How much or how should I price a Commercial Inspection?

[Randall Cole]

How much or how should I price a Commercial Inspection? The property is a 17,000 sq ft old Progressive Lighting building. If I use square footage, how much to charge per sq ft?

Please help me out y'all. Thanks in advance.
Randy

[Peter C. Russell]

Whats the building used for? MFG, warehouse. Did you do a drive by to look at it.
Whats included in the inspection? how many heating systems, bathrooms, what type of roof, A/C. Need more info. to help.

[Randall Cole]

I called and set an appointment to view the property on the 8th. Thank you for the input.

[Nick Gromicko]

We have an online calculator for figuring this out, coming soon. You'll be able to charge like a law firm: Calculations to add up hours, subs, overhead, copies, postage, mail, mileage, revisits, etc. It will be based, of course, on www.nachi.org/comsop.htm

[Gary E. Sloan, CMI]

Wow, Nick. Do you ever run out of innovative ideas?

[Erol Kartal]

Originally Posted by gromicko

We have an online calculator for figuring this out, coming soon. You'll be able to charge like a law firm: Calculations to add up hours, subs, overhead, copies, postage, mail, mileage, revisits, etc. It will be based, of course, on www.nachi.org/comsop.htm

I hope your calculator takes into consideration that most warehouses are big empty shells.

[Charles E. Shipman]

Originally Posted by rcole

I called and set an appointment to view the property on the 8th. Thank you for the input.

Randy, a quick formular is how much time will it take to do each componant, Electricial, Plumbing, Structure, ect. then estimate how many home inspections could you do in the same amount of time and double the fee to cover the inspection and the writeup. Commercial writeups take much longer than a resident, many more pictures and more detailed discription's thus the double fee. Hope this helps,

Charlie Shipman
Advantage Inspection Int.

[Scott Gilligan, CMI]

I personally do not give quotes for commercial inspection until I have seen the property and have done a walk through and have spoken with the client to define a scope of work. Not every commercial client wants a full blown inspection. Some may already be going into a property knowing they are going to change the electrical system around to suit their needs, or plan on doing some other major renovations that they really could care less about what kind of condition the system is in now.

Don't short change yourself giving quotes over the phone. It only takes once to learn when you are inspecting a building hours longer than what you initially thought it would take because you went into it sight unseen. Been there...Done That...Never again!

[Randall Cole]

Thanks to everyone for the help and input. Great advice from my NACHI brothers.

[William Updyke]

Inspectors that do a lot of commercial inspections have told me they charge around 0.15 cents/square foot over 10,000 square feet