Hello. I am taking this course to do inspections as a part time supplementary income job to hopefully start my own home inspection business one day full time. I am a licenced HVAC contractor currently and have also thought about opening an hvac business, but feel the income would be better with a home inspection firm. I am torn, and I am understanding from the code of ethics that it would prevent me from doing any repair work on HVAC systems that I have inspected for more than 12 months, which means I would be cutting off a lot of business in a smaller service area by offering both services. but my question is: is it ethical, and allowed in most jurisdictions, to offer an upgraded HVAC inspection as an ancillary inspection (like radon, mold, sewer inspections, etc) since i am properly trained and licensed contractor? I would have an additional waiver and seperate fee for this and act as a licensed HVAC contractor for this portion. My waiver would indicate that I could diagnose faults and issues with the system but could not make repairs on the system for any issues noted due to a conflict of interest.
Also, if the above would be considered ethical and allowed, would it also be allowed to give my customer a business card for future work (after 12 months) such as for routine HVAC maintenance, repairs, replacements, etc?
If I have to choose trades, I think I will be choosing the home inspection route, at least for my own business. I have devoted a lot of time and effort in training and licensing for HVAC to let it go completely especially with the market that we have right now for it. It may mean that I have to stay with home inspections full time and work out of my home inspection service area for my hvac services.
If you’re performing home inspections, you cannot perform work, as you know, for 12 months. It smells fishy to me but if you want to hand them a card (for 12 months later?) OK.
You can suggest a technically exhaustive HVAC inspection using gauges, take apart units, etc. But now that you’ve put that in the buyer’s head, perhaps he now wants that on plumbing, electrical, etc. He just may go somewhere else to find an all in one shop.
You can use something like this in your agreement. We may perform engineering, architectural, plumbing, HVAC or any other job function requiring an occupational license in the jurisdiction where the property is located. If we hold a valid occupational license, we may inform you of this and you may hire us to perform additional functions. Any agreement for such additional services shall be in a separate writing.
