What do you give your clients on re-inspections? Written reports? Photos? Do you charge a standard fee? I have two scheduled but I haven’t done them before.
It depends upon what we have agreed to. Most of the time, I get a list of things from them that they want checked, and I check them. Usually in and out in less that half an hour. Usually charge $100.00. Usually no report. Just checking to see if the deficiencies stated have been addressed.
What are you reinspecting?
Is it a utilities off thing or inaccessible area? I may just do an addendum to my original report for that.
If it is a repaired item, I ask for the receipts from the licensed/qualified contractor/company to review (and I reference those). And I make it clear that I am only verifying that a correction was made not its future performance or adequacy.
I typically charge in the same range hourly as home inspections.
I charge $150 for the 1st hour and $100 pro-rated for each additional hour. From my website:**
“Re-inspections: **Re-inspections are accepted on a case-by-case basis, and should not be necessary if licensed contractors performed the repairs. There is a flat fee for the 1st hour (or part of), plus $100 pro-rated for each additional hour.Consultation and report writing is included in time calculations. Additional charges may apply depending on distance. Total cost will not be higher than the original inspection. Note that often a re-inspection is often essentially the same thing as a repeat inspection with tests to various windows, outlets, doors, plumbing fixtures, appliances, HVAC systems and return visits to the attics and crawl spaces, etc. Then we summarize the findings in a written report. A re-inspection costs us time and fuel and means we can’t be somewhere else earning compensation. All these factors are considered when setting the fees listed above. To request a re-inspection, please complete the appropriate Agreement here”
Joe has it covered well.
Beware of these re-inspections, lots of distractions, emotions and shoddy repairs involved in these. Crawlspace items, travel time and expect several phone calls from agents and clients that can total over one hour making the total time to do a typical re-inspection 2-3 hours.
If you have E&O, you will void all coverage on every single item you reinspect. Insurance companies know where the complaints and problems come from and you guessed it, re-inspections.
If something has been improved but not 100 percent, flag it as wrong or you will pay later. If you ever do a re-inspection and think eveything has been repaired, look again to see what you missed. I have never done one that had more than 70 percent of the re-inspection list items corrected properly.
New homes usually have exactly 50 percent done correctly.
Here is an example of how I print my reinspection reports.
PREVIOUS FINDING:
[R] 4170: Water heater pipes reversed (cold water plumbed to hot water side).
See original photo(s) 4170.
CURRENT STATUS:
This finding was found to be unchanged and not corrected.
or
The corrections attempted for this finding appear incorrect.
or
The corrections attempted for this finding appear incomplete.
or
This finding appears corrected.
I charge aprox. 100 per hr. with a 75 min.
Works for me
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I include a re-inspection on all my home inspections. I charge $25.00 more per job but people don’t mind when they find out that many home inspectors around here do not do re-inspections or charge more than the $25.00 extra that we are charging them. This is one thing that seperate us from other home inspection companies and it works.
When it comes to the report. Always put it in writing if you are getting paid for it. I have a one page report on the things that were corrected properly and the things that were not corrected properly.
O yes, when it comes to the number of people that call us up to do the re-inspection, the number is low. I do about 3 re-inspections per month and Allen insurance will cover you.
I just went back for a re-inspection on a roof. The one guy that installed the North side of the roof did a great job. The other guy that installed the South side of the roof did not. :eek:
Ditto, except that I charge half the cost of the original inspection fee, rounded up to the nearest 9, with a $99 minimum.
What Bruce said.
Just like inspecting a brand new home that has never been lived in.
Just like inspecting a brand new home that has never been lived in.
Not true at all. I can speak from seven years of experience on that one, and my eighth is under way.
How did you get such good information from the insurance companies. I figured if Bushart couldn’t do it, no one could.
“Never … more than 70 percent?” “Exactly 50 percent”? Better be careful. You’ll be lumped in with me pretty soon as iNACHI’s greatest liars.
Not true with FREA E&O, see Ben’s post, he works at FREA.
Where do you have E&O that does not void items reinspected?
Allen insurance. I have had them for the last 5 years and made sure I was insured for re-inspections. Allen insurance does not recommend re-inspections but will cover you.
