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Diagnostiqueur Immobilier

English translation: Buildings (hazards and utilities) inspector

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:Diagnostiqueur Immobilier
English translation:Buildings (hazards and utilities) inspector
Entered by: B D Finch

02:57 Dec 19, 2018
French to English translations [PRO]
Real Estate / Insurances
French term or phrase: Diagnostiqueur Immobilier
Je suis en train de traduire une certification du Diagnostic Immobilier vers l'anglais. Ça pourrait être "Real Estate Diagnostician/Diagnostic Operator/Inspector", mais je ne suis pas certain du terme. Qu'en pensez-vous?

Merci d'avance!

Exp: "Le diagnostiqueur immobilier / la diagnostiqueuse immobilière intervient sur un bien immobilier avant sa vente, sa location ou la réalisation de travaux sur celui-ci. En effet, la loi oblige tout propriétaire à faire réaliser des diagnostics immobiliers avant toute transaction. Ces diagnostics permettent d’assurer la protection des gens, des biens et également de l’environnement.

C’est un métier relativement récent, hyper spécialisé, exigeant et incontournable pour respecter la réglementation de l’immobilier.

Les contrôles et mesures qu’il effectue concernent la présence d’amiante, de plomb, de termites et autres parasites, l’installation du gaz, de l’électricité, le fonctionnement des ascenseurs, l’installation de la sécurité incendie.

Lors de ces contrôles, il peut être amené à utiliser un matériel spécifique (appareil à fluorescence pour diagnostiquer la présence de plomb) ou à faire des prélèvements (pour diagnostiquer la présence d'amiante..).

Toutes ces mesures et opérations font l’objet d’une rédaction d’un rapport de visite extrêmement précis et détaillé de la part du diagnostiqueur....."
Aybüke B.
Türkiye
Local time: 23:45
Buildings (hazards and utilities) inspector
Explanation:
I think that it's important to specify "buildings" here, as the inspection doesn't cover unbuilt upon land, which is included in the terms "property" or "real estate". I'd also avoid using the term "surveyor" because the training and nature of the inspection performed is quite different from that of an English building surveyor. I'd also avoid "building inspector" because, in England, that is a person working for the local authority to check that new-build or rehab. building (construction) works are compliant with the Building Regulations. (Without their certificate, occupation of the building is prohibited.)

So, although we would talk in England of an "asbestos survey" or a "gas and electrical inspection", I think that it's safer to use the term "inspector" here. Also, as the remit is limited, to very specific areas (vitally, the diagnostiqueur immobilier does not check structural soundness, which is the main focus of an English building surveyor), I'd add "hazards and utilities" in brackets to indicate the limited scope of the inspection.

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Note added at 7 hrs (2018-12-19 10:50:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Note that the diagnostiqueur immobilier also inspects commercial buildings: https://bit.ly/2rJx5Va https://www.diagamter.com/actualites/les-5-diagnostics-immob...
Selected response from:

B D Finch
France
Local time: 22:45
Grading comment
Thank you so much!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +5Buildings (hazards and utilities) inspector
B D Finch
4 +1Property Surveyor
Tony M
3property / real estate assessment agent
Thomas Miles
3home inspector
David Hayes
3building diagnostician
Mpoma


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
property / real estate assessment agent


Explanation:
Having used solutions based on "assessment" in the past when dealing with various forms of "diagnostic", I see no reason not to extend it a little further.

Thomas Miles
France
Local time: 22:45
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you so much! I am agree with you Tony, I think it is quite hard to find an exact definition but I don't think it could be assessment


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: 'assessment' could lead to some misunderstanding as to their actual role, and tends to connote some kind of 'valuation'; in truth, they are a special and very limited kind of surveyor.
3 hrs
  -> I see what you mean - I think I recall using "technical assessment" (as opposed to any monetary assessment) iin the past, as I was referring to the "diagnostic technique"
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
home inspector


Explanation:
I doubt an exact equivalent can be found, but the term "home inspector" is often suggested in property related literature. Ex. https://www.diagnostiqueur-immobilier.fr/actu2.asp?num=932

It would appear that a home inspector has a much more comprehensive remit and basically carries out a complete check of a property (https://www.hotcourses.com/careers-advice-uk/construction-pr... But the basic idea is the same - the diagnostiqueur immobilier just checks less than a home inspector.

There is a difference between a home inspector and a property surveyor, although there is no doubt some overlap in the terminology: https://books.google.fr/books?id=67UKGTj0JhUC&pg=PT69&lpg=PT...
and: https://www.redfin.com/resources/property-survey

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Note added at 6 hrs (2018-12-19 09:11:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I'm sure 'property inspector' would cover it too. But UK-based sources seem to talk about 'home inspector' (maybe to avoid confusion with 'property surveyor', who deals with the total property [land + buildings] involved in the sale or rent, whereas a home inspector only inspects the building).

David Hayes
France
Local time: 22:45
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you David, maybe we can call it "property inspector"?


