Why is it important for inspectors to identify main water and fuel shut-off valves?

Identifying main water and fuel shut-off valves is essential for home inspectors primarily because these valves need to be easily accessible in case of an emergency. Emergencies could include a water leak, gas leak, or other situations where turning off the main supply may prevent damage, injury, or even save a life. Knowing the location of these shut-off valves allows homeowners and emergency responders to quickly address potentially hazardous situations. Access to these valves significantly enhances safety and can prevent extensive property damage.

While evaluating water pressure, confirming potability, and documenting plumbing layouts are valuable tasks, they do not directly address the urgent need to access shut-off valves during emergencies. Hence, those aspects, though important in their own right, do not fulfill the primary purpose of identifying the location of these critical shut-off points.