Needs paint. And that limb is going to break and really mess it up. 
So if I understand you, you would charge more for a free standing deck that touches but is not attached to the house?
Think brick veneer.
How do you handle a garage that is connected by a “breezeway”?
Attached or Detached?
Btw… perhaps it’s a Minnesota thing as we like to play with our toys in the garage during the frigid Winter, but many of our attached garages have sub-panels. They also have heating systems. I won’t even get into drainage pits to waste (not storm). With the exception of a shared “firewall” (that doesn’t need inspected on a detached structure, thus saving a lot of time) vs an extra exterior wall, there isn’t much difference in the workload.
needs to be used for a smaller vehicle, like a vespa…or a bicycle
I like the one size fits all solution of including one garage and one shed with the standard home inspection fee, weather attached or detached… but you have to set your standard home inspection fee accordingly.
Hello, I would like to have an Inspection on a 1500 sf. home. When could you do it?
Well, I could do it next Thursday.
How much does it cost?
You have given me the s. f. so all I need to know now is does it have a basement, one level, and how old.
Does it have a garage?
Yes, it is detached.
Do you want it inspected also?
Yes.
Ok.
The price will be $350
There you go, I have added $50 and they don’t even know it.
If it is part of the house, it would have been $300.
Why, because it is less work when attached.
:)
I must be missing something…
Our Office has never offered ala Carte Inspections…
We question the Client
to assess the needs…
and price the Inspection Cost (in totality) to meet that need…
Example…
Residential Apartment, Duplex and 6 Bay Garage…
Price was quoted as one Fee…
nothing to suggest any extras involved…
Price is…
what it is…
The territory is a little different for some.
Houses here can be 200’ apart or 2 miles apart.
https://maps.google.com/:)
Ditto.
I do not have my prices on my website. I do not give my prices to REA, because then they try to tell the prospective home buyer how much I would charge when they only go by the sqf of the house.
As Joseph said, when the client calls, I get info from him/her about the house, about any detached structure, about any other present items that are not required to be inspected under TREC SoP, about any ancillary services they may want, and only after that will I give them a quote for the totality. They accept it or refuse it.
A few ways: Detached garages often have a sub-panel. Often an attic structure that’s visible (not often in an attached garage). Often times the detached is a POS, which adds time. Four exterior sides to look at… It’s not a burden, but rather an opportunity to make a little more $$. Do whatever you like. It’s a free country.
Nope.
A deck which is free standing is no different than a precast stoop at the front of the house. It is a functional part of the home. A truly detached deck, with distance between it and the house, is an amenity.
I consider those attached. If they fall over, catch on fire, sink into a hole, whatever, they will probably damage the home or injure the occupants. That makes it part of the home in my book. And it is attached. 
Are you referring to the garage or the breezeway?
Not trying to be an a-hole, just carrying on the conversation so some of the new guys can make an educated decision on how they will operate their own businesses, hopefully avoiding some of the mistakes the more “seasoned” of us have made.
To each their own. The joys of owning your own business!
I’m picturing a breezeway with at least a covered at roof which is attached. That’s kind of the cut off point for me to consider it detached. I don’t see a lot of those scenarios though, usually the garage is just completely connected or not.
And for the record, I don’t disparage one way or another. If I included detached structures I would market it to the hilt. When it comes to marketing, whatever the competition does, my goal is to make clients value my methods more. Perhaps that’s why I don’t know of one client complaint about not including detached garages, I try to only speak about what I do offer, not what I don’t.
That last one is an excellent reason to include breezeways connecting to a garage as an attached garage! :shock:
My opinion as well, and the reason I chose that pic to post (yes, all from Google) but I suspect that there are those that would inspect the breezeway and not the garage. I doubt they will ever admit to it though, IMO. :neutral:
Im not sure this is really answering the question, so maybe Im copping out, but, Just saying.
As a New York State Licensed Inspector, NYS Law says I dont have to inspect out buildings, including garages that arent attached.
In my opinion, that means if the State decided I dont have to be responsible for it, I should charge more since Im raising my liability on my own decision. Or at the least I can mention this to my Client and ask them if they want to pay more.
Usually if by State law Im not required to Inspect something, I will mention that fact and give it a quickie, mostly for major defects or safety issues, and not charge. But thats just me.
You’re right… you didn’t answer the question! 
JK :mrgreen:
So how does NY State define an Attached garage? What does it take to attach it? A breezeway? Other? Or built in or directly connected? :neutral:
Thanks Marcel, yeah thats how I define it, I have to assume the State does the same way. If it was connected by a breezeway, Id check all, the breezeway, and the garage. But I have seen garages hundreds of yards away, I have also seen gargages with apartments above them, separate heating and cooling systems, bathrooms, etc. So I see why detactched doesnt need to be included, and My answer then would be Yes I charge more for a Detached, Hows that J.Jonas ??? LOL