Lol I am assuming I missed spelled Architectural shingles in my response and it auto correct to that.
1 Like
LOL! I was wondering, too. 
1 Like
Let the buyer, seller, agents try to figure out rescheduling. Instead of going straight to refund try telling the seller that if this house falls through because it can’t be inspected, you’ll inspect their next one for free.
I’ve seen this work well when a big issue shows early in the inspection. Show the buyer right then and there and discuss it. If they decide they are going to walk away from the house at that point, give them a short report for what’s been inspected so they can exercise their contingency and offer to inspect their next house for free. People really seem to like that and it gives you a chance for more positive face time with them and agents. Plus you don’t entirely “lose a sale”.
2 Likes
Why would you communicate anything that you found (that was not a life safety issue) to the seller? Your obligation is to the client and that obligation includes confidentiality.
Unlike others, I would charge for the inspection (unless I had lots of holes in my calendar). The seller is likely in breach on contract with your client and your client can readily obtain reimbursement for the seller’s breach.
I was once told to leave a house by the occupant about midway through the inspection. I contacted my client’s agent who asked me to wait outside but please not leave. A few minutes later the occupant and her child got in her vehicle and left. The agent asked me to resume the inspection. Turns out the owner had allowed the person to occupy the home gratis and when he became aware that she was interfering with his sale transaction told her to leave immediately so that I could finish my work. I hated inspecting properties that were occupied by tenants or other third parties.
1 Like
Sorry. I did not tell the seller anything. I explained to the buyer what I had found. In this case I had something similar offered by a investor that knew the buyer offering to calm him down. I still refused and said we will need to reschedule the inspection.
1 Like
Why would a bad roof cause an inspection to not resume?
Plenty of houses has bad roofs. Plenty of people BUY houses with bad roofs all the time.
It’s up to the client to decide if they want to still buy the house or not, not for you to make that decision for them.
I’ve seem people buy houses that were falling over, had massive foundation issues or were tear downs.
Heck my own first house need a new roof, new plumbing, and a lot more.
In no way did I say it was the roof that ended my inspection.
1 Like
Are you in the Home Inspection Business, or is this just a Hobby?!
I sure would like to see Home Inspectors as exuberant at getting paid for work you did as you are to jump on giving the money back!
Did you prepare for and drive to the inspection?
Did you have vehicle insurance to be able to drive there?
Do you have Business Insurance?
Did you pay for continuing education?
Did you pay for a business license?
In this case:
Did you climb up on a roof? Do you have medical insurance?
Did you give a verbal report to the client, which increases you liability and uses your E&O Insurance?
Did you not do a paid job while playing Fiddler on the Roof? I would expect not as there is such concern of getting the next job by paying to go to work.
I’m not a hard ass about this, but these are things to consider before you pay the client to work for them. If you want the next job, keep what money you have and tell them you’ll apply it to the next inspection. If they don’t buy another house in 30 days, give them a refund. That is the only assurance you’ll get the next job.
As for it being the sellers representative’s fault, then they can pay your fee for showing up.
The seller has closing costs they must pay, this would be one of them…
I traveled great distances to cover my clients needs in a very large service area. You may not.
I can’t just move cross the street to my next inspection. My day is shot.
Arriving to an inspection when no one else shows up is one thing. In this case you did work, and gave a report of what you did and found. Not the same thing.
Quit playing Walmart marketing, your a service provider with a lot of government to deal with, huge liabilities to bear, so at least think like a business.
Do what feels right for you, but consider the perception your emitting.
No employee gives back the shareholders money (your family), why should you be expected to? The responses on this thread emits the perception which I am addressing here and is a perception the public will subconsciously perceive of your Business and how they will treat you. Act like a professional, be perceived as a professional, even if it’s just your gas money…
The client respects your being fair, not for being a pushover.
JMHO
if your spending so much time marketing unsuccessfully you’ll start acting like a struggling actor, willing to anything for a job…
4 Likes
I have to side with David… it doesnt make you a bad person to be paid for your time. This is not a hobby for most. You did the client a huge favor to be on time, enter a home with hospitalized owner (put yourself and your family at risk potentially), you inspected the roof and likely significant structure just from the exterior. You were also basically threatened and scared off… you earned your fee! Mishaps from failed mortgages to undisclosed findings (by seller), to natural disasters, do not mean you work for free. My 2 cents. Yes we need to be good nice brothers and sisters, and you were simply by no gouging your price and for even considering taking the job during uncertain times.
