I need a change and I was thinking (among other things) maybe becoming a home inspector. Any feedback, pointers, prerequisites… greatly appreciated.
~ Ted W ~
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See my work – TedsCarpentry.com
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Replies
You are needed.............
You are needed.............
Well, that's encouraging. Thanks for saying.
~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools - BuildersTools.netSee my work - TedsCarpentry.com
Edited 1/27/2009 9:47 pm by Ted W.
You are needed.............
Well, that's encouraging. Thanks for saying.
Actually, he posted that to Bob (rjw). He's a home inspector, and may be able to offer you some advice.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
I'd say the job is tougher than it might seem. I recently paid for a home inspector (closing Feb. 13), because he had a thermal imager and I wanted to check out the insulation.
It occurred to me that you might be in the business of shattering a lot of buyer's hopes, when you spot costly problems that they might have missed. Or that their realtor has glossed over.
Could get pretty emotional. I don't think I'd be up for it, day in and day out.
...might be in the business of shattering a lot of buyer's hopes, when you spot costly problems...
Conversly, I might be in the business of saving them from making one of the biggest mistakes of their life.
That thermal imager sounds expensive. Also, I see the home study course is $2K, which I can't afford at this time. But it is something I can work toward.
~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools - BuildersTools.netSee my work - TedsCarpentry.com
Edited 1/29/2009 9:32 am by Ted W.
Oh, sure. I'm just saying that it's probably an unpleasant service.
How do independant home inspectors get their business?~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools - BuildersTools.netSee my work - TedsCarpentry.com
I know that some (a lot?) will inspect new homes. I'd say that's pretty silly, but some people who haven't a clue about building feel better with paying for their own inspection.I wouldn't see how you would make much headway, though, unless you were at the top of a realtor's list.
FYI - in Illinois, you're required to take a class and get a license. Right off the bat, you're in for about a grand and you don't even have a business yet. Then you have to get Errors and Omission insurance, only a handful of companies sell this insurance for home inspectors. Might want to set up an LLC or S-corp to skirt some liability. Then you have to buy some equipment, laptop, portable printer, gas sniffer, and I'm assuming you have all the simple tools and ladders needed. You'll need some reporting software or preprinted report forms, they aren't cheap.
You also have to get in the rear end of a few realtors to get started. Get a name out and then start the advertising. Hope for some good word of mouth.
Still want to do it?
I quit about half way through the process about 4 yrs back.
Now that's the kind of direction I'm looking for.
I was looking at the ASHI home training package http://www.ashiathome.com/ , pricey but then it doesn't interupt my work, so I figure it would end up costing a lot less in the long run.
The LLC or S-corp is certainly a good idea. I couldn't imagine doing this without liability coverage. I assume he gas sniffer is expensive. Looks like I have some serious research to do. ~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools - BuildersTools.netSee my work - TedsCarpentry.com
Thought this might help if you haven't seen this yet.
http://www.idfpr.com/FAQ/BRE/toggleBREHomeInsp.asp
Q.
What are the requirements for becoming licensed as a Home Inspector?
A.
All Home Inspectors practicing in Illinois must be at least 21 years of age and have a high school diploma or equivalent course of study (GED). Each license applicant must successfully complete 60 hours of pre-license education from an education provider licensed by DFPR. After completing the 60-hour pre-license course, applicants must take and pass the Illinois Home Inspector License Exam. After passing the license exam, applicants must submit the application and fee.
Q.
How can I sign up for a 60-hour Pre-License Course?
A.
Contact an approved Pre-License Education Provider. Enrollment policies and registration fees for these courses vary from school to school. To view a list of approved Pre-License Education Providers visit the following website:http://www.idfpr.com/DPR/RE/HIPreLicenseProviders.asp
Q.
Can I take a home study course for my Pre-License Education?
A.
You may take a home study course from a Pre-License Education Provider after it has been approved by DFPR. Click the link in the question above for a list of Education Providers that provide home study courses. Please be advised that home study courses, like all Pre-License courses, are required to offer a minimum of 10 hours practical lab instruction. This portion of the instruction requires on-site training (not home study).
