TARION and PDI's

[hknowles]

I have always submitted my certifications to builders prior to inspections. They are primarily concerned with qualifications, business license, insurance. The submission is a professional standard and is often required by their insurance. I have made money while on inspections in this manner.

For instance, I was inspecting for a client (pre-approved authorization from the builder). Another HI shows up to inspect for someone else across the street. The builder objects (no prior approval) and the HI argues with the builder that he "represents his client and did not need the builder's permission". The builder called the cops and had the HI removed. The HI's client walked across the street to me and gave me an order.

Remember - it is the builder's property. They can establish any reasonable requirements. ICC/NACHI/ASHI are always the basic requirements.

[Roger A. Frost]

Well after builder would not let me perform inspection the client called me back anyway. No wonder the builder didn't want a home inspector on his property. I ended up with about 3 pages of deficiencies, poor workmanship just about everywhere. Cracked columns in kitchen, cracked window trim, just horrible but I guess that is why this "respected" builder trys to avoid home inspectors.

I see one of the "motor mouths" is advertising a sale on home inspections. Why would that be, maybe not as good as he thinks he is, I know my business is booming and the only person I am not going to like is the Tax Man.....but keep on talking while the rest of us keep on working

[dcook1]

Originally Posted by rfrost

Well after builder would not let me perform inspection the client called me back anyway. No wonder the builder didn't want a home inspector on his property. I ended up with about 3 pages of deficiencies, poor workmanship just about everywhere. Cracked columns in kitchen, cracked window trim, just horrible but I guess that is why this "respected" builder trys to avoid home inspectors.

I see one of the "motor mouths" is advertising a sale on home inspections. Why would that be, maybe not as good as he thinks he is, I know my business is booming and the only person I am not going to like is the Tax Man.....but keep on talking while the rest of us keep on working

Three pages is average... as long as they are deficiencies,, not vendettas.
I have had houses with over ten pages,, now they were bad.
"Poor workmanship" is not a deficiency. That may be attributed to your opinion only.
The questions that should be answered. Is the item installed wrong or broken? Smeared grout is sloppy workmanship, but is not a defect the builder has to repair. That would be an item the owner would address as a clean up to the builder. Paint on a window pane is sloppy workmanship, but not a defect. I would hope you know enough not to put stuff like this on a report! Now not caulking the window is not sloppy workmanship, it is a defect. Make sure you report the real defects, not the sloppy way it (in your opinion) was finished. This can make you look bad very fast.
I think "Mr" motor mouth (to you) still did 60 inspections last month at about double your charge. hmmmmm money,,,, you gotta put your prices with the professionals big guy.

[dcook1]

I inspected a $1,200,000 house yesterday. The roof leaked. In the attic I can see the lake. There is not near enough ventilation in the roof. Two broken trusses in the attic. The insulation looks like my sister walked on it. (SHe weighs over 450 lbs) The electrical wires go over thirty feet without a single support. The AC unit is connected with regular 14/2 just laying on the ground. The panel is missing the cover that separates the mains from the work area. Two shower stalls are not caulked around the entries. Those are the first items on list for builder to repair. Eight pages of defiencies altogether.


Let's be one of those cheapo home looker atter guys and do it for $200... This would make one of the stupidest moves in Home Inspector history..... but some are doing it.

[rwand1]

Hey what do you expect for $1,200,000.00?

This past week a home in the Toronto Beaches area went for $605K, yes $605 thousand over asking price!

[dcook1]

Originally Posted by rwand1

Hey what do you expect for $1,200,000.00?

This past week a home in the Toronto Beaches area went for $605K, yes $605 thousand over asking price!

Did they ask you to do an inspection on it?
I can send someone from Barrie to do it for $200 .... you could charge $400 and get half the money without having to move.

[rwand1]

You can be sure there were no conditions! What moron would pay that sort of price for a small house, that needed renovating. More money than brains.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by cwillick1

I can appreciate your prices in the Ontario area. My prices start at 250.00 for a single wide mobile and any place that is 800 sqf. Would like to know what you charge for a single wide? is that cheap or on track? I also have a return fee for no show realtors that is 100.00 i haven't used it yet, when i do i will tell the client to charge this back to the realtor. Not sure if a client could charge back to a builder

Mostly I charge by the expected time to complete the inspection and deliver the report. I charge a minimum $250 for the mobile you describe up to $400 for a 3,000 sq footer. After that, it's by the sq ft: $0.15-0.20 per sq ft depending on the architecture, complexity and # of systems in the home. I will do a quick 1 item consultation with no report for $150 +taxes if I'm in the area (driving by or near the house some future day)

[Roger A. Frost]

Multi-Inspection Pricing

I have been contracted to supervise schedule of commercial building for an international company. This will be a 10 to 12 week project with a minimum of two inspections per week. Most of the documentation will be comments and pictures.

