How to evaluate your superiority?

[Bruce Ramsey]

Everyone who posts on this forum is confident that they are providing superior inspections. They know this because they take an active role to learn and expand their technical knowledge base. They are familiar with the various building codes and can provide specific references. They charge higher fees because they are the most betterest. But how do you know you are best? What steps did you take to confirm your overwhelming superiority?

The crux of my dilemma is I think I am doing at least a good job and hoping to be performing better inspections but I am not sure how to objectively or even subjectively determine my ranking against other inspectors in the my area.

I have had a few indicators that I might be moving in the right direction. I have had agents ask me to re-write my report in a softer, gentler manner for a specific deal. I have had agents hire me to inspect their personal homes. I have had agents say that I was more thorough than their regular guy. I feel I am being treated with respect by other inspectors with more time in the profession. I have other inspectors call to ask my opinion about something they found but weren't quite sure about.

I often question myself after reading the forum am I doing as much as I should, as much as I could, or are others overachieving.

I have talked to a few of the more senior members of the local home inspector association about ride alongs. They have verbally agreed but I have not set a date.

What other ways do/did you determine you are in the elite group of top inspectors in your area?

[Matt Fellman]

Your overall outlook on the business and willingness to learn seem to be great and you will suceed at this in time if you stick with it. I've been at this almost 10 years and would offer the following observations:

It's not a race against your competition. At least not side by side, day after day. The little things matter... relationships with buyers, sellers, real estate agents and anyone else who lives in a house are what count.

Being a technicallly good inspector is important but not the 'end all' to make you a busy inspector. I've seen technically great inspectors fail in a short time and I've seen guys who have no idea about house mechanics be wildly sucessful.

From what I can gather, the best way to suceed at this business is to have a balance of skill and personallity. Communication skills are key. If you're getting a lot of call backs on your reports you're not writing clearly enough and/or giving clear enough recommendations. Don't feel like you have to be the end-all, last word about something. Don't be afraid to not have all the answers. This board is a great place to learn but at times can be intimidating since there's always a code number in answer to a question.

We're not code inspectors... Building codes are a helpful part of this business but the majority of the houses you inspect have little to do with current day codes.

Water intrusion and bugs will cost you the most money. Until you have these things down, spend minimal time studying the other 'techie' stuff.

The only two things that matter in this business are making your phone ring and don't get sued. Other than that, nothing really matters. Or at least if it does it gets taken care by one of those two.

Hang in there.... we're in the midst of the worst housing market in the last several decades. This is a great profession :)

[Erby Crofutt]

Bruce:


I have talked to a few of the more senior members of the local home inspector association about ride alongs. They have verbally agreed but I have not set a date.


Get off your ass and get it done. You'll find the experience very useful. Don't wait. Get it done. You won't be sorry.

I get calls for ridealongs all the time. Only one out of about ten actually set a date or even stay in touch. Those who do, don't regret it. Those who don't usually disappear off the licensed list after one year, if they ever even show up on it.

I did a couple of them early on and learned a whole lot from the experience.

Get up and get moving.

[Michael Thomas]

One thing I've noticed: experienced inspectors - even those willing to give "ride-alongs" to "newbies" - are usually *very* reluctant to let another experienced inspector ride along with them, IMO in many cases because they are apprehensive that the other inspector will catch something they would miss.

This is of course an absurd situation if you want to improve our "profession", however it *is* very similar to the only other human skill in our culture that you are (or at last were until very recently were) expected to learn without observing other practitioners: sexual skills.

Which is probably why in my experience some of the least skilled individuals I've met rated themselves "superior".

And IMO if we want to get out of the current "rollin' arojund in the back seat" mode of educating ourselves, we are going to have to do what ever other real profession does, and institutionalize far more effective modes of ongoing training.

[John Arnold]

... But how do you know you are best?...

Somewhere around the third beer it just becomes obvious.

[John McKenna]

85% of repair cost spent on a home go back to moisture issues.
An IR camera and moisture meter helps to resolve that and
therefore make you a better inspector in this important area...IMHO

[Erby Crofutt]

John, Pehaps you oughta just buy an ad from Brian instead!!

[Gunnar Alquist]

85% of repair cost spent on a home go back to moisture issues.

John,

85% of of percentages are made-up on the spot. :D

[Gunnar Alquist]

Bruce,

I have done a couple of ride-alongs with others and had a few ride with me. I find them very helpful and the feedback from the other inspectors has also been positive. The best time I have found is during the slow months. If an inspector is reluctant, then that's fine. Move on to the next.