It's better to dash hope than getting stuck with a lemon."Shawdow boxing the appoclipse and wandering the land"
Wier/Barlow
I think its a bit of a dance. If you kill sales, the realtors will lose your phone #. In my locale a lot of folks, ex builders and such, have tried and not lasted. Only the most professional of the lot seem to hang in there. Not very encouraging I guess. I think it takes a while to build a rep with the people who will give you referrals.
Tom
If you kill sales, the realtors will lose your phone #.
Would it be the realtors refering me? That surprises me, since it would necessarily be a biased referal. I thought I would run my ad in local papers or something like that. Am I on the wrong track?~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools - BuildersTools.netSee my work - TedsCarpentry.com
I took classes and one of the things I learned was that even amoug the most experienced HIs most referrals come from the RE agents
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
While it has seemed to serve a few guys I know well in the past, they are now the ones standing next to all the realtors looking for work.
So I think its a good field but until the housing market picks back up, I wouldn't jump into it full time. At least not in Florida where I live.
The biggest thing is the "don't kill the deal".
If you do kill the deal, you will not get any referrals from Realtors, and at that point you must somehow find customers (buyers and sellers) without the referral from a Realtor.
An established Realtor will have an established relationship with his/her "people" like handymen, service companies and home inspectors. You aren't going to just break into that network easily.
As mentioned, Illinois has licensing requirements, and you must take continuing education classes to maintain that license.
Performing inspections to establish moisture content behind walls on EIFS homes (aka Dryvit) is difficult without making new holes in the envelope for the moisture meter, so that opens up liability issues. I suppose a thermal imaging camera is an answer... a four to five digit answer... and I have yet to see an EIFS home with proper flashings above windows and doors instead of a caulk joint.
Heck, I have seen very few standard homes with proper flashings around window and door openings during construction. I have yet to see a brick home with the proper clearance to the window.
You are only supposed to establish the operational/non-operational status of major systems like HVAC, not a detailed specialized inspection of said system.
What do you do in a house with aluminum wiring? How can you establish the fact that the house has aluminum wiring without removing outlets or the breaker/fuse panel cover (electrical work that requires a license)? I suppose the 4 to 5 digit thermal camera will show potential hot spots.
Radon inspections require licensing- not many licensed home inspectors are also licensed to do radon.
You are not supposed to quote local code during inspections.
While ther are many places a home inspector can look, there are many places you can't- like behind walls.
I question the integrity of the home inspection system, licensed or not, when a Realtor is involved with the recommendation.
An inspector relying on a Realtor for business must balance what I view as a conflict of interest.
The contracts for inspectors sure seem to have a lot of exclusions.
I have also looked into it. A combustible gas detector isn't a lot of money, neither is a standard moisture meter. The basic tools could be had for less than $2k if you had to buy everything... that doesn't include a laptop, printer or software though. Homes were selling well when I looked into it.
I don't know what business is to be had right now with the collapse of the real estate market, and I suspect there are plenty of inspectors chasing the work that is out there at this time. Little work + a surplus of people to do the work usually = downward pressure on pricing.
My friend was a "Pillar to Post" home inspector for a few yers. Biggest drawback, lots of weekends and nights. I think he made out alright money wise but he folded the company and went back to a 9-5 government facilities management job.
Have a good day
Cliffy
I do 'em- market sucks right now
Search the forum - there have been many posts/threads on the subject
"Ask not what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive... then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
Howard Thurman
From my experience, forget all you know about construction and get one of those telescoping ladders. Thats all you need.:>)
I once had an inspector tell a client they needed to vent a crawlspace. Uhhh, there was no crawlspace. The family room was built on a old porch. It was a cement floor with dirt underneath.
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
Edited 1/28/2009 9:18 pm ET by MSA1
I always thought it was all you needed was a Dog, a Pick-up truck & a ladder!
No, that is for a contractor.For a HI, replace the dog with a flash light.Unless you have a mold sniffing dog..
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
Damn if I know.
