Level II Inspection with Flir C2

I guess I’m getting behind. Just saw this from a local inspector.

Home, Termite & Radon up to 3,000sf for $508 AND

FREE … Level II Thermal Imaging … We have

FLIR C2 Infrared Cameras

It is hard to believe that a Level II would even advertise using a C2, let alone the pricing…:shock:

Training:

Level I = Facebook Groups
Level II = Online Webinar Series
Level III = InterNachi Infrared Certified Certification

1 Like

Camera’s:

Level I = Flir One
Level II = Flir C1
Level III = Flir C2

Don’t forget the subgroups…

Level IA - Inspector Brotherhood
Level IB - Professional Home Inspector - Inspectors Only
Level IC - Home Inspector Network Uncensored…

Your kidding. :shock:

NOT to be confused with accepted Professional designations offered from accredited providers.

No sh*t! :shock: :shock:

After reading some IR posts in one of the aformentioned groups last night, I thought I had better clarify, just in case! :razz:

So Jeffrey - To help the new guys on this Board, if they read it right you have a Level III and use a Flir C2

And got certified at …

Level I = Facebook Groups
Level II = Online Webinar Series
Level III = InterNachi Infrared Certified Certification

http://s3.crackedcdn.com/articleimages/wong/comicads/xray.jpg

Oh no… NOT me!! I wouldn’t be caught dead with that crap.

Btw… theres someons in one of those groups today that is recommeding that POS Flir One… ya know… the one that attaches to a cell phone!!

Here…

While using my Flir E8 yesterday I had the opportunity to discuss differences in IR cameras with my client, explaining the shortcomings of the lower resolution and “add-on” devices.

It will be up to us as inspectors to inform the public about the differences in equipment and training, and set ourselves apart from the “camera-wavers”. Unfortunately, the public is credulous and mis-informed when it comes to IR, and there are many inspectors who will take advantage of that.

I am a Level 1 and use an E8. Most people, maybe all people I see for residential ask if I do free thermal, I don’t. What’s sad is they come back with so and so does free thermal and its always some guy with a cheap camera. Internachi in the past promoted an easy to pass IR course. I appreciate the effort to educate inspectors but what good is making everyone an IR certified inspector when its at best a point and shoot and look at this blue area?

Paul unfortunately I think this will become the norm, Im a new inspector myself and I believe that using IR will become a minimum standard that all inspectors will have to have. In my area there a lot of inspectors using IR and quite a few are properly trained but a bunch are not. I will be buying a quality camera and getting all the appropriate training at least level 1 before I start incorporating this IR into my Inspections. I don’t know that I will get anymore money for my inspections with IR but I believe i will be better equipped to service my customers. In my previous business my techs would spend upwards of 30k on their own tools to go along with all the real specialty stuff I provided. Lots of training had to go along with those tools that they paid for out of their pockets also. This is the way of the future and to do it right there will be other tools that will have to bought to support IR properly also as I’m sure you know already. My thoughts are that if i get the proper training with the equipment and get the experience needed that i may be able to do other types of Inspections with my camera to help overcome the costs of owning the equipment and getting the training. It’s a long play in the business. Still a very inexpensive business to get into most of the money spent is just the time it takes to get the customers reaching out to on a consistent basis.

Just my 2 cents from someone new entering this game.
Bob

People, people, people. STOP giving things away. When you include “free IR”, you degrade your profession. You are driving the prices down with your lack of sales training. It doesn’t matter (actually it does) what type of infrared camera you use. When you give things away for free, that means you are assigning it 0 Value. You don’t see doctors giving away free xrays or exams. You don’t see lawyers giving away free court representation. You don’t see architects giving away free drawings / designs. You don’t see Engineers giving away free calculations for repairs or designs. PROFESSIONALS don’t give away their services. Hobbyists give thing away. Poor business people give things away. People with low self esteem give things away.

Treat your business like a business. You see people that get professional training get professional pricing. You think Bill Warner goes out of state for a $200 IR inspection? Or Charley Bottger? Or Chuck Evans? Hell no. You would have to add either one or two more zeroes to the total, and smart businesses pay them those large amounts. Of course they pay 5-6 figures for their top of the line cameras. Stop undercutting yourself AND your profession and SELL IR.

I’m not advocating discounting, the cost of an inspection may have too go up for customers. What I’m saying is it’s becoming the norm not the exception not an ancillary service. My guess is that in most major metro areas this will happen sooner than later and gradually work its way out into the rural areas of the country. More training will be required to our jobs as it does in many other industries. Technology is pushing us to evolve.

I have no trouble getting paid for it. You have to help your prospects understand the difference in “value” vs. cost.

If you get an “infrared scan” as part of your home inspection for no cost, I can assure you that it was priced appropriately for the value provided.

You are looking at it wrong. You buy a tool to use tool. If people won’t buy the service…what good is the tool. I have a blower door system, about $4500 that sits in my shop…all year. It may go up for sale. It certainly isn’t close to paying for itself. I have water damage equipment that has paid for itself many times over.

Differentiating yourself and adding value to what you are doing will allow you to get a better price, but also, get paid more often, because you are getting more jobs than your competition is. People skip radon testing all of the time. Mainly, because it is a separate cost. I will leave it that way. But you can bet that if I incorporated it i to my pricing, virtually everyone would do it. Am not going to do that because it would drive my pricing too high and we still sell to a high percentage of folks. But, if you give people a choice, specially with thermal, because most people do not see the value in it…it will sit in the case.

To me, it is like a moisture meter or screw driver…you use it, if you have it to perform a better inspection. Because that is really what it is all about. If you are good, you are going to work and get paid. If you aren’t…you won’t.

That simple.