I suggest to search at Goggle under “Home Inspection Fees Ontario.” It is an interesting read about reality and fantasy. In particular the income potential claimed by Training Institutes and Franchisees looking for suckers.
From what I read on some of the states this is not happened .
It seems like it has not worked well in most cases .
Much information on this forum … Roy
Yuri and all, yes something has to be done…but to leave pricing at the hands of the gov’t…please give me a lava enema instead! We have an SOP and most of us observe it but how do you enforce it…the gov’ts plan as always…higher taxes …hire idiots to monitor but they never will.
I hate when a realtor calls and the first thing he/she asks “do you carry E and O” which transposes into I am trying to sell a sh?? hole and they can sue your sorry ***** not mine. I am usually busy that day.
Why are not the realtors more accountable when they share the biggest piece of the pie…baffles me! :twisted:
We all want a level honest playing field not set up by people from the past but new blood…ambitious individuals. I saw so much deception when I was a renovator by so called “contractors” “handyman”
I give a rats ***** about people I couldn’t sleep doing a crappy job!
So many good things have been suggested but we collectively don’t follow through. We need an Internachi Ontario head office. Accountability wins consumer confidence not fines or bloated insurance fees.
Sorry for the rant!
Scott, once again, I’m not advocating for licensing. And yes, I agree, that Realtors should be better educated. And this is the job, that everyone of the home inspectors has to do. But my question is still there: why plumbers, electricians, HVAC contractors charge more or less the same rate? Why home inspectors’ fees for the same house are at best 200% different? And what needs to be done to change this situation so that finally we can earn some respect for our service?
As long as it is easy to be working as an HI the price wars will rage. Unfortunately it’s too easy to become an HI. I’m not saying a good quality HI of course, just an HI. If being an accredited electrician/appraiser/lawyer etc. was voluntary much as being a CMI, or RHI and what have you, you would see the same thing in those industries. When you can be an HI with just a business licence and business card, lowballing will continue to run rampant. MTC
Agree 100%.
In my opinion there are way too many HI at least here in my area and the housing market is very slow here right now and has been since early Aug. It is the slowest I have seen in years, every HI is fighting for work. last month had an inspection lined up price agreed on, last minute client calls and said he had talked to another HI and that HI would do it for $10 less, would I lower my price, I said no. Well he wanted me to do inspection so he paid the price. I get calls all the time first words out of their mouth is how much, all they care about is price not quality.
It is interesting Rob, because the real estate transactions are actually on the rise and the sales are on the rise. The fact that there are too many HI is attributed again to the easiness of becoming one. Even with all the requirements set out by various associations. If we will not set a decent benchmark fee for our services based on ALL the overhead expenses surrounding this job, we will never gain any respect for our profession. People don’t seem to understand what it takes to perform a home inspection properly.
You would expect them to voluntarily do this? The reason they don’t want to is obvious, the reason they CAN is that there are probably 50 to 100 times more REA’s than home inspectors, perhaps they have a little more influence than HI’s?
Perhaps they have more influence on politicians than others in the industry? Do you think it’s coincidence that HI legislation where it exists, does not address the basic conflict of intrest of REA’s recommending a HI?
Hi guys,
i think the better way to fix that problem is this: interNACHI should set up some kind of minimum and maximum fees that all members has to follow
include it in interNACHI standard
when i was a contractor, to stay a member of NB Home Builder Association, electrician, plumber, carpenter, each trades had to follow a hourly rates , so, to quote a project, we knew that all the labor rates where all the same, the rest was material and how fast you can perform the job
is just a question to find a way to be fair for every one
but don’t forget, in any trade, there is allways some part-time jack-of-all-trade who is cutting price to get some extra money
If you are fast you should get 100 bucks/hr
If you are slow you only get 50 buck/hr
If you just started you should make 25 bucks/hr and work with a Professional.
If you don’t want to work for a Professional get out before you loose your shirt in legal fees.
When you can be an HI with just a business licence and business card, or a 10-14 day course or get online certification cheaply, lowballing will continue to run rampant. If you don’t have to pay much for the training, there’s no reason to charge much for the service; it’s only beer money and supplements a fulltime job.
I have had 2 emails in the last week from people wanting to be a home inspector. One fellow was a young pre-inspection client of mine 3 years ago. I guess owning a house for 3 years may also be enough experience to become an inspector.
This is what I have been saying all along, we don’t have much clout. Realtors ,Lawyers and Insurance companies are the driving force in the politicians ears.
we are not.
I see that you are too a cahpi associate member, they are making lots of noise in commercials and news articles…we are not!
The difference is cahpi wants to be the only recognized HI association and bury everyone else. I wish that a particular set of standards was in place for ALL. JMHO
Many of us where CAHPI members and saw the light .
There are more ex CAHPI members in Canada then there are CAHPI members in Canada .
CAHPI/ONT has always had more Student/Associate members then RHI members .
This is the only way they can exist by continually selling membership to the Novices .
Most se the CAHPI click is only using them and they move on .
Been there saw no advantage in lining the pockets of the directors and left .
When the President said to me how the he makes more money on teaching students then he does from inspections .
I looked around and saw how many are in this for then selves and not the industry .
I too saw right through OAHI from the get go. I went with InterNachi because of the web site at the time I was interested. I even saw those that were registered with them doing things that were unethical at the time. Do not ask me to elaborate on this for I will not comment.
Still happens and please do be carefull there are some who can be mean .
I see a lot of negative comments about CAHPI, OAHI and ASHI on the board, not sure what’s going on in Ontario with CAHPI or ASHI but I belong to CAHPI Alberta because of the stringent entry requirements that exist. I also support InterNACHI in what they do but was quite disappointed to see the massive backlash against the recent attempted crack down on members who have not kept up their education requirements.
I sure some InterNACHI members look down their nose at my Associate designation and at least one CAHPI Alberta member has refused to list me as a member on their website because I belong to InterNACHI. If we as Canadian and North American HI’s can’t get our **** together, we will continue to be looked down upon by journeyman trades people, real estate agents etc…
I’m afraid that we are a long ways away…
I do not look down on you Rick. Caphi has tried to bully on some of the fronts. I think the reason Nick made higher requirements was a forced issue. We now have been established in Canada as a credited “Home Inspection School.” When I was at the meeting in Alberta they were trying to stop InterNachi at the boarder. This did not work and this is why we sit were we are today over 1000 strong and growing. Ontario OAHI is trying the same thing.
Do you think they will have success?
My understanding is that the InterNACHI CPI designation did not meet the requirements so Nick was successful in getting CMI approved. The InterNACHI education is now accepted but that is only one of the criteria for getting a Alberta HI license.
Like I said, I don’t know the first thing about OAHI but I don’t believe for one minute that CAHPI Alberta is some how milking its members like a cash cow… to what end? Its not like there would be a huge slush fund for fancy dinners and hookers for the elite members 