I would go into this as an additional income source. Not a full time gig, but it is possible to get there. Enter with a KISS strategy, roofs (for the most part) can be inspected from the ground with binoculars. You can't check every outlet (my house I'm NOT letting you move my furniture around). Go in looking for the obvious, problems with tile/tub etc. No one has X-RAY vision. If your lifes experience in the trades is extensive your knowledge is PRICELESS, and remember always work for the BUYER, that way you can sleep at night. Ask the current owner about problems, as in many states it's against the law for them to knowingly lie. Most inspectors I have seen protect themselves with the last paragraph in their contract: Something like, my liability cannot exceed the cost (price) of this contract. ie: $400 give or take. In the begining keep the price fair, work for friends and relatives, there is nothing like word of mouth advertising.
Hi Pelipeth,
Over 500 posts, maybe time to fill in your profile n let us know a little about yourself? =) At least your geo and involvement in the trades.
Your suggestion of making it a side business, at least at first, is well taken. Of course, that would be when work was slow, but it's better to know this going in. I was thinking full time and would probably have been real disappointed when work was slow.
I also like the the suggestion of always work for the buyer. I don't like lying - especially when doing so has the potentiol or destroying lives and families - and puting myself on the side of the seller would inevitably lead to just that. So, point very well taken.
If your lifes experience in the trades is extensive your knowledge is PRICELESS...
Yep, that's what I'm counting on. I've been playing handyman/carpenter for 20+ years, worked in every envrionment from ghetto slums to private beach mansions.
I don't expect it would be easy getting into a new feild of any sort, and HI would be one of the more difficult. On the other hand, business and real estate is slow right now, so maybe this is the best time to start pointing myself in that new direction. Hopefully, by the time I start promoting my new business, the market will start teetering the other way.
One thing I noticed right away is that you never put realtors in the equation, while others have implied that I'd have a real hard time getting started without them. I really want to be as independant (i.e. honest) as possible. That's why I mentioned your profile, would like to know more about your experience with HIs and how many you have delt with, and where, to put it into perspective.
Thanks for the input. ~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools - BuildersTools.netSee my work - TedsCarpentry.com
"I also like the the suggestion of always work for the buyer. I don't like lying "Let's straighten out tht misconception.You work for the person who hires you and is paying you.Buyers are a major staple, but there are plenty others...A seller who wants to get his place up to snuff and needs to know what an HI is likely to find for a potential buyer, so he can fix it first.A property manager wh needs recommendations what neeeds service so he can budget and schedule the work..A bank with repos There is no reason to lie. The guys who lasyt in the bvusiness have some integrity and learn which RE agents to avoid. A good RE agent will be servicing their buyer client with good HIs.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I've been in the remodeling business for 25+ yrs. Mostly kitchens and baths. Now alot of handyman stuff, blessed to have a significant other who is the primary bread winner. Been successful in my own right and have a good client base. Live in the northern burbs of NYC.For me it was extra income, have done maybe 40-50 inspections. In most cases I would have the prospective buyer with me as it saved alot of paper work, visuals are wonderful. I used alot of common sense and practicality. Real large properties could take a couple of days, although rare for me (estates). Those inspections run into the thousands of dollars.
I'm not fond of realtors as a group, should you encounter a good knowledge one they will know what's wrong with a particular property. I tried NOT to waste my clients or my time if I knew the property was a POS. If your a good judge of character you will know how much time your client needs ie. 1st time buyers or tenth time. Good realtors will respect you and you'll build a client base, to start though, word of mouth and some advertising see where it takes you, but I would not quit my day job right away, get your foot in the door.
I would go into this as an additional income source. Not a full time gig,
That was my intent as well, but after insurance, tools, supplies, advertising, licensing, continuing education, etc. you won't make a penny. I agree on keeping your "day job", but expect to work double duty for a year or so until you know you this will work for you. In the past, contractors went into this, and made good money, because of their expertise and no real overhead costs. But with the state requirements, liability and the bar being raised on report writing, the costs have sky rocketed.
roofs (for the most part) can be inspected from the ground
Most HIs around chicago go on the roof, especially when there's no snow/ice
You can't check every outlet
Industry standard is one per room
Ask the current owner about problems,
You're just asking to be named in the lawsuit later. Keep the homeowner far, far away.
Something like, my liability cannot exceed the cost (price) of this contract. ie: $400 give or take.
That's just like the ballparks writing on the back of the ticket that they aren't responsible when you get hit by a ball. It never sticks in court.