[Markus Keller]

Evaluate my superiority? I sure as hell hope never. The day I start thinking I am superior to others is the day I start making bad mistakes.
Bruce, I really think that maybe you are overthinking this a bit and causing yourself undue anxiety.
All the things you mentioned that are happening for you professionally are very good indicators that you are doing good inspections and providing good customer service.
Clearly there is a lot of competition and ego in our profession. This is evidenced not only in the field but often on this board.
Asking or wondering if you are 'the' superior inspector is asking the wrong question and frankly setting yourself up for ego burst.
I believe that I am a better inspector than many on this board ... IN CERTAIN AREAS OF EXAMINATION AND REASONING.
However I also believe that there are many inspectors on this board who are better than me, in certain areas of examination and reasoning.
I think one of the keys to believing in yourself professionally, is knowing your strengths and weaknesses (in HI for this topic).
I have the answers to some problems, you have the answer to others. Who's better? Who cares.

[Richard Stanley]

Best answers: John Arnold & Markus Keller
I am better this year than I was last year when I thought I knew everything.

[Bruce Ramsey]

I guess I am just floundering at the whole lack of verifiable credentials thing. If I say I am better, I guess I am.

In my previous life, there were independent third parties that tested and verified a persons knowledge and skill. If you did not have the certification, you were persona non gratia regardless of how much you might have actually known.

There is licensing in my state. Big deal. You pass the state test once and as long as you attend 12 hours of CEU and pay your fee, you stay licensed.

I was hoping there was some magic way that others were quantitatively identifying that they were better than the competition besides simply believing it to be true.

[Jeff Euriech]

Bruce

In my area, the local home inspection association has a "Inspect a House" get together once or twice a year. We have maybe 50-60 home inspectors that are broken down into smaller groups go out and inspect one or two houses. We then compare notes afterwards to see what type of defects were found.

I have found this to be an excellent way to learn from my peers and find out how well I am doing finding defects. In the first couple of years that I was an inspector, everyone was finding more defects then I was. In the next couple of years I tented to be in the middle of the group. Now I find that I am finding a lot of the defects and pointing them out to the newer guys.

The interesting part of this is that no one finds all the defects. Everyone learns from each other. The new guys learn from the old timers. The seasoned veterans learn from the new guys. Everybody walks away learning something.

Arizona Building Officials also has an education program twice a year where they go out and inspect houses. I enjoy inspecting homes with them. You can learn a lot from these guys.

I would recommend that you check in your area and see if anyone puts together some sort of Inspect-A-House program. You them would be able to determine your skill level in comparison to other inspectors and also learn something new in the process.

Jeff Euriech
Peoria Arizona

[David Nice]

It is always useful to be familiar with building codes but I would be cautious about providing references unless it is a clear safety issue. We are not code inspectors, so we should be 100% certain that we are right about an issue. Building departments in some municipalities have their own interpretation of some codes and have been known to embarass some home inspectors by offering a completely different interpretation.


The best credential you can have is extremely satisfied clients who would recommend you in a heart beat and give you a glowing testimonial for you to include on your website and on a sheet of references!

I never suggest to anyone that I am the best. That is for others to tell me. There probably will always be someone, somewhere that is better than me, but I bet it is not someone who advertises that THEY are the best!

[Ted Menelly]

I am not much into this type of question and answer because I am to opinionated but I guess this is what it is all about.

Ride alongs? I have done both. Did I learn a lot, yes. Did i find something they did not or they find something I did not, yes, every single time. It will get you into a whole new frame of mind at least. It is good to be humbled sometimes and it is good to know that you may be seeing things others don't. You need both.

I would love to say that I have never missed anything. Not! I will say that if I have, no one has ever come back on me in over thirty years of building new, remodelling or home and commercial inspections. Sounds crazy but it is true. Maybe, hope not, it is my time to get hammered.
I have only been a full time inspector for 3 years in Florida and 4 years in Texas. The rest of my working life it was a combo of all.

To this day I hate the idea, maybe unfounded, of doing a pre-listing inspection and having someone find things behind me. Every time I say that I brush it off and go do a pre-listing. I guess it is like standing on the edge of a tall building. At first your crotch is in your throat and then you get use to and and can do a dance on the edge.

I know, to winded. Told you I am not good at these things

[Kirk Hersee]

Having only done these insurance inspections for a year, I'm a noob compared to the veterans here, but one thing is that I've received calls from my vendor manager(s) stating that a h/o had called and expressed their deep appreciation for my manner in conducting the inspection and how I nice I was to them while I was there. This was an exterior and I don't usually have someone "tagging" along during the inspection, but it's my nature in being around people, which sometimes (actually) makes me question my professionality as I've always been a people person and wonder if I'm too personable. Anyhoo . . .one of the directors at the company I work for also sent me an email saying I did "excellent work". The jobs keep rolling in :) . But, how do I evaluate my superiority? Gasp, is it possible? I know I've grown immensely in a job that I was new to. I strive to do better every time I go into the field. I get frustrated when I pull away from a job and a mile or so down the road remember that I didn't take a street scene photo or check for a fire hydrant and have to go back. So, I guess my superiority is closing on the 75% range. Knowing I'm not perfect (yes you can all use that as a quote :D ) and at the same time I get a feeling of fulfillment knowing I've done my best, my feeling is that I'm closing in on it, but like many finish lines in life, this one seems to move a little farther away as it is approached. Always leaving me room for growth (YAWN . . . yadda yadda yadda). I'd like to thank God, my parents . . .oh, my agent of course . . . lol . . . sorry . . . I'm holding a cup of coffee and for a second there it was a 2 foot gold statue . . .and you were there ... and you . . . . . and you! Thank you . . .thank you.

