Hey guys, I started working for an inspection company that has 484 5 Star google reviews for 5 months now. We (5 inspectors and 3 office staff) go above and beyond for our customers and are very thorough with our inspections. Prior to working here, I worked handyman jobs under a licensed contractor. I currently started doing my own inspections with the company two weeks ago and my boss asked me how much does I think he should pay me (my training wage is $700 a week and after taxes, its $601 for only 40 hours). I do about 10 inspections a week.
I am starting to feel overworked and underpaid. Just looking for thoughts on how do I assess my value and worth to the company.
I can do property inspections in spanish and english, can do sewer scope inspections, well and septic inspection, air quality testing, radon tests, water tests, residential inspections, assist in commercial inspections, sea wall inspections and so on. They have trained me very well and the quality of the reports are the same as my other colleagues (otherwise, I would not be allowed to be on my own). I have done a total of 180 inspections in the last 5 months.
Nevertheless, I am still getting paid a training wage until he can figure out what he can offer me. I need to figure out how much I am worth, having the competency and knowledge but not the years of experience as others.
An average inspection day, 2 inspections, its about $900 all in all. At least once a week, one inspection charge runs around $1,100 for a morning (house, well and septic, +radon). I can make the company about $7,000 a week.
Dang man, I am not an active inspector but you’re making around 10% of what a lot of people make in an inspection. Maybe you could chalk a lot of that up to being in training but even then it still seems very low…
That seems about right. The boss has a good thing going. It will be interesting to see if he’s going to offer you more later. Your his cash cow raking in $760 a day for him.
haha yes I am aware. It’s very good for him. He’s a great boss and a people person. But I am not the same inspector from the time he first hired me to now. My pay has remained the same though and has not grown with me. Pay raise is imminent but I’d like to understand what pay is like for others in my boat.
It is hard to say without knowing all the specifics but I would stand there like a kind bull moose and discuss $200/per inspection at the minimum. JMHO
What are your thoughts on a commission (set 38% of every inspection) vs a set salary based on 40 hours a week (this includes on site inspection and report writing). Is 38% appropriate
I’ll work in McDonalds before I will do 2 inspections for $200 for someone else long-term. If you did 180 paid inspections correctly, the boss did not have to correct them, you are more than ready to do it on your own. The rest is just running the business and getting clients, more on this below.
Why are you still working for your boss?
You need to know your worth! what does that mean?
a) can you work on your own? do you want to? do you have what it takes? do you know how? are you willing to learn? will you get enough clients if you go out on your own? what’s holding you back?
b) can you find a job working for someone else that pays more? call them and ask! tell them you want to work for them instead of your current boss
c) What is the minimum you will work for long-term for someone doing 10 inspections a week?
If you don’t know the answers to above and you wish to get paid more, you need to find the answers. In other words, it’s up to you if you wish to get paid more. In this business you normally do not make decent money working for someone else.
The boss provides tools and equipment and pays for further education and advancements for his inspectors. I wake up look at my work calendar full and know where to go. There is no worry about self marketing or any overhead costs. He is a great boss and even paid for my car repair when I did not have enough money to fix it (because of the job lol). I see the company growing really fast and in a great direction and with opportunities for advancement as it grows.
I have absolutely no complaints except for the training wage not knowing if what he was paying me was reasonable. I also don’t know what other inspectors with 5 months experience are making.
If you don’t want and or cannot go out on your own, call around other multi-inspector firms and ask them how much they would pay someone with your experience. That is the only true way to find out. Pay varies greatly with area and company.
