Good afternoon CCPIA / InterNACHI Family. Forgive me as I am only learning how to post these things for the second time now. I’m tinkering around on Commercial property inspection fee calculator. LOVE IT! Quick questions for all, any suggestions on finding out how to establish your cost per age in years of building / Cost per stories of the building? I’ll happily take high/Low ends, or even a link for NEVADA area. Do any of you use these? if so, can you share any info, how you came up with the prices, High / Low end. I’ve been reading lots of articles, claiming many inspectors Do Not use it, some do, some don’t.
I understand you make your own pricing, it’s still a little difficult to figure where your starting price is, I thought of just starting with my basic Flat rate home inspection price, on the ones I can, but I feel things are a little deeper and complex for Commercial R.E.
I’m also trying to learn how much to charge, per square foot price, but I do love this calculator and find it quite useful and beneficial once you figure out certain things.
Anyways, I’d appreciate it, and any feedback is greatly appreciated. Please, and thank you everyone. Good luck and God bless always.
I’m glad CCPIA offers since guidance. But it will never standardize your pricing. Their guide will probably keep you from getting eaten alive on a project. But the reality is that nothing replaces experience.
I recommend you get as much peer support as you can on any project of more than average size or complexity. There are just too many variables.
I agree with Brian, with the addition of saying that peer support needs to come from experienced commercial inspectors, not random home inspectors with little to no real world experience managing and inspecting commercial properties.
It would also behoove you to team up with said experienced inspector(s) to gain onsite experience. These are NOT home inspections, and you cannot “fake your way” through them.
Note: Have you gotten quotes for your insurance yet? You cannot skimp on Commercial Insurance!!
To my brothers Jeffrey Jonas, and Brian Cawhern, I am extremely grateful for all your feedback, and I fully totally agree with you on all counts. I am not here to try and fake my way through, which i feel will only hurt you in the end, as well as injuries, possible law suits, just not good.
I will share a little brief story. I know right now the economy is difficult with people trying to buy houses, I have siblings who are Excellent Realtors, I here what they share, and agree its difficult right now for everyone, no matter what anyone says. I thought to maybe just continue my education, during this time, where my regular job was a little slow. Anyways trying to keep it short, Continued Education through InterNACHI, got me to certification status with them, which opened up many doors as all of you know. I am now a CPI with NACHI, which opened up learning about CCPIA. I was happy again for the door, and opportunity that opened up for me again. I did not say to myself, I’m going to go and do Commercial R.E. Inspections now. Hell NO, I did not. I want all of you to know, I am not a good student, I am a terrible student. I am a Worker. I grew up not asking to be taught, but when your given a job / (opportunity) to learn something, and get paid for it, do it! I was all about learning. My dad wasn’t much of an explanation teacher, but a watch, and learn, and do Teacher. When I first started doing home inspections, after I got out of class, I didn’t feel confident in doing it.
My sister who was a realtor, said she would ask one of her Home Inspectors, if he would take me on a walk through with him, he agreed, and what a difference it made for me. I had someone who agreed to let me come along with him. I had so many questions, but I knew his time was precious as all of ours is, I wrote them down, and just went on the inspection. I was so impressed by the way he did his Inspection, the Drone use, and how good he was at getting certain pictures, and the quality of the pics he was getting with the drone, to walking into the interior of the house, the absolute professional way he acted, and taught, and shared his technique of doing HIS way of inspections, inspired me. He was the mentor, and example of how I wanted to do Home Inspections.
I’ll fast forward, to learning about CCPIA, I love the whole thing!! i love that continuing to learn how to do Commercial, only adds a deeper knowledge, or whatever you winna call it, of what we do. I started with Commercial SOP’s, as well as Code of Ethics, loved them both, it’s everything we already do, just getting a little more complex, and detailed. Anyways, again, I want to learn it correctly, ask or watch our professionals, our seasoned veterans do it, and learn. I am working on hopefully making it to this workshop in Longmont, Co. sept 18th. We’ll see. Lol Wow, I just made a whole damn story. I wanted to say, I do respect everything you both have shared, and I take it to heart in learning. i will share another small experience with CCPIA that I loved, I was doing my course, i forgot which one, but it was the course where Rob did the walk-through Commercial Inspection, that was exactly what I was looking for, since I know and feel I watch and learn well that way. in answer to the questions that you asked me if i checked on my insurance, yes, I did, and received the certain “commercial” things for Me or my company to pass on. I am extremely grateful for the time you two shared with me, it was extremely educational, and insightful. I do not want to be jumping into any HUGE Inspections at the moment, but like i felt, another opportunity opened, when I met a Commercial Inspector who has been doing it for over 20 years today, simply by calling him, and sharing with him that I know found him through the CCPIA website, and I know his time is Extremely precious, and i do not wish to waste too much of his time. I shared with him who I was, simply said I do home inspections, blah blah, blah, I’m trying to step up in commercial, nothing big, just starting off with simple, small commercial offices, I just had a few questions if he had time to answer with someone starting out. I shared I would prefer to introduce myself as another inspector in the same field. I’m not here to compete with you by asking your prices, but asking what gave you the reason for your personal starting price? I also shared afterwards, that WHEN that opportunity comes, and i may need a second inspectors assistance, I hope I’ll be able to use in the future. I must say, for my second post ever in my life, I’ve found it extremely educational, inspiring, and Motivational.
Sorry for the long story everyone. My brothers, thank you for recommendations of continued peer learning, as well as learning from those doing it on a regular basis, which is what, and with whom I’m learning about. LOL Thanks again everyone. Good luck,
God bless always.