Do you folks base your inspection price on the Total Square Footage of the home or just the Heated Portion?
If just the Heated Portion do you scale your pricing a little higher because of the garages/lanai/enclosed patio space?
Area under roof.
Yep!
Everything under roof
Thanks
Here’s a good one… made an appointment with a client today…she gave me the footage. I checked with the town property tax assessor for the real footage. Gave her my price, she accepted. The Real Estate Agent contacts me and says that what I gave as footage was not the right one. I explained that I go by the Tax Assessor otherwise anyone can claim what the footage is…she said I am going to tell my client to re-think using you, then hung up on me. If she let me explain I would have worked with her. But she was an ***… I would have dropped my price $50 to make $350. Unreal!
I use total sq ft.
But Marc - the house is 840 sq ft less under air.
I ask - you want the garage, pool, structural, sprinkler system,
porches, topography/drainage etc inspected.
I have a spinning price wheel and I throw darts at it until I get a number I am comfortable with! 
I go by a combination of square footage and price.
So you include the attic square footage in your calculations? :razz:
Smartass! :mrgreen:
Am I?
I was mearly responding to the statement made. If you don’t mean it, don’t say it. Same would apply to crawlspaces. Do you include crawlspace actual square footage in your fee, or a flat rate fee, or none at all? Why?
And then there’s unfinished basements (technically non-habitable space)… :-k
Yes you were. “Under roof” means total square footage (habitable and non-habitable). Even enclosed porches have a roof and walls that need to be inspected. We don’t get too many basements in FL, but if it had one, I would be adding the space. Accessible crawlspaces are usually an add-on flat fee.
So, you just contradicted yourself. Understandably, every region of the country defines under roof differently.
In my area, many crawlspaces are typically “short” basements. I also charge a flat rate for crawls, not sf/ft. Basements at full sq/ft (finished or unfinished), and attics are included in the standard inspection base rate unless they are finished ‘walk-up’ attics, than are at full sq/ft fee.
No I consider it a treat when I don’t have to get a ladder out of the van to enter the attic. :lol: Second floor SF does get included. Also add for crawlspace which is rare…usually a MH.
I didn’t contradict myself. When I bid an inspection, I immediately go to the property appraiser site to look up the total square footage. This includes covered porches, carports, and garage space (all under roof). It also lets me know if SOG or raised wood floor (crawlspace). While I’m online, I look at the porch construction and determine if this is an simple screen room or unheated enclosed space under the main roof. If light construction with no attic and a light roof, I may not include that space in my pricing. Everything else “under a roof” and has floor space, is included in the pricing.
Most of our crawlspaces are about 12-18 inches of clearance and not readily accessible by old guys. That’s why I have a dirt drone, and I charge accordingly. Attic space is already built it.
Interesting post … In my area most inspectors that charge by SF look at the heated area. We don’t charge extra for a covered patio, attached garage, etc
Where would the property appraiser site be exactly.
Just Google property appraiser for your area.
Do you just inspect the conditioned air portion or the entire structure.