[Jerry Peck]

"How to evaluate your superiority?"

"Everyone who posts on this forum is confident that they are providing superior inspections."

There is a world of difference between "superior inspections" and "superiority".

First "superior inspections" to whom?
- To what you've done in the past? That show growth and learning.
- To others? By whose standards? Your own?

Every inspector should be trying to do "superior inspections" to what they have done in the past. Otherwise, there is no knowledge being gained, and when there is no knowledge being gained, are you really even alive? The day we stop learning is the day we might was well be mummified.

[Jerry McCarthy]

In my alleged mind there are two distinct types of individuals who participate on this board; 1. Folks who want to improve their skills and/or take the time to share what they have learned and 2. Ranters who crave the opportunity to post negative excreta about HI associations and/or other individuals. Personally I never take the time to read the comments of these miserable “no-life” morons, but spend my time looking for the gems of wisdom that are dropped on this board every day.

[Deleted Account]

In my alleged mind there are two distinct types of individuals who participate on this board; 1. Folks who want to improve their skills and/or take the time to share what they have learned and 2. Ranters who crave the opportunity to post negative excreta about HI associations and/or other individuals. Personally I never take the time to read the comments of these miserable “no-life” morons, but spend my time looking for the gems of wisdom that are dropped on this board every day.

Jerry there is a third element you forgot to mention... Those who push home inspector licensing like drug dealers push dope.

[Bruce Ramsey]

First "superior inspections" to whom?
- To what you've done in the past? That show growth and learning.
- To others? By whose standards? Your own?

Ever inspector should be trying to do "superior inspections" to what they have done in the past. Otherwise, there is no knowledge being gained, and there there is no knowledge being gained, are you really even alive? The day we stop learning is the day we might was well be mummified.

This is probably closer to what I am asking.

I want to be able to provide superior inspections. I want to provide superior inspections compared to the inspections I performed in the past. I want to provide superior inspections compared to most of the inspectors in my area. I want some way to qualitatively measure or certify that "betterness". I want to be able to plot that I was there last week, I am here this week and I want to be there by next week.

When the potential client calls and wants to know what they are getting from me that they are not getting from the lower priced inspector, I want to be able to point to an objective third party that said I am better for these reasons. I am trying to refine and hone my phone script to answer those questions.

One of the problems may be there are so many areas to be better at. Better at running a small business. Better at marketing. Better at report writing. Better at finding defects. Better at depth and breadth of code knowledge. Better at customer relations. Better at writing snappy retorts in the forum.

[Jerry Peck]

Bruce,

"I want to be able to plot that I was there last week, I am here this week and I want to be there by next week."

It's not something you can plot weekly (I know, you just used weekly as a metaphor), it's something which you can look back on and say 'last year I didn't even know I didn't know this stuff, now I not only know about it, I am inspecting for it'.

It increases the 'Things I know I know.' part of, and reduces the 'Things I know I don't know' or 'Things I don't know I don't know' part of:
- There are things I know I know.
- There are things I know I don't know.
- There are things I don't know I don't know.
- There are things I don't know I know.

Of course, though, as soon as you know you know that stuff, you now know you don't know more stuff, so the 'Things I know I don't know.' part really only gets bigger and bigger every year.

Soon enough you will be like me, I know I don't diddly squat ... but I keep trying to dig the hole deeper anyway. :cool:

[Rick Sabatino]

To grow, learn, and teach someone something new each day is how we all get better. I hope I learn from each inspection I do. I know I learn each day I read the boards. There are situations I may never encounter in the midwest, but learning about them may enable me to see something here differently than I would have yesterday.
Every time I write a report I ask myself "am I missing something" "Can I say this better". I know I'm not perfect I just strive to provide as good a service as I can that day. Hopefully each day is better, not worse. If I can't get better then it must be time to do something new.

Rick

[Jerry McCarthy]

Chinese Proverb - Education:
“He who asks a question is a fool for a minute; he who does not remains a fool forever”.