Yes, I asked the same question, with the same results.
Hopefully Ben will get FREA to match that deal real soon.
We could put together an industry standard that describes items in detail that just can not be fully reinspected and have clients sign it.
For example, the A/C was running but not cooling the day of the inspection, some poor inspector goes back a week later and signs off on it.
Then a month later, the refrigerant has leaked down again and the proper diagnosis is multiple coil leaks, new unit needed, $5k+
How about it Ben? Lets work up a system that works for everyone or we will have to go where the coverage is.
Case by case basis but a re-inspection usually takes under an hour = $150 + revised report.
That’s why FREA does not have my business.
Lloyd’s of London via Business Risk Partners via Dempsey & Siders.
I have found it extremely useful to talk with my various insurance providers and business consultants (attorneys, CPA, etc.) on a regular basis to let them know what I’m doing to manage my liability and, guilty by association, their liability. I know I get lots of beneficial breaks in the form of lower premiums, rebates, discounts, etc., because I’m so willing to work with people. Of course, in certain forums, people hate me because I’m so willing to work with people. Ah, well, as my wise old grandmother said, “You can’t please all of the people all of the time…”
Therein lies the fallacy. There are things at any house that cannot be fully inspected to begin with. There is no difference.
For example, let’s say that you did an inspection on a house on June 1, 2008. The sellers repaired everything, absolutely everything, but the house fell out of escrow because the buyer’s couldn’t get financing. The next buyer’s saw your inspection report and all the repair receipts from the seller’s repairpersons and they liked your report so much that they schedule an inspection on July 1, 2008. Whatcha gonna do? Not inspect all those things that the seller repaired? If so, I think you need to be in a different business. And if Ben is not going to insure you, I think Ben needs to be in a different business. A re-inspection is no different except that it is for the original Clients. Why would any conscientious home inspector not be willing to help his Clients. About one third of my inspections involve a re-inspection, and I can’t tell you the number of times that something has not been repaired at all, notwithstanding the seller’s statements and receipts, or has not been repaired properly, or something right next to the item being repaired was damaged by the repair person. It’s just unbelievable. Who’s going to tell my Clients about the lack of repairs, improper repairs, or additional damage by the repairperson? If you’re not willing to do that, you need to be in a different buisness. JMHO.
That’s where the receipt and warranty come in. The A/C repairperson issued a receipt, which I looked at during the re-inspection, and it said all repairs are warranteed for one year. I point that out to my Clients and tell them that although it is now working, whereas it was not five weeks ago, if they have any problems, they have a one-year warranty, so keep the receipt in a safe place.
It’s all about education and managing the Client’s expectations. I understand that I’m extremely different in that respect because I’ve been self-employed for 43 years and spent many a year working as a consultant to Nextel Communications when they were building their first-to-market cellular network. I learned how to manage their expectations, absolve myself of liability through education, and made a lot of money in the process. I do the same thing here as a property consultant, which is one of the reasons why I changed from “home inspector” to “property consultant” last July.
HVAC repairmen do not warranty anything when all they do is recharge the unit where no leak could be readily detected. Some might recharge it again to be nice but if the system continues to leak, its not the repairmans fault. So a major repair is likely needed at that point and you can bet no warranty is present. Be careful what you tell those clients.
( I must be bored, I know better than to try and educate the “master”):mrgreen:
A Re-inspection is a business decision. I’m happy most don’t what to do re-inspections or charge more to go back out: this helps my business. But if wanting to do re-inspections, keep it simple and honest and I can’t see anything wrong with it.
When it comes to the air conditioner, report that it is operating properly at the time of the re-inspection (if it is). Also include a limitation that you cannot determine if the repair(s) done by the heating/cooling company were sufficient for reliable operation. It’s the truth.
I only tell them what’s on the repairperson’s receipt, and, yes, HVAC repairmen do warranty the work if the recharge the unit. If a leak is not readily detected, then it is not leaking. A repairperson should not be recharging anything if there’s a leak. Bad, bad, bad. And leaks are readily detectable with today’s technology, so if it leaks a week later, yes, it’s covered under the warranty. Absolutely.