Thermal Imaging Marketing

[JT Edgren]

I am looking to purchase a Fluke TiR Camera and am wondering what is the best way to market/charge for the service.

When using for home inspections, is it best to ask the client if they would like the use of the camera for an additional fee (example: $75-100 more) or is it better to charge a little more for the inspection and use it as a normal part of the inspection?

Do many people get requests for the Thermal Imaging inspections alone? If so, what's the average cost of those inspections?

[bdoles2]

JT, for me I just included the IR as part of my everyday arsenal of tools. But I also raised the prices of each inspection. I get just as many individual IR inspections as I do home inspections. Expose your use of IR to local companies, i.e. property managers, mold remediation companies, basement/foundation water proofing companies - all which have proven very profitable for me.

More importantly, develop a great website and get your name out there, and educate consumers on the technology. Explain what it can do, and what it cannot do.

[mbartels]

I charge additional for the service. My inspections without IR run 3-5 hours so to add another hour of IR scanning pretty much limits me to only 1 inspection per day. I am of the belief that the service goes so far past the SOP that an additional fee is needed.

The only way I can see using it with every inspection is if you only scan "suspect" areas, like you would a moisture meter if you saw a stain in the ceiling. The downfall I can see then is a complaint saying "you looked at this wall, why not this other one?"

For me and my liability, the whole house gets a general scan or nothing at all. Unless of course I am hired for thermography only work. In that case, I will scan what the client requests.

I think you should be charging as much as or more so than you hourly rate for your home inspections. If you typically spend 3 hours on a home and charge $300.00, why would you not charge an extra $100.00 to spend an additional hour doing an IR scan?

Good luck.

[rbibler]

The problem i see most inspectors have with IR.
Is they think they need to sell something to a buyer/seller/agent.

This is so wrong in my view. This is why. They have no idea what you are talking about. Most have never come across IR. So its like IR What is that.

We need to Teach the buyer/seller/agent What the camera can do for them. if you do this then it becomes there idea. and they want it. The cost is not the problem. I don't think you should get your camera out for less then $ 200.00 just for a moisture scan. and $ 100 for each service above that HVAC. ELC. We need to become Teacher not sellers of IR.

Thats the way i see it. and it works for me every time i use it...

So what tools do you use to teach people about IR.

And are you a good teacher?

Hope this helps.

Best
Ron Bibler
Excellence Home/Building Inspection Services
www.santarosatermiteandpestcontrol.com
A lic Branch #3 Company

[kweiss]

I agree with Ron in principle. But I don't sell it as an add on. I am one that uses it all of the time and just charges more.

Keep in mind that, as he said, most people don't know what it is - so it may be a hard sell as an upcharge. But he is right about educating. Generally, after I educate clients, that happily pay my higher fees. So it is reasonable that a similar percentage would happily pay an upcharge for the service. I am just more comfortable doing this way.

Honestly, for the average house, using IR doesn't add much time. But it tends to find big problems. Don't forget about the unquantified value in this. When I find something big - usually a couple times a week - that I would not have seen without it, people are VERY impressed. And people that are inpressed refer. I call it active referrals. Before IR I got referrals. After IR I get ACTIVE referrals. When I find a leak or something, people are actively telling their friends and neighbors about it - "wow this guy came in with this camera thing and he found this problem that you could not see, blah blah." And the friends and neighbors tend to call.

This value is hard to quantify in a simple formula. Can I say that I made $xxx aount more last year because of IR as if I had charged for it seperately? No (except for the straight IR scans) But, without hesitation, I can say my business was way up.

There is neither a right or wrong way to do this as far as how you charge. It is what works for you. I find that the way I do it helps me stand out and kind of markets itself.

[William R. DeVries, CMHI]

I added it to my inspection and raised my base price to cover it but say the inspection includes a basic scan of moisture known areas ie; basement, bathrooms, windows get scanned.
Then while on the phone I mention for a full scan an additional 150.00 will be added and that would include all ceilings and walls, if there is an insulation or HVAC issue it will get spotted during a full scan.
If there not sure if they need it I simply say once you see the added benifit it offers you can add it during the inspection.
most really like what I can show them and find and opt in for the full scan.