[David Nice]

In my alleged mind there are two distinct types of individuals who participate on this board; 1. Folks who want to improve their skills and/or take the time to share what they have learned and 2. Ranters who crave the opportunity to post negative excreta about HI associations and/or other individuals. Personally I never take the time to read the comments of these miserable “no-life” morons, but spend my time looking for the gems of wisdom that are dropped on this board every day.

Jerry,

If I were to categorize paticipants into two groups I would list them into the following two catgories:

1. Those that lump people into two categories.
2. Those that don't.
;)

[Jerry Peck]

If I were to categorize paticipants into two groups I would list them into the following two catgories:

1. Those that lump people into two categories.
2. Those that don't.
;)

And you just did. :rolleyes:

Sooooooo, your point is???????? :confused:

[David Nice]

And you just did. :rolleyes:

Sooooooo, your point is???????? :confused:

It's a joke Jerry, just a joke. Truthfully I try not to categorize people if I can avoid it, especially if I don't read their posts.

[Jerry Peck]

It's a joke Jerry, just a joke. Truthfully I try not to categorize people if I can avoid it, especially if I don't read their posts.

David,

Your reputation here is that you only come over to cause problems and irritate others, not to help out with education or other answers.

I had no way of knowing otherwise, past history of posts being what they have been and all.

Don't get mad, you set your past history here, not me and not the rest of us.

[Jerry McCarthy]

I find it singularly impressive how cyber-space bulletin boards reveal the character of those that post on them.

[David Nice]

David,

Your reputation here is that you only come over to cause problems and irritate others, not to help out with education or other answers.

I had no way of knowing otherwise, past history of posts being what they have been and all.

Don't get mad, you set your past history here, not me and not the rest of us.

No reason for me to get mad. In all the message boards I have participated in, not once have I searched out a single members activities to make an assessment like you have made here. It appears that this message board might have way more that it's share of people who do this to discredit those that do not see eye to eye with them.

There is no mistake that you would make such a post on a topic of "superiority".

[David Nice]

I find it singularly impressive how cyber-space bulletin boards reveal the character of those that post on them.

So I guess we can leave it to you and Jerry to take interesting topics and devolve them into discussions of OTHER people's character.

[Mike Schulz]

Sorry Bruce..........I am the best in our area, so give it up..........:D ;)

[Bruce Ramsey]

Mike,

If you are number one then you have no place to go but down! :D

Your web page it indicates you service 6 or 7 counties. I will let you have all the other counties and I will only take Wake and Durham. ;) And you can have all the houses under 2000 square feet in those two counties. :cool:

[Mike Schulz]

You are a generous man Bruce..........Thanks :p

[Stuart Brooks]

Hey! We have the "BEST HOME INSPECTOR" right here in Fredericksburg VA! He says so! In a "find and inspector" advertisement. I believe his name is Charles Friendly. So I don't have to worry about superiority.:rolleyes:

[Ken Bates]

Those people who think they know it all are
very annoying to those who do.

Disce ut semper victuris.
Vive ut cras morituris.

[Jerry Peck]

I inspected one house last week for the 4th time in 9 years.

I always told my clients I tried to double my knowledge every three years, so, of course, if I come back to inspect the house again ... I will find more things I did not find this time.

Using that math, you doubled (from the first inspection to year three), then doubled again (from year three to year six), then doubled again (from year six to year nine) ... your knowledge base and inspection knowledge ... of course you found more items each time. You now know 800% more than you did at the first inspection. :D

[Duane Nelson]

I must be getting better: When I started 7 years ago I could inspect a home in 2 hours. The same home today will take me 3-4 hours. I refuse to admit that I'm slowing down.

[Dan Harris]

Bruce

In my area, the local home inspection association has a "Inspect a House" get together once or twice a year. We have maybe 50-60 home inspectors that are broken down into smaller groups go out and inspect one or two houses. We then compare notes afterwards to see what type of defects were found.

I have found this to be an excellent way to learn from my peers and find out how well I am doing finding defects. In the first couple of years that I was an inspector, everyone was finding more defects then I was. In the next couple of years I tented to be in the middle of the group. Now I find that I am finding a lot of the defects and pointing them out to the newer guys.

The interesting part of this is that no one finds all the defects. Everyone learns from each other. The new guys learn from the old timers. The seasoned veterans learn from the new guys. Everybody walks away learning something.

Arizona Building Officials also has an education program twice a year where they go out and inspect houses. I enjoy inspecting homes with them. You can learn a lot from these guys.

I would recommend that you check in your area and see if anyone puts together some sort of Inspect-A-House program. You them would be able to determine your skill level in comparison to other inspectors and also learn something new in the process.

Jeff Euriech
Peoria Arizona


For all AZ inspectors or anyothers that are going to be in AZ on June 21, join us for the next Inspect A House, in Chino Valley.
This should be a good one, the home earned the title " The Appaler"
Full details are at Arizona ASHI Home Inspections (http://www.azashi.org)