What is the lowest price inspection being advertised presently in Ontario?
Anyone care to guess…
I’d provide a link, but they’d like free advertising…
I’ve seen $150 taxes included for up to 2000 sf…that makes $132 and change.
Is that person even trained and certified?
No claim to have any HI training.
"
Our inspections include a hand written on site evaluation, or a typed evaluation up to 2 days later…
…Our inspector has been in the Construction Industry for over 10 years and counting. Of those years, 3 of them were spent as a Site Supervisor for a local home builder. During this time he oversaw more then 75 houses built from the foundation through to completion. He has also obtained a diploma from Fanshawe College in Construction Engineering Technology Management, a 3-year program. Through these venues, and his current Commercial Construction job, he has obtained a thorough knowledge of the Ontario Building Code, as well as proper construction practices.
Inspection fees vary depending on the size of the house. A typical house up to 2000s.f. will cost $150(taxes incl.)."
With the new licensing law in Florida…contractors (who are not NACHI or ASHI members)are allowed to offer home inspections for FREE and then bid on correcting the defects they report on. Perfectly legal. Use the inspection to do an estimate and collect on the back end. The ironic part of this is that the majority of defects were left behind by the Florida contractor who preceded them. Licensing solves nothing.
Below copied from: http://www.homeinspectionseastgta.com/index-5.html
- PrePurchase/Sale Inspections - Complete Inspections - As low as $ 200.
- Tarion Inspections - Complete Inspections - As low as $ 150.
- Remodelling Home Inspection - Price $ 100.00.
And Ontario is not licensed…
Low prices is one way of eliminating your competition. It succeeds where licensing fails, in that regard, for sure.
In these hard times, it almost makes sense for someone with the means to survive for a while to give away inspections for $200 until you’re competition is out of business. Might take about six months if you can really advertise heavily. Maybe that is what these guys are doing.
Yea, you may eliminate some competition but others will take over…and you get a reputation as being cheap.
What I find strange is that this fellow, which incidently is well respected within iNACHI, stressed on one of his website to work smart and on the other website gives away his service.
Right now…if you depend on used house salesmen for business, you work cheap or not at all.
I say it’s one where you pay the buyer for the honor. 
Odd business tactic, lower your rates so you keep your business running while barely making ends meet, exhaust yourself, make a rep for not meeting time schedules and report times, or , give out short poorly written reports. As well your tools and your vehicle wears out but you don’t make enough to replace them. We have one inspector in our neck of the woods who has advertised 200. basic rate home inspections, with a free wett inspection thrown in. When a customer calls me and I advise them my basic rate is 345. I have had them say but so and so is only $200. I just tell them I am not the cheapest I am the best. Anyone who can do a home inspection and a wood burning appliance and chimney inspection in three hours and give away an inspection that normally costs $125 in a deal for $200 total, well one of those inspections is sadly lacking and either are too important to trust to the cheapest guy out there. I get quite a few of those customers. Not all but then those who shop price alone get what they deserve. To top it all off, I only have to work a third as much as he does.
Of all the businesses in the world, most are borderline commodities (lumber, VW Beetles, 16 ounce Coca Colas, etc) with no hope for the salesman to distinguish his/her product from his/her competitors.
Inspections are the rare exception where you have an opportunity to say that my 2"X4" or soft drink is much better than my competitors and let me explain why you should pay me more for it.
Imagine this…
You have been recently diagnosed with cancer and are in need of Surgery…
Would you call around and Price Shop to find the MOST Inexpensive (and least Experienced) Surgeon?
I think not…
so why would you do this with the greatest investment of your life?