[Dan Bowers, CMI]

We try to make about $38 p/hour more or less.

[Blaine Wiley]

[quote=jmckenna1][B]HOW MUCH DO YOU CHARGE?[/B]

Asking about the price of a home inspection is probably one
of the most common questions I get asked. Many people
assume that all inspectors are equal and the next best thing
is to find out which one has the lowest price. But the truth
is, not all Inspectors are equal. In fact many Inspectors have
extreme limitations and may not even realize it.

Becoming a home inspector has become a very popular
business that is advertised everywhere now a days. The
problem with reading some books and then being certified as
a home inspector is that this person can now have enough
knowledge to be dangerous. To the Consumer who is looking
for a quality home Inspection, a poor Inspector who cost
less, may do more damage than good.

Also, when you consider that most homes are prepped,
painted and prepared for "the sale"... does the book worm
Inspector know how to see past the facade of the cosmetic
beauty?

The trained eye of an experienced home Inspector will seek
to find problems that may exist beneath the surface and
not just take for granted that everything looks good.

Home Inspector's that rise above the rest will also have a
strong devotion to their Client based on a firm ethical belief
that they are to disclose all the facts, regardless of weather
or not the Realtor or others are happy with their findings.

An independent, experienced and thorough home Inspector
may find thousands of dollars of problems and potential
concerns that may be missed by others. As the saying goes
"you get what you pay for". Cheap is not always better
when it comes to something as expensive as the purchase
of a new home.

A quality home Inspector will want his Client present during
the inspection and will take the time to address all the
concerns that the Client has. The report will be written in
a itemized and easy to understand fashion to ensure the
Client is fully informed and not confused. This care and
attention to detailed quality is worth every penny, when
seeking to discover the all the details that are hidden in
the home.

My starting price for a home inspection is $400.00 and my
Clients tell me that it was well worth the money. I normally
do only one inspection a day and it usually takes 3-4 hours
or more to complete, plus the time to write the report.[/quote]

Very well stated, John. You mind if I steal some of it for future use? :D

[jkormos]

[quote=dbowers]We try to make about $38 p/hour more or less.[/quote]

[COLOR=black]Speak for yourself please; you should set your expectations higher for yourself and for our industry, we are professionals are we not[/COLOR]

[David P. Valley]

[quote=dbowers]We try to make about $38 p/hour more or less.[/quote]

You're not serious, are you?

[pcarter-old-04]

[quote=dvalley]You're not serious, are you?[/quote]

I do believe he is pulling our collective legs, on this................... I know Dan charges a hell of a lot more than $ 38.00 a hour, he has too because of his computer habit:p .....................................................

[Dan Bowers, CMI]

Actually -

For my math guru's out there - if for example, you use a $300-$350 for a sample inspection (I've heard a bunch of you banty that figure around).

Once you consider the time on site doing the inspection, the time writing the report (some on site - some off site), drive time (there and back), marketing costs and time, taxes, insurance, phones, answering & scheduling service, the truck or car lease or payment, [B]GAS[/B], etc.

I think it comes down to about $38.50 or less p/hr

[Russel Ray]

[quote=dbowers]Actually -

For my math guru's out there - if for example, you use a $300-$350 for a sample inspection (I've heard a bunch of you banty that figure around).

Once you consider the time on site doing the inspection, the time writing the report (some on site - some off site), drive time (there and back), marketing costs and time, taxes, insurance, phones, answering & scheduling service, the truck or car lease or payment, [B]GAS[/B], etc.

I think it comes down to about $38.50 or less p/hr[/quote]
I was quite sure you were talking net there, as you have now stated, which others apparently didn't pick up on.

As a "home inspector" with a "home inspection" company, I was quite happy with a net of $25 per hour. As a "property consultant," it looks like I can get the net up there into the $100-$300 per hour range, which is why I'm changing directions. No written report, no written report liability (i.e., no E&O insurance premiums), no employees other than me (i.e., no employee salaries, no bonuses, no perks, no meals, no margaritas, etc.), and much, much more time to spend that net.

[Dan Bowers, CMI]

RR -

Exactamondo ......

[Bruce Thompson]

Russel,

Out of curiousity (because I've been thinking the same thing apparently), what is your definition of a property consultant?

Bruce

[Russel Ray]

[quote=bthompson1]Russel,

Out of curiousity (because I've been thinking the same thing apparently), what is your definition of a property consultant?

