Rip off by PARR Inspections/Dewberry

It is well known, that “PARR Inspections” acts recklessly and preys on people who hope to earn an honest buck. Parr Inspections mobilizes too many inspectors and leave most of them with too little work to even cover their lodging and travel expenses. I got curious about who is behind “PARR Inspections”.

This is what I found:

From 2001 to April 2007, PARR Inspections did 2.5 million inspections. I don’t know how much PARR received from FEMA for that, but the current contract is for $750 million for a 4.5 year period spanning from April 2007.

PARR Inspections pays only $57.50 per inspection. But how much does it receive from FEMA (= taxpayers)?

Here is my assessment: if PARR did 2.5 million inspections from 2001 to April 2007, roughly six years (this period includes hurricane Katrina), Parr Inspections certainly will make fewer inspections over a 4.5 year period spanning from April 2007. By assuming the same average rate of inspections, over a period of 4.5 year, PARR will do 1.9 million inspections. (4.5 years/6 years * 2.5 million inspections=1.9 million inspections)

For 1.9 million inspections, PARR receives $750 million from FEMA. This is equal to $395 per inspection!! And the inspector gets $57.50 or less than 15%!

To me, it is appalling, that this crony “PARR Inspections” with its executive, now chief of staff at FEMA, keeps 85% of what the taxpayers pay them and leaves peanuts to the people that do the inspections.

All of you should raise hell about this on-going throat squeezing of people who try to earn an honest buck. Contact media, politicians and Dewberry & Davis LLC about this injustice.
:mad:

Interesting post. Thanks for the information.

Can it be true?? In this day and age?? There can’t be any side motive… that’s like saying a former vice president had a vested interest in a petroleum exploration/service corporation that was brought into a country they just invaded.

I think it’s just sheer coincidence…

Jeff

The liberals favorite mantra…anytime someone points out corruption within the ranks of Democrats, liberals and progressives…the libs start chanting “Halliburton! Haliburton!” like magpies. The whole Haliburton story the left wants everyone to believe is bogus. It has been investigated and proven to be false. It has a been a “red herring” argument since the beginning. The facts have always been there…you just have to take about 20 seconds to find it all over the internet. Kerry started all this crap when he was campaigning with an ad and the left has picked it up and to this day chose to believe it because serves their purpose.

http://www.factcheck.org/kerry_ad_falsely_accuses_cheney_on_halliburton.html

And really, what the hell does this have to do with PARR?

This is just a new way of life. This is the new typical.

I worked in the corporate world for over 15 years. I know how it works.

Corruption is the new normal. It is now so common-place, that no one can stop it.

America will be like Italy, Greece, and many other third world corrupt countries, and very soon.

All of us need to prepare.

PARR mobilzed 900 inspectors to the NY/NJ/PA area for the recent flooding for about 3500 FEMA applications. Most inspectors lost about $1500 in a week to 10 day span. PARR promised all inspectors a minimum of 25 apps/week or $1437.50 but so far has yet to pay it. Most inspectors only got 3 inspections assigned the first week and they left.

It is a SCAM of epic proportion. I spent ten days there and got 37 inspections. PARR paid for 31 of them citing 6 were No Contact even though I went to the home and made several attempts to contact them per their SOP. Fully half of the inspections I performed were fraudalent attempts to extort money. PARR didn’t care.

The whole thing was a TOTAL CLUSTERF**CK ran by idiots who could not manage a simple paint job. FEMA is corrupt, inept and a total waste of our money.

This business model is all too prevalent these days. Political insiders get the contracts and pay the people peanuts who are doing the work. Only way to stop it is by refusing to do their work. I will never do anything for PARR or any other similiar operation again.

This is sad deal, I went to a PARR training session back in 2005 and during the advance training session on the second day realized maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, absolute lack of committal from PARR but the inspector had to committ everything in the “partnership”. PARR has called several times to ask if I would rejoin, and I then ask if they have changed their committment to the professional inspector.
Have you seen some of the inspectors they do use?:shock:

Peter, you say the inspectors get only 15% and that Parr keeps 85%. Have you heard of overhead expenses? I would assume they have an enormous level of overhead expenses.

joseph, you call 570% an overhead expense? That “overhead” does not pass the smell test. And this Parr Inspections does not even have an physical screws. They are hiding in Dewberry&Davis office. This is crony capitalism at it’s best. I am sorry for you that you can’t see the obvious.

What is the inspector required to do and have?

The Inspector is required to have cash, car and credit card and be willing to cover all their daily per diem expenses of about $200+ and offset those expenses by receiving $57.50 per day from Parr. Sound good?