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: I think any use of 'inspector', especially when collocated with 'home', is inadvisable, as to some extent it is redolent of 'sanitary inspector' etc. 'Property' doesn't per se connote 'land as well' — a property is a 'bien immobilier'.
1 hr
  ->  I completely disagree with what you say about inspector. The term is used in English sources.
neutral  B D Finch: I disagree with Tony's comment about "inspector". Only people of a certain age or historians would make the connection with "sanitory inspectors". However, "diagnostiqueur immobilier" covers commercial property too. https://bit.ly/2rJx5Va
2 hrs
  -> Fair point (and already conceded to the asker). Shows an exact equivalent probably doesn't exist.
neutral  Thomas Miles: I like 'property inspector'.
9 hrs
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Property Surveyor


Explanation:
BUT — assuming this is for mainland France, you do need to explain in some way and at some point that this is not a 'surveyor' in the normal EN-GB sense of the word, but somebody who performs a pre-determined and very limited range of investigations, which are referred to as a 'diagnostique technique' — checking for the presence of lead / asbestos / termites, the condition of the electrcial installation, the theoretical energy performance of the property, etc.
So it is a long way from being a comprehensive 'survey' as we are used to in the UK (and possibly US too, for all I know?) — it is just a set of checks to satisfy French laws on this subject. Hence why an explanation is VITAL, though you may have trouble finding out quite where to fit it into your text! Possibly some kind of translator's footnote?


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2018-12-19 09:14:42 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In my view, that would be a mis-translation, since there is no real element of 'diagnosis' about it; bear in mind that is something of a faux ami between FR and EN, since at least in technical senses, 'diagnostique' more often than not means 'troubleshooting', which is really more like what this is.
I think you have to accept that since there is no exact equivalent role in EN, there is not going to be a precise term, and it may be to some extent perverse to seek to 'invent' a new 'standard' term. Better in my view to use an existing term that conveys the right 'flavour' for what the job is all about, albeit too broad, and then narrow it down in explanation.

If you want to avoid any connotation of a professional 'Chartered Surveyor' etc., you might decide to use a term like 'Survey Technician', for example, which is similar enough to convey the general idea, yet avoids creating a spurious equivalence.

Tony M
France
Local time: 22:45
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 365
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you Tony! Maybe it is the closest expression but I think it should be a specific expression for this very spefic domain which is mandatory in France. That's why I thought about "Diagnostician"


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mark Nathan: Yes, perhaps a slightly longer version along the lines of "person who carries out specialized property surveys", or just "specialized property surveyor".
3 hrs
  -> Thanks, Mark!
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +5
Buildings (hazards and utilities) inspector


Explanation:
I think that it's important to specify "buildings" here, as the inspection doesn't cover unbuilt upon land, which is included in the terms "property" or "real estate". I'd also avoid using the term "surveyor" because the training and nature of the inspection performed is quite different from that of an English building surveyor. I'd also avoid "building inspector" because, in England, that is a person working for the local authority to check that new-build or rehab. building (construction) works are compliant with the Building Regulations. (Without their certificate, occupation of the building is prohibited.)

So, although we would talk in England of an "asbestos survey" or a "gas and electrical inspection", I think that it's safer to use the term "inspector" here. Also, as the remit is limited, to very specific areas (vitally, the diagnostiqueur immobilier does not check structural soundness, which is the main focus of an English building surveyor), I'd add "hazards and utilities" in brackets to indicate the limited scope of the inspection.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 hrs (2018-12-19 10:50:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Note that the diagnostiqueur immobilier also inspects commercial buildings: https://bit.ly/2rJx5Va https://www.diagamter.com/actualites/les-5-diagnostics-immob...

B D Finch
France
Local time: 22:45
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 271
Grading comment
Thank you so much!
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you so much!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M: Sounds like a good compromise, all your arguments are sound.
19 mins
  -> Thanks Tony
agree  Francois Boye
3 hrs
  -> Merci Francois
agree  Thomas Miles: I like 'inspector/inspection' and will modify my personal term base accordingly!
7 hrs
  -> Thanks Thomas
agree  Nikki Scott-Despaigne
1 day 13 hrs
  -> Thanks Nikki
agree  Mpoma: (later: I now agree...!) well-argued case, but to me these diagnosticians (my preferred term) are more specialised ... they seem to specialise in termites or dry rot or asbestos or wiring... For me an inspector conjures up fire safety checks above all..
2 days 5 hrs
  -> Thanks Mpoma. I still think you overrate them. They have to report on all those things: 4 days' training on each. Building inspectors (working for firms of surveyors) and building control inspectors in England are much better trained and higher level.
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2 days 12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
building diagnostician


Explanation:
Someone who does a diagnosis on a living being can be called this, but the terminology now also applies to systems ... to me it is more specific than an "inspector": a diagnostician is seeking out "system failures" or ways in which the organism of the building is "sick" and then characterising that sickness... whether pertaining to asbestos, termites, dodgy wiring, etc.

Just to show I'm not making this terminology up in this specific application, check out "Building Diagnostics" at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_diagnostics (also mentions "building diagnosticians")

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Note added at 3 days 7 hrs (2018-12-22 10:26:35 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

On examining that Wikipedia entry, however, I see that the idea of "building diagnosis" is a bit more hi-tech than things to do with asbestos, wiring, termites, etc. So probably BDF's suggestion is nearer the mark

Mpoma
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:45
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  B D Finch: They really do very little that deserves to be called "diagnosis". The check is pretty cursory. Check out this https://www.allodiagnostic.com/devenir-diagnostiqueur-immobi... - four days training in each of the eight subjects they have to check.
34 mins
  -> Haha yes, but that doesn't surprise me: a fancy job title for very little skill. Conversely I'd say an inspector will usually have much and wide experience. But the text above says "C’est un métier relativement récent, hyper spécialisé..."
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