Bruce[/quote]
Someone who is not a home inspector but still knows something about everything and everything about nothing when it comes to real estate. There are, however, specialists in the [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]roperty consulting field: commercial [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]roperty consultants and residential [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]roperty consultants. I am a residential [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]roperty consultant. I don't want to get involved with the 1.5-million-square-feet shopping mall, the McDonald's restaurant, or anything similar.

Since there are no [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]roperty consultant trade associations, one basically is on one's own (albeit still working with one's business counselors--attorneys, insurance providers, etc.) in developing one's business and consulting [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]rotocols, as well as what kind of "reports" one will provide as part of those [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]rotocols.

In my case, I provide no "home inspection" report, so I can't be a "home inspector." Since I provide no "home inspection" report, that "home inspection" report that doesn't exist doesn't need to meet any trade association SOPs. Since I have no need to abide by any "home inspector" trade association SOPs, so I'm not be a "home inspector." I'm not defined as a "home inspector" under the California Business and Professions Code, so I don't need to practice the "duty of care" that a "home inspector" would need to provide. Since I have no "home inspection" report, I have no 5½ years worth of liability for that "home inspection" report that I don't provide. Since I have no "home inspection" reports, and thus no 5½ years of liability, I also have no need for expensive errors & omissions insurance for that 5½ years of liability on "home inspection" reports that I don't provide.

As with any consultant anywhere, I can tell you a lot, and guide you, but it's under my business's "rules and regulations" concerning those business [SIZE=3][COLOR=green][B]P[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE]rotocols.

The really nice thing is that since my WALK inspections are for [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]roperty investors, who typically buy, fix, and sell within 2-6 months, any "evidence" is destroyed in the process of fixing, and selling, except in the rarest of circumstances, then typically ends any and all liability whatsoever. As a "home inspector," my goal was to gross $100 per hour. As a "[B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]roperty consultant," my goal is to gross $200 per hour. Long-time readers knowledgeable about my posts should, by now, know that I don't set unrealistic, unattainable, unreachable goals. So by charging less (WALK inspections [U]START AT[/U] $49), I'm making more [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]er hour. And if I make more [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]er hour, Mr S[B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]ock believes that it is only logical that I will make more [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]er week (probably not [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]er day since I only have 17 Clients at this [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]oint), more [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]er month, and more [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]er year.

[dmoore3]

[quote=rray]Someone who is not a home inspector but still knows something about everything and everything about nothing when it comes to real estate. There are, however, specialists in the [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]roperty consulting field: commercial [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]roperty consultants and residential [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]roperty consultants. I am a residential [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]roperty consultant. I don't want to get involved with the 1.5-million-square-feet shopping mall, the McDonald's restaurant, or anything similar.

Since there are no [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]roperty consultant trade associations, one basically is on one's own (albeit still working with one's business counselors--attorneys, insurance providers, etc.) in developing one's business and consulting [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]rotocols, as well as what kind of "reports" one will provide as part of those [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]rotocols.

In my case, I provide no "home inspection" report, so I can't be a "home inspector." Since I provide no "home inspection" report, that "home inspection" report that doesn't exist doesn't need to meet any trade association SOPs. Since I have no need to abide by any "home inspector" trade association SOPs, so I'm not be a "home inspector." I'm not defined as a "home inspector" under the California Business and Professions Code, so I don't need to practice the "duty of care" that a "home inspector" would need to provide. Since I have no "home inspection" report, I have no 5½ years worth of liability for that "home inspection" report that I don't provide. Since I have no "home inspection" reports, and thus no 5½ years of liability, I also have no need for expensive errors & omissions insurance for that 5½ years of liability on "home inspection" reports that I don't provide.

As with any consultant anywhere, I can tell you a lot, and guide you, but it's under my business's "rules and regulations" concerning those business [SIZE=3][COLOR=green][B]P[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE]rotocols.

The really nice thing is that since my WALK inspections are for [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]roperty investors, who typically buy, fix, and sell within 2-6 months, any "evidence" is destroyed in the process of fixing, and selling, except in the rarest of circumstances, then typically ends any and all liability whatsoever. As a "home inspector," my goal was to gross $100 per hour. As a "[B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]roperty consultant," my goal is to gross $200 per hour. Long-time readers knowledgeable about my posts should, by now, know that I don't set unrealistic, unattainable, unreachable goals. So by charging less (WALK inspections [U]START AT[/U] $49), I'm making more [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]er hour. And if I make more [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]er hour, Mr S[B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]ock believes that it is only logical that I will make more [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]er week (probably not [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]er day since I only have 17 Clients at this [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]oint), more [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]er month, and more [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=#008000]P[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]er year.[/quote]


Ahhhhh....the [B]P[/B]ower of [B]P[/B]!!!!