Thread: When to defer or recommend?

All,
I think this may be something we all struggle with from time to time. I know the past few inspections for me have been such.

At what point in an inspection do you say to yourself, enough is enough and defer to the pro. For example: (You pick your own area)

Electrical: Improper wire to breaker size, Knockouts need covers, double tapping, neutral not isolated, open ground, hot/neutral reversed, l could go on and on. But at what point do you stop......or do you???
I find myself trying to find every issue I can in order to NOT miss anything. It puts my inspection times around 4 hours and then report writing around 4 hours....stop laughing
I think its a disease known as suetheinspectoritis.
I don't mind putting myself out there for ridicule, just please be gentle.

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Follow your Standards of Practices. In North Carolina, we're fairly tightly controlled by the state.
Set the parameters in your contract too. I don't guarantee perfection right in the contract. Don't call me for that toilet that started to run a week after I left.
But we all struggle with where to stop. Generally dictated by what you go cussed out for last. The body of the report can contain the world if you like. Just distill the summary to what's required. And don't write defensively. That's the "I don't know what I'm doing" syndrome.

And yeah, 8 hours on an average size house is not going to make your life-style very gracious. You need a better system. I've been at it for 15 years and with my software and camera I can comfortably do 2 under 3000 ft. homes less that 70 years of age in 10-12 hours site and write. Now I have 5000' next Tuesday that may take 6 hours, but you better have a wife with a good job if you need 8 hours for one house.

JLMathis

I do tend to over analyze things.
What kind of system are you using?

In my report I pretty much tell my client that if there is something that needs to be repaired, then it should be done by a professional, in most cases, thats a licensed professional in what ever field.

I tell my clients that I am going to note everything I can. Some may be a couple dollars and a couple minutes to fix, some may be thousands. I also make it clear that I am there hunting for the BIG stuff, and may (probably will) miss some small things. I also tell them not to be surprised when Uncle Wally comes over, finds a scratch on some wood trim, and wonders aloud why the inspector didn't call that out.

I tell them to think of it as a big game hunter. I'm hunting elephants! In the course of hunting elephants, a few rabbits may scoot by. They seem to get it.

Other threads here have talked about inspection times, etc, so I'm not going to comment a lot about that. I typically do two inspections a day, and finish the reports on site. Its the way I started doing inspections, and been doing it this way since 1989.
I've always used the "little over an hour per 1000 sf", with a minimum time of 2 - 2.5 hours, and its pretty close. I have had some small condos that only took a little over an hour. Obviously age has a lot to do with it, as well as number of bathrooms, kitchens, HVAC units, etc. Large homes sometimes just have big rooms, and not a lot of extra stuff to inspect.

8 hours for a normal job seems like overkill to me, or you just don't have enough experience to have your inspecting routine down, or your reporting system is too cumbersome. Its hard to say without knowing more.

Originally Posted by Jack Feldmann

I tell them to think of it as a big game hunter. I'm hunting elephants! In the course of hunting elephants, a few rabbits may scoot by. They seem to get it.

8 hours for a normal job seems like overkill to me, or you just don't have enough experience to have your inspecting routine down, or your reporting system is too cumbersome.

Jack is correct.

This profession started out when things were a little more loosey goosey. Inspectors did not carry so many gadgets, xray, zappers, stingers, sniffers - just a screwdriver, outlet tester and a flashlight. Most of us old timers could do three houses a day (average size), then spend a few hours at night dictating the results. If you do an 8 hour inspection how can you ever earn a profit. I am sure you are not charging $1200. per inspection. Remember, this is a business, not a calling. If you find 3 or 4 electrical problems then move on and just tell your client that the electrical system in its entirety needs to be repaired and brought up to safe condition by a qualified electrician. You will never find everything and sparky will come in and pick on the one thing you missed to call you an ahole. Most inspectors who spend too much time have not been able to visually and mentally sort out the stuff that is normal and concentrate on what is out of place in the big picture. The one thing I always tried to drum into my employees was not to count cracks. Just report that there are some and move on. If you counted 12, you probably missed two or three.