What do you guys charge for this kind of service. Have tons of experience in this type of work but no knowledge on what the going rates are?

Thanks in advance for your guidance

[jwest5]

Roger,

I have had the opportunity to deal directly with Tarion as a newhome buyer. You may have had the opportunity to review our article in the Hamilton Spectator. You can review at www.thespec.com and in the quick search input joe and joanne west.
There is an appointment form available that homeowners can submit to Tarion and the builder to inform of representation. The builders cannot refuse under the ONHWP act.
I have been doing commercial inspections for several years and I am now entering into the residential sector.

There is most certainly the odd builder who is irate, I am sure your red flag is up when you inspect this home.

Regards!
Joe West

[rwand1]

Hi Joe,

What a run around.

Personally speaking I would be suing the City of Hamilton for failing to ensure what they are legislated to do.

Here is an interesting case where the Township of Hungerford was found at fault for failure to carry out its duty as enacted under the Ontario Building Code.

http://www.canlii.org/eliisa/highlig...nlii34942.html

Liability of Ellwood Varty and the Township of Hungerford:
[43] It is now well established law that a municipality which operates a program of building inspection under the Ontario Building Code owes a duty of care to current and subsequent home owners to carry out inspections of new home construction with a reasonable standard of care. In particular they must, through their inspectors, ensure compliance with the standards of construction mandated by the Building Code. An authoritative discussion of the applicable principles is found in the judgement of the Supreme Court of Canada in Ingles v. Tutkaluk Construction Ltd. 2000 SCC 12 (CanLII), [2000] 1 S.C.R. 298. This is a decision on very similar facts to the present case, in which a municipality was held liable (together with the builder), for failure to inspect the footings of a house which resulted in major foundation damage.
[44] In the Ingles case, supra, Bastarache, J., speaking for a unanimous Court, held that once a government agency makes a policy decision to inspect or where inspection is provided for by statute such as the Ontario Building Code, it owes a duty of care to all those who may be injured by the negligent implementation of the policy and in particular to those injured by negligence in carrying out the system of inspection. The learned justice stated:
“ 20 Once it is determined that an inspection has occurred at the operational level, and thus that the public actor owes a duty of care to all who might be injured by a negligent inspection, a traditional negligence analysis will be applied. To avoid liability, the government agency must exercise the standard of care in its inspection that would be expected of an ordinary, reasonable and prudent person in the same circumstances. Recently, in Ryan v. Victoria, supra, at para. 28, Major J. reaffirmed that the measure of what is reasonable in the circumstances will depend on a variety of factors, including the likelihood of a known or foreseeable harm, the gravity of that harm and the burden or cost which would be incurred to prevent the injury. The same standard of care applies to a municipality which conducts an inspection of a construction project. While the municipal inspector will not be expected to discover every latent defect in a project, or every derogation from the building code standards, it will be liable for those defects that it could reasonably be expected to have detected and to have ordered remedied; see, for example, Rothfield v. Manolakos, supra, at pp. 1268-69.”

Bastarache, J. went on to say:
“23 The legislative scheme is designed to ensure that uniform standards of construction safety are imposed and enforced by the municipalities.
…
“The purpose of the building inspection scheme is clear from these provisions: to protect the health and safety of the public by enforcing safety standards for all construction projects. The province has made the policy decision that the municipalities appoint inspectors who will inspect construction projects and enforce the provisions of the Act. Therefore, municipalities owe a duty of care to all who it is reasonable to conclude might be injured by the negligent exercise of their inspection powers.”

The town would also be insured fwiw against negligence (E&O).

Court of Appeal, re- costs.

http://www.canlii.org/eliisa/highlig...nlii16530.html

Endorsement Costs
http://www.canlii.org/eliisa/highlig...nlii13822.html

Good luck!

[rwand1]

July 14, 2007

Ruling may have major impact on TARION


http://www.aaron.ca/columns/2007-07-14.htm

Maybe you are aware of these cases.

[rwand1]

Tarion warranty fails to protect consumers

http://www.aaron.ca/columns/2007-05-19.htm

[rwand1]

April 28, 2007

Who's liable for house defects?

http://www.aaron.ca/columns/2007-04-28.htm

At least, that's how it's supposed to work. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way for Joe and Joanne West, who bought a new home on Lanza Court in Hamilton.

[rwand1]

Advocacy group dissatisfied with Tarion

http://www.aaron.ca/columns/2007-03-17.htm