Exterior Tread Repair
It looks like this stairway has been repaired
recently with the installation of some new stair treads.
Your first clue as a home inspector would be to look where the black
arrow is pointing to a little hole on the stair stringer.
Your second clue of course would be the brand new stair treads and their
shiny new stair tread brackets.
This would be a good sign of home maintenance and will give you a clue
that the property has been well maintained.
It would be a good idea to measure each stair riser to make sure they do
not vary more than a quarter of an inch per step and have no more than 8
inches of stair rise for a private residence.
I am only suggesting this because some building repairs do not require a
building inspector or permit. There are going to be some instances where
these repairs could have been made by an inexperienced contractor.
Usually walking up and down the stairs will give you an idea about how
they feel or if some steps feel different, but it never hurts to double
check these measurements for safety.
If the stairs were used for public access the building code is different
and you should contact your local building department for the correct
measurement.