Wet crawlspaces can be dangerous. It only takes one of the many loose, hanging, exposed hot wires I’ve found under houses to turn the wet crawl into a lethal experience. Be careful under there.
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For those of you who don’t charge extra because it is in the SOP you might want to consider this. Just because it’s in the SOP doesn’t mean you can’t charge extra for it. Take this into consideration. If doing the crawl takes you an extra 45 minutes on that one house, and you don’t charge extra for it, in a sense you are charging all your other clients more for theirs. I, on the other hand, charge my non-crawl clients less because it won’t take as long. Fortunately, around these parts, crawl spaces are few and far between.
You might not like this part either. For fireplaces/chimneys, I disclaim them 100% in spite of what the SOP states we should inspect. I tell every client I have with a fireplace/chimney, that by me taking a peek inside, it tends to give folks a false sense of security. I personally believe very strongly that every fireplace should have a Level II inspection performed by a qualified chimney sweep. I also offer them the option of having that done as an ancillary service. It’s an option that they can choose or not.
Just my 2 cents…
Great advice Mark. Thanks!
However, one could take that analogy much, much further (and not directed at anyone specific notwithstanding my use of the pronoun “you”):
Do you charge more for inspecting attics? Many of the McMansions here don’t have attics because of their vaulted ceilings. Most condos don’t have attics, but some do.
Do you charge more for inspecting laundry areas? Many older homes here do not have laundry areas, and many condos have a common laundry room.
Do you charge more for inspecting fireplaces? Many homes and condos do not have fireplaces. On the other side of the coin, some McMansions have six or seven fireplaces.
Do you charge more for central heating and cooling? Walking around to all those vent registers to check air flow can be time-consuming, especially in a two-story McMansion with five systems.
Do you charge more for homes that have been lived in? After all, they probably have some occupant-caused damage that will need to be documented, meaning that a house that has never been lived in should be easier to do.
Do you charge more for the McMansion’s six-car garage? More for those extra water heaters? More for the extra kitchen? More for multiple garbage disposals? More for this, more for that?
As I’ve stated in other places, I find it very convenient to simply average the time that it takes to do inspections. Over the years, I’ve found that it takes me about 1¼ hours for every 1,000 square feet, so I tell those who ask that it takes me about 1¼ hours for every 1,000 square feet to give me a little hedge room for older properties. If it takes me longer, oh well. I’m sure there will be a property that will not take me as long to do, so I’ll make it up there.
If I really wanted to be religious about it, so to speak, I would simply charge $99 per hour with a base charge of $99. The base charge would pay for my travel time and gasoline. I know Jerry Peck was having success in Florida charging by the hour, but he had also been in business for a gazillion years. He also did 3-day inspections on nothing but McMansions, and his Clients always had the privilege of telling him when to stop inspecting, pay him, and everyone was happy.
There were many inspectors here (were is the key word there) who used to nickel-and-dime their Clients to death. Those inspectors are no longer in business here, and I think there’s a reason why. For the most part, people just don’t like to be nickel-and-dimed to death. It’s a reason why I no longer have a land-line phone; I got tired of a $9.95 phone bill that ballooned to $80 with all the nickels and dimes for this and that.
I’ve generally found that in price-sensitive industries, it’s better to be as simple as possible.
With all that said, there’s nothing wrong with charging more for certain things. One simply has to understand how to do that. The best way is to advertise “Call for a firm price for your property and zip code that will be good for 30 days.” Now, when they call, get all that information and then provide them a quote. Never, never, never say,
"Well, to travel out to your property will be $99.
Since you have a 1,750-SF house, that will be another $199 since I’ll have to inspect the roof, exterior walls, and foundation.
Does it have a fireplace? Yes? That will be another $99.
Does it have central heating and cooling? It does? Great! That will be another $99.
Is the furnace in the garage, an interior closet, or the attic? The attic? Alright. That will be another $99 for the attic.
Do you know what kind of foundation it has? No? Well let me look it up in the public records. Hold on a minute. Okay, both the MLS listing sheet and the public records say that it has a raised foundation, so that will be another $99.
Do you have a laundry area? You do? Is it in a closet, a room by itself, or in the garage? A room by itself, probably with a sink, right? That’s what I thought. Okay. Laundry room with a sink will be another $99.
And how big is the garage? Four car? Nice. That will be an extra $99 for the extra two car spaces.
Okay. I think we’re there. Let’s add all this up.
$99 for travel,
$199 for the roof, exterior walls, and foundation.
$99 for the fireplace.
$99 for the central air conditioning and another.
$99 for the attic.
$99 for crawling under the house.
$99 for the laundry room and sink.
$99 for the four-car garage.
Alright, that comes to $892."
You don’t even have to “personally believe” that in order to recommend it. I look at it like this, and this is what goes in my report and is in my home inspection agreement:
“[FONT=Verdana]Notwithstanding anything noted by RAY concerning the roof, the heating and cooling system, fireplaces and chimneys, and wood-destroying pests and organisms, RAY specifically and expressly recommends that CLIENT have a complete heating and cooling system evaluation before close of escrow, a CSIA Level II inspection of the fireplace and chimney before close of escrow, a complete inspection by a qualified termite and pest control professional before close of escrow, and, annually and prior to the next rainy season, a complete roof inspection by a licensed roofing contractor.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]Readers can get a complete copy of my home inspection agreement at my wise old grandmothers iNACHI library.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana]I also “personally believe” what San Diego Gas & Electric and licensed plumbers here recommend concerning gas-using appliances, and water and gas shutoff valves, so I put this in my report, again notwithstanding anything that I might say in the report:[/FONT]
[FONT=‘Times New Roman’][FONT=Verdana]“Plumbing—Note: Licensed plumbing professionals recommend an annual inspection of all gas and water shutoff valves, and I cannot summarily dismiss their recommendations. Gas and water shutoff valves that do not get turned on and off regularly often fail when they are turned on or off, usually because of mineral accumulation within the valve, or rusted/corroded components. Such valves include the primary and secondary water shutoff valves for the property, and the valves at the toilets, sinks, laundry, and kitchen; and gas shutoff valves at the furnace, water heater, laundry, and kitchen. Notwithstanding anything noted in this report about gas and water shutoff valves, recommend having valves tested/inspected by a licensed plumbing professional before close of escrow.”
I know some of my Clients listen and some don’t, but I’ve protected myself regardless of what they do.
If one gets taken to task for one’s “personal beliefs,” make sure that one has the support of various third parties, such as common electrician recommendations (replace two-prong outlets with three-prong, etc.), plumbers (test all valves annually), etc. As my wise old grandmother once said, “Not responsible for recommendations not followed.”[/FONT][/FONT]
After only a small amount of reading these forums… I think Russell is usually spot on.
And daggummit… I charge more for crawls too… but I take that into account when talking to the customer.
i agree with most of what RR said. I charge by the Sq fT and it’s just easier.
Bill