I have to come up with a quote for the inspection of all the decks at a condo community. Multi story condos with decks on 2nd and 3rd levels, several dozen units.
Not really sure what to charge, and as I ponder it logically I figured I should ask here and seek any wisdom available.
Thanks in advance!
Well, from your website, you acclaim to be a Deck and Commercial Inspector, so you should have an idea what to look for and approximately how long it will take you to inspect those decks.
I would imagine that the time it takes you to inspect the decks and report time would give you an idea of how much to charge.
Time = money. How you need compensation for an hours work is strictly up to you.
There is no magic formula.
If it was me, after seeing the job briefly, I would establish a per hour rate based on the amount of time I spend in the field and on the reporting.
Mileage will vary as a friend of mine puts it. 
the last single system decks only i did was $125.00 per for 305
this also included attempting to photo document all associated structural exterior, doors, windows and interior sub-floor and trim damage so each individual owner could get a % reimbursed from the hoa reserve
I was hung up on whether or not to charge the typical hourly rate I use for a full building inspection that includes all the systems including electrical, or a modified rate since decks are much less involved, but as you stated time = money and time spent here is time not spent elsewhere and therefore I think that the standard rate should apply.
Thanks Marcel, your input is very much appreciated.
Chris,
Time and age are two factors, I am curious as to what the owner expects to get for the money? You better get that in writing. Are they looking for safety concerns, maintenance issues or both. Depending on what he wants and how you write your contract you could be guilty of practicing engineering without a license.
To me deck only inspections usually means structural stability, i.e. is it capable of carrying the loads safely. If the decks are cantilevered, then the issue becomes how to identify and account for the portion hidden inside the wall. Just be aware a brand new deck can be structurally deficient, if improperly designed.
I am sure you are aware if a deck fails the first questions are; when was the last time they were inspected and who was the inspector?
Exactly, and my first thought was… “How good is your insurance”?
I understand the concern to a certain extent, but we must ask ourselves this very question in everything we do. Does anybody disclaim every deck on every home they inspect? IMO, if you can inspect one, you can inspect them all. If you can’t inspect them all, you can’t inspect any.
Yes proper deck inspecting requires specialized training. I have taken two deck construction and inspecting classes that were actual hands-on, besides the one offered here at InterNACHI, and I am qualified to inspect the decks I am referring to here in this thread. But no I will not be performing any engineering, and the Scope of the inspection will be precisely laid out in the contract.
These are good comments, and I will absolutely take this all under advisement and give it more careful consideration, and welcome any other comments you all may have.