Originally Posted By: away This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hopefully this is in the right forum.
I got my first call the other day about inspecting a quad-plex. It was an agent calling on behalf of her client. He was looking to have all four units inspected.
My question is how do most handle this? I told her that since it was 4 separate units, I would be doing 4 separate inspections and priced it as such. Obviously one roof but 4 of everthing else.
I don't think in Texas I can circumvent the SOP by the State so I would have to do a complete inspection on each unit.
After I got off the phone and thought about it a little more, I was thinking I should have cut the price somewhat since, (a) it was work, (b) it was one call for 4 inspections, (c) it was work, (d) it wasn't that big, and finally (e) it was work.
Just tossing this out to get some ideas. Thanks for any help.
Originally Posted By: gbeaumont This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hi to all,
Andrew, I have done many of these and normally I charge for the total building with an upcharge for each seperate dwelling unit, I would not book to many investment inspections if I just took my single family home price and multiplied by the number of units.
BTW. my price would be around $300 base plus 4 times $75 per unit with additional factors for building age.
Originally Posted By: mboyett This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Andrew,
Yikes…we better move to NH! I do a few duplexes and my fee is a base of $225 plus $50 upcharge for the duplex. In the case of a 4-plex I would charge $225+$50+$50 = $325.
You’re right also in thinking you can’t circumvent the TREC SOP but why would you even want to? You can, however, exclude items up front as long as they are disclosed and agreed upon with your client. This might come into play for a true investor wanting an inspection for ‘big ticket’ items.
Originally Posted By: away This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Gerry/Michael
Thanks for the tips. As I hinted I lost this one due to my pricing.
Michael,
I wasn't thinking about trying to get around the SOP as much as thinking that others not in TX may have scaled pricing for investor type "lite" inspections. Much like Russell does with his tiered pricing.
I guess it is true I could just start excluding a bunch of stuff but that could be a headache, e.g. if I saw something that was excluded and reported it (major issue) but then didn't report something else that turned into a major issue. If that makes sense. I have seen the pro and con arguments for doing inspections this way, but for me personally, I would rather just stick to the basics and do inspections at least to TREC standards if not more.
As they say, you live and learn, just wish I could have learned without losing the job. But I will come up with a pricing model so I am prepared the next time.
Originally Posted By: dspencer This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
What is the SF? I would charge $565…4 furnaces 4 elec panels etc… One roof…well the entire roof will need inspected so it is really 4 small roofs. I would cut a discount if …nah… wouldn’t, need to pay my insurance Co. any maint for my truck,IRS, advertising and… there is always the inexperienced part time guy; is the advise I give when a discount is asked for.
Originally Posted By: dspencer This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Oh and I would have had this job book by the end of the call. I would also offer to send them a sample of a similar inspections I recently did and offer that reference # is available. People do not have problems paying a higher price when it is worth it.
Originally Posted By: mboyett This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Darren has a good point…what was the square footage? My $225 is a minimum fee. If each unit was say 800 sf x 4 then that would be 3,200 x .10 psf + the upcharges. Then my fee would have been $420. Keep in mind that fees vary widely around the country. I’m competitive in my market but maybe not in others.
Originally Posted By: dhadler This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
FYI Regular inspection 300.00 +21.00GST = 321.00
Duplex … 475.00 +33.25GST = 508.25
Fourplex … 650.00 +45.50GST = 695.50
What are some of you other guys charging?
NOTE:
regular inspection is an average home up to 1800 sq. ft. with one furnace, and one double car garage.
* extra chg for character homes (built before 1950) 60.00 +GST
* extra chg for 2nd furnace 30.00+GST
-- Darrell Hadler
Five Star Home Inspections
Medicine Hat, Alberta CANADA
Originally Posted By: away This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
All,
The square footage was something like 1000sf/unit I think. As I said, this was my first call of this type, so it caught me off guard (just getting started and never gave it much thought). Yes that was bad on my part.
When I gave the realtor the price she really hesitated and I didn't want to then start haggling over a price. Read enough here to know better than that.
Unfortunately I don't have any inspections like this, so I didn't have anything to send her. Hmmmm, there's a thought, find someone with a duplex, triplex, or quadplex, and offer to do a "freebie" just to have something, chalk it up to education or sales and marketing.
Originally Posted By: dspencer This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
A sample inspection can be made up and doesn’t need to be an actual inspection and should aways be altered unless client releases the report for you to use as. Use images from past inspections and stop by any building and take a photo to use as a cover. Just include the statement that this is a Sample inspection.
Originally Posted By: pdacey This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I do these types of inspections on occasion. I price them at $0.10 per square foot of the entire building plus $25 each for ech additional HVAC, water heater and kitchen beyond the first one.
So at 4000 square feet and if we assume each unit had it's own HVAC, water heater and kitchen, my price would be $625. I would also bring a second inspector with me so it wouldn't take all day.
Originally Posted By: dedwards This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I do a lot of triplexes, duplexes, quads, townhouses. Figure up another price scale for these kind of dwellings that is comensurate with the typical sf. It will generally be slightly lower than that for a home. The SF is usually lower as well and typically there will not be a garage (sometimes there are) if there is figure it in as SF too. It is load bearing walls and you will be inspecting it. It is a home regardless and just treat it as one. It is simply having another price scale slightly modified. I usually get about 600 and up on a quad. Good luck on the next one.
Originally Posted By: mboyett This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
You know, it just dawned on me that we should be extremely careful discussing pricing. This can be and has been considered a prelude to ‘price fixing’ in some cases. Maybe the alleged NACHI Legal Advisors can give us some guidance…no, probably not. Anyway, let’s be cautious.
Originally Posted By: rsonneson This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Do about 1 a month for 3 different companies. I charge for a 4 plex with 1 bath and 4 furnaces, 4 AC, 4 electric panels. $660.00 broken down like this 125 per unit, 25 per furnace and AC 15 per electrical panel. If there are garages additional 35 per garage unit.
Chris, help me out here, I've only been following the board for about a year or so. Does that mean that this has been addressed in the past and that we should not be concerned about it as it is not an issue? Or do you mean that it's a lost cause, the boards are going to discuss pricing no matter what and that I should just accept it? Either one is fine, I'm just wondering.