have a fireplace with glass doors with a child latch on them

[mom2many]

Ca is terrible about consistency in regs.... I've had one analyst want one thing and another want something else.

However, everyone has wanted my knives kept on my counter in a block & I got a waiver for my fireplace, so I didn't have to put up a 5 foot fence in front of it. When I was originally licensed 28 years ago, the analyst had no issue with it, but then 5 years later they said I needed one. It basically says that I won't use the fireplace during daycare hours & I need to keep the insert unplugged.

Welcome!

[NillaWafers]

Thank you everyone. I moved the knives because it seems if I locked them they would be less accessible? Thanks for the advice about the fireplace, it sounds like it should be fine.

I do have a knife block that sits on the counter. I guess if the drawer isn't good enough I can move it up to the block again. I really wish they would make this whole process more cut and dry.

I live in Los Angeles county. I meant what was the turnaround between getting your livescan and getting your inspection scheduled? I know I will pass the background. I just wanted to know on average how long it takes between the two.

[NillaWafers]

What county are you in.

Most counties require you pass the background before they will even come and inspect your house.

What I meant was I want time to make sure I'm up to standards. If I get the livescan and they come to my house the next day, that's not a lot of time

[NillaWafers]

Another question - medicine cabinets and bathrooms - must everything be out of reach, even with a childlock? I have to remove everything from it? I have a three door mirrored med cabinet. We only have one bathroom so unfortunately it will have to be the one the kids use.

I'm just trying to figure out where I'm going to put everything! My makeup and toothpast are in the drawers, and we have deoderant, lotion, bandaids in the cabinet. My actual medication is kept in the kitchen in a high cabinet with a child lock.

[Baby lady]

Should be ok if you have child proof locks on it.

I just put these on the top of my 3 door mirrored medicine cabinet

[NillaWafers]

Should be ok if you have child proof locks on it.

I just put these on the top of my 3 door mirrored medicine cabinet

I just removed everything and put it in baskets in our towel cabinet which is pretty high, easy enough for me to get stuff out - but the kids can't reach. I also baby-proofed it JIC. The only thing in our mirror now is deodorant and bandages. I hope that's ok.
I went ahead and installed a child lock on that drawer, we'll see what the inspector says about it when he/she comes. I was tempted to get a magnetic strip and just hang the knives really high but that almost seemed more dangerous (especially in earthquake country!)
I guess I've pretty much done as much as I can without the inspector right in front of me, I'll be doing the LiveScan in the new few weeks. We are going to Disneyland next week for my 4 year olds bday, so I don't really want to spend the money on the scan, haha.
Thanks for all your help. If anyone else has any more suggestions or advice I'm all ears

[sharlan]

You will quickly learn that CA is VERY, VERY inconsistent.

My knives are my counter, back in the corner, in a knife block. I also have knives in a drawer with a finger lock. I had my knives on top of my fridge until I dropped the block and knives fell everywhere.

No deodorant in the medicine cabinet. I put refrigerator locks on my downstairs shower so my niece can keep her soaps, razors, etc in the shower.

I have glass doors on my fireplace - no locks of any kind. When my grandsons were little, I tied the handles together so they couldn't get into the ashes.

If you own your home, the magnetic tot locks are a lifesaver. You can keep your soaps and cleaning supplies in those cabinets.

[MarinaVanessa]

I really wish they would make this whole process more cut and dry.

Don't we all honey, don't we all ::.

Like stated already, CA is not clear about what is and what isn't allowed. It is up to each annalist's interpretation about what is and isn't safe. I used to have my knives on the counter in a block also and passed my initial inspection but then at my next inspection that analyst said that wasn't allowed and that they had to be locked up. The only reason why I didn't get a citation was because I had an email from the previous analyst saying that it was ok. I moved them anyway and put them in a locked cabinet under my kitchen sink and that has counted as "inaccessible" so far, I don't see why a drawer with a drawer lock wouldn't count.

LiceScan can take 4-6 weeks to come back but I got my letter within 2 weeks. Once you get that letter call licensing and let them know (call your regional office, not Sacramento. It's much faster). They will check to make sure that you cleared the background check and if you have everything else in order and ready then they'll schedule your walk through. The walk through depends on their work load and availability. I called licensing the same day that I got my clearance and they called me 1-2 weeks later to schedule my appointment the following week. Other providers waited 3 weeks for a call back and they had their walk through scheduled 3- weeks later. It really just depends on how busy they are.

As far as the medicine cabinet goes it should be fine as long as you have a cabinet lock on it. If you don't want one installed then I'd just take everything out. Again, this depends on your analyst. I don't have medicine per say but I have children's tooth paste, antibiotic ointment, alcohol wipes and hydrocortizone cream (all single use packets) as well as sun screen in there but I keep them on the higher shelves and my analyst said it was fine because it was "out of sight, out of mind". I know another provider one city over and she can't even keep Neosporin in hers, she has a different analyst.

I keep my make-up and toiletries in my linen closet on a high shelf (above 5') and that seems to be the "rule of thumb" for things that don't need a lock. My cleaners are in my kitchen in an upper cabinet and they don't have a lock on them and they have never been an issue.

[sharlan]

I really wish they would make this whole process more cut and dry.

Don't we all honey, don't we all ::.

Like stated already, CA is not clear about what is and what isn't allowed. It is up to each annalist's interpretation about what is and isn't safe. I used to have my knives on the counter in a block also and passed my initial inspection but then at my next inspection that analyst said that wasn't allowed and that they had to be locked up. The only reason why I didn't get a citation was because I had an email from the previous analyst saying that it was ok. I moved them anyway and put them in a locked cabinet under my kitchen sink and that has counted as "inaccessible" so far, I don't see why a drawer with a drawer lock wouldn't count.

LiceScan can take 4-6 weeks to come back but I got my letter within 2 weeks. Once you get that letter call licensing and let them know (call your regional office, not Sacramento. It's much faster). They will check to make sure that you cleared the background check and if you have everything else in order and ready then they'll schedule your walk through. The walk through depends on their work load and availability. I called licensing the same day that I got my clearance and they called me 1-2 weeks later to schedule my appointment the following week. Other providers waited 3 weeks for a call back and they had their walk through scheduled 3- weeks later. It really just depends on how busy they are.

As far as the medicine cabinet goes it should be fine as long as you have a cabinet lock on it. If you don't want one installed then I'd just take everything out. Again, this depends on your analyst. I don't have medicine per say but I have children's tooth paste, antibiotic ointment, alcohol wipes and hydrocortizone cream (all single use packets) as well as sun screen in there but I keep them on the higher shelves and my analyst said it was fine because it was "out of sight, out of mind". I know another provider one city over and she can't even keep Neosporin in hers, she has a different analyst.
I keep my make-up and toiletries in my linen closet on a high shelf (above 5') and that seems to be the "rule of thumb" for things that don't need a lock. My cleaners are in my kitchen in an upper cabinet and they don't have a lock on them and they have never been an issue.

The joys of CA licensing are so gray.

I had an analyst physically remove ALL such items from my medicine cabinet and was told to move them to the garage.