Bob Walker would be the guy to ask... but from what I understand, the inspector market is in the toilet with the housing market being there too.
Maybe there is a way to bid on doing hud inspections.
I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
As you can see, thre are plenty of folks who hld HI's in low esteem.
And there are many HI's who have earned that disrespect.
There are also very good HI's.
And there are contractors who haven't figured out that if they're good and don't have 'tude about HI's, HI's can generate a lot of work for contractors by pointing out needed repairs.
Many are concerned about HI's getting their referrals from RE agents.
That can lead to an HI pulling punches with visions of getting more work. But that strategy only works until the first law suit comes in.
Good agents will refer good HI's, in my eperience.
Technical knowledge is important, but people skills and "procedural knowledge" is just as important.
"Ask not what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive... then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
Howard Thurman
Ted,
My advice is to look for someone local to you for training, and/or at least some tag-alongs. As far as training, do lots of reading, the internet makes finding resources much easier than when I was doing home inspections (10 years ago). Assuming you are still interested in the work, I would then focus on joining a reputable association/society, you will need this to get the "better" rates on errors & omissions/liability insurance, and put out some feelers for leads. They can also guide you toward resources for being successful in the industry and the better one(s) require passing tests and continuing education (and lets not forget the annual dues!). Invest in a safe, commercial grade ladder, portable printer, laptop, good software, digital camera, gas sniffer, flashlight, dust masks, knee pads, coveralls, screwdrivers, electrical testers as basic equipment (I may be forgetting some items here). If your making some money after a year or so time to think about classes for passing the wood destroying organisms and radon certifications. This will allow you to make some more revenue, but realize the initial investment in radon monitoring equipment may be a couple years out before you start realizing a profit. As far as business goes, it really helps to be personable and a good communicator. I would guess 90%+ of business would come from realtor referrals, so your marketing resources and focus would be best served in this area. Unfortunately, this is pretty much the realm for getting your name out there and staying semi-busy in the profession (although with the web that may have changed some as far as what potential clients are using to look for a home inspector). Best of luck.
Everybody, I really appreciate all this info. I'd like to respond to each and every post, but that would take all night. So let me just say "Thanks Everybody!"
It's obvious that I underestimated how much is involved, but I'm not discouraged at all. For that matter, if it was easy everybody would be doing it. So I'm doing my research and no doubt will have a gazillion more questions. The biggest obstacle is, of course, money. I figure I will have to invest $10K before I'm officially in business. Does that seem realistic?~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools - BuildersTools.netSee my work - TedsCarpentry.com
About right, probably less if you have or find good connections.
When I took my class, I had to purchase a manual on home inspections. It's collecting dust on the shelf. Let me know if you'd like it.
I know I've been a littel critical, but if you have a good background in construction, then you have a leg up on most beginners.
probably less if you have or find good connections
I was just refering to equipment and training. =)~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools - BuildersTools.netSee my work - TedsCarpentry.com
About right, probably less if you have or find good connections.
Probably should have called Blago last week :)
Ted,
I think you are on the right track. Go into it slow and use it as supplementary income. Nothing wrong with that. And yes, $10k seems about right.
Good luck as I think its always smart to have a "back up plan" for an income source...especially now!
Mike
From the posts in this thread, I'm not sure how good of a back-up plan it is. When building and real estate are slow, so is home inspectin'. But it will be a good back-up for when I get tired doing the grunt work. =)~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools - BuildersTools.netSee my work - TedsCarpentry.com
On first glance at your post I was thinking some off the cuff comment about removing half your brain-- but then I realized you were talking about private home inspection-- not building inspectors.
Even the most eager and ambitious building inspectors have to subvert their intellect to abide the rigid rediculousness mandated by their superiors-- at least here in Ontario.
Private Home Inspectors are unfortunately a bit of a commodity. Real Estate is slow... you are slow. In my opinion this is not the time to start up a new Home Inspection Company.
It comes back to advice given me by a very successful Greek businessman a couple of decades ago.
(Steve Dimakos) "Don't jump from business to business--Make yourself the best at something, whether it is sweeping floors or building houses, stick with it and you will be a success"
He did it in the restaurant business.
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