Should be: Parr Inspections does not even have an physical address.

Good post Peter. Thanks for the information.

Help spread the word about this crony Dewberry&Davis/Parr Inspactions. It’s so appalling how this can go on while the politicians talk about fighting for the middle class. It’s your tax dollars that feeds this crony.

We have the same problem here in Fl. Things won’t change. Even a big expose in the newspaper barely ruffled a feather.

No physical address?? This isnt true. I am at there office in Virginia right now and this has been their address for years.

Looking at McNamara’s bio http://www.fema.gov/leadership/jason-mcnamara
He WORKED in the PAST for Dewberry- so what? There have been many who left FEMA to work for Dewberry or other companies and many who worked for contractors that went on to take a government position such as with FEMA. Whats the problem? You are insinuating he works at both companies, which is incorrect.

If you are upset with Parr or anyone else, I have an idea- dont work for them.

Not Parr’s fault in your opinion fraudulent claims were being submitted- thats on the claimant, not Parr.

You probably made the correct decision in your last statement.

Ok, so I have read this post a couple times and I must respond.

This is an independent contractor service. It is to be expected to pay your own way. PaRR pays for us to get to and from the disaster site, I am assuming that comes out of the “overhead” expenses. They also compensate for the out of the way travel (if needed) to the headquarters, with a physical address, in Virginia. As an independent contractor, you do have to have cash or credit card and a vehicle, this should be obvious. As far as William Chandlers comment. I will ask you to speak for yourself. I am not sure which disaster you are talking about specifically, but that situation of losing $1500 a week is not the norm. $200 a day in expenses and $57.50 a day in payment is again, incorrect. That is only 1 inspection a day and for Hurricane Sandy in New York, there was mulitple people I was with and not one of us had either one of those parts of your equation. Also, let me add in, the pay was also raised to $62.50 for this disaster and there was a per diem paid out of $50 a day, everyday you turned in work, just to help with expenses. Granted this will not cover all your expenses, as then you would not be an independent contractor, that was generous of them to do in the first place. Other inspection companies do not do this, nor do they pay up front for travel costs. Not to mention, PaRR pays one of the best rates in the business. Any way, there was not a shortage of work until the end was near and our expenses were not that high. You have to be willing to be out of your comfort zone and adapt to the enviornment. If that means a lesser hotel, a FEMA tent, or eating only once a day. Then so be it. I had about $100 a day in expenses and that was with a rental car. I stayed with people I’ve never met before and I worked everyday, without a break, from sunrise to sundown. That’s how it must be done.

Nowhere in our contract does it state you will DEFINITELY be given a minimum of 25 inspections per week. There is a clause that states if you do not receive this number they will consider giving a “downtime” payment to compensate. But this is done per disaster at PaRR’s discretion. Also in the contract/guidelines, it states that you do not get paid for no contact inspections. So this should not have been a surprise, when only 31 out of 37 inspections were paid. If the applicant was not contacted after 2 weeks, you would receive payment for the 3 phone calls and visit to the home. Easy money in my opinion. However, if contact is made, either you or another inspector will be called back to that residence in order to do the inspection. It should not be expected to get paid for an inspection you did not complete. It is also not PaRRs responsibility to decide who is fraudulently filing FEMA applications, that’s FEMA’S responsibility. We are inspectors. We have them sign a waiver stating everything is accurate to the best of their knowledge, if they proceed with the application, then they are held accountable for any monies they receive and will be required to pay it back and possibly with fines and/or jail time.

I have no problem with people not liking the work. It is very difficult, being away from family, friends and your regular life. But for those of us who can tolerate that, this is not a scam. If you do what your supposed to do, then it is actually very fulfilling work. There has been inspectors who have been called out, got to the disaster area and then turned away immediately. Yes, that’s awful, but its the nature of the beast. You want to go out there and make thousands of dollars and be there for months on end, and your released after only a month. (My personal situation) and again, awful. But ya know what, I learned a lot, I met great people, and I made a lot more money then if I was at home. There is certain things that come with being an independent contractor and you must read all the guidelines, do all the tutorials and be fully informed on what you are getting yourself into. If you have done all this and you still want to go, I say go. It was a great life experience! I miss it and can not wait till I get deployed again. It’s the federal government your working for, if everything is easy and makes sense, then your probably doing something wrong in the first place.

Working for PARR… ?
NACHI Inspectors still do that…?

Maybe someone from FEMA or PARR will post here to fully explain…
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