I just had a radon test that failed, they reordered the same + two additional test locations same property, went for pickup in a now vacant hous and canisters were lost/ stolen. I charged the client a third time and my partner sourced kits and replaced them. In a time when we may have no income for a month or two coming. On a side note I was dealing with millionaires and vip’s, but I would have charged anybody to do the job again. In NYC, most would have called it quits and said sorry to the clients but we weathered the terrain and pulled through. We deserve to be paid and to get a stellar review.
1 Like
I would say that if you just charged them for a roof inspection, that would be reasonable. If they decided to go no further based on your roof assessment, then they obtained valuable information from you, in which you wouldn’t be wrong to charge for. Going up on a roof has a lot of liability/risk tied with it. I’m not saying you should charge them or not. Just don’t go under as a business cause you feel bad charging somebody for work performed. You did nothing wrong in this situation. Giving a refund would be a really nice gesture and I would probably consider it myself to be honest. But you would not be mean or wrong to charge them for a simple roof inspection. That seems like a very happy medium. Gives your client a discount and break, and you get earned payment!
2 Likes
A few questions: Was the seller advised about the appointment? Who advised the seller about the appointment? Were any realtors involve that could confirm the first two questions? When you arrived did you ring bell/knock to let anyone at home know that you were there and why prior to start of inspection? I think the last question is were things went wrong. As far as charging your client that is up to you. Remember he may still be your client once schedule is cleared up. Lesson learned: Introduce yourself to resident before you start if they are home. This is also a marketing opportunity to inspect the house they might be moving to.
1 Like
Same here. David is spot on.
When you leave the house you are incurring expenses and the only way that those are covered is by generating money.
A little off point here but early in my business I would find a significant defect, point it out to the buyer and if they looked at all like it was a deal breaker I would offer to take a small fee and call it a day.
Not any more, I communicate what I find of course but keep the ball rolling and get paid. Period.
3 Likes
Thank you for the detailed and well thought out comment. I was trying to look at it from both perspectives on this matter. I offered the refund this time but going further depending on the situation I will probably be doing what you suggested if not only doing a partial credit back.
1 Like
I believe this is what I should of done this time. I already offered the refund if they are unable to reschedule but I think your suggestion would of been fair to both parties.
No realtors involved as it was investors buying the property. I always ring the doorbell and talk to the anyone that might be home before starting a inspection. I am scared of a firearm being pulled on me so I make sure everyone is aware of who I am and why I am there. I also ring the door bell trying to be as friendly as I can because the seller might also be needing a home inspection since they are moving as well. In this case the first impression of this gentleman you could tell something was off. Could of been that he was highly agitated by something that just happen, agitated that I was there and I could ruin the selling of the house as the buyer already said the sellers think I am only there to find stuff so that the buyer can ask for a lower price even though it was a as is deal, or could be from a influence of a substance or mental state ( I don’t like to assume but it was clear he wasn’t in the normal state of mind of most).
1 Like
Larry I literally facepalmed when that was pointed out lol.
1 Like
That’s funny…I can just see you doing that, Joshua! LOL!
1 Like
Glad you are safe. Sounds like you did everything you could. Hope you never have trouble like that again. Must be tough to think about someone pulling a gun on you. I’ve never had to think of something like that.
Another inspector mentioned that it had happened to him in the comments to this post. I would consider it a likely threat. There are some properties that are in the middle of the woods with nothing around them that are completely gated in. I will not enter a closed gate property because contractors I used to work with had a firearm pulled on them because they opened a unlocked gate to get in to knock on a house they were scheduled to do work for.
When my Dad and I drove from MI to Central America, we had a robber pull a revolver on us when we had stopped along the road to eat lunch.
Scared the h3ll out of us. And then I started to talk to him in Spanish and noted that the hammer was not cocked and the cylinders were empty. I walked toward him and held out my hand offering him some of our lunch. He looked at me and down at his revolver and smiled and agreed to accept my invitation and put his pistol on the hood of my panel truck.
We started eating and I walked over and picked up his pistol and pointed it away and pulled the trigger six times. His eyes got really big and we all started laughing.
We ended up giving him a ride to the next village/town.
It was a fun trip. 
3 Likes