Thread: Do you do price adjustments?

I have been asked a couple of times now if I would adjust my price for an inspection due to the fact that I can't look at the roof coverings and flashings due to snow or do not run the a/c due to the weather conditions. Do anyone of you guys/gals do this for your clients? What would your reply be? (If you do not) I'm just curious.

Thanks in advance to any replies!
Chad

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AC in cold weather has never been a problem for me. Folks seem to understand.

The roof is a different matter, whether it's snow related or access related. For instance, 3 story flat roof with no access except from the ground. Not going to happen. "BUT THAT'S YOUR JOB! YOU HAVE TO INSPECT THE ROOF!"

If the client is really going to throw a fit about it, and I can get them to calm down by offering $25-50 off the fee, to help them pay a roofer to inspect the roof, I might do it. It's not worth the aggravation.

If it's a snow issue, and the travel time isn't too bad, I tell them I'll return to take a look when the snow is gone, at no extra charge. If they don't have the time to wait for the snow to melt, too bad, not my problem, I can't control the weather.

Originally Posted by C.Johnson

I have been asked a couple of times now if I would adjust my price for an inspection due to the fact that I can't look at the roof coverings and flashings due to snow or do not run the a/c due to the weather conditions. Do anyone of you guys/gals do this for your clients? What would your reply be? (If you do not) I'm just curious.

Thanks in advance to any replies!
Chad

I don't get a discount for not having hair on the top of my head when I go and get a haircut! Why discount part of the inspection because you can not see the roof due to snow cover.... The A/C has never been an issue due to the cold weather.

I guess if they are being a pain in the rear you could knock off a few dollars but I would not make it more than about $15. It just does not take that much time to look at a roof.

I spend x amount of time at the average home. If the HVAC is not working and I obviously cannot run it I do not discount the inspection. I am still going to use at least a half day and it is not my problem that particular system or systems do not work. After all I am there to find out what does or does not work and I am paid to do so, so why discount. This is a fools chase that can only be chased and never caught.

Next time someone asks for a discount explain the inspection business in one sentence.

The amount of time allotted to do this inspection has already been set aside with nothing else scheduled for this time frame and the only thing I get paid for is my time.

I think they will understand.

If you go to get your car worked on and the book says it is a four hour job....before you get your keys back...you are paying them for a four hour job even if it only takes 2 hours. Why is it like this? Because if the book says 4 hours, difficulties may arise and it takes longer. They win some and they lose some.

I would like to see someone get their keys back at the dealership before they paid the entire bill.

I will adjust pricing for various reasons but not for the kind of stuff you mention.
Too cold to run the AC, big deal, saves you what 2 minutes? You still have to look at the unit, check components to see if what should be there is present and if looks like it would work if switched on.
If I can't look at the roof because of snow. I spend more time in the attic looking for any clues. If it's safe to do so, I set my ladder and broom of small sections here and there so I can at least get an idea of what the roof is like.
If you start discounting for things like that, it's a losing game. Don't do it. Spending minutes less on X just means you have more time to look at other things. How about you tell the client if the HI take more time, they pay you more. I'm sure that will go over just as well.

It does seem like a fair request for clients to make. If they ask I'll knock something off the fee. I have a job this afternoon and the client understands that the 4 inches of snow we have is going to limit me. It's a ranch so getting to the gutters is no issue and using a whisk brush to take a peak at the shingles in 2-3 locations is no big effort. At least it will give him a bit of info and less of a reason to ask for a discount.

If the home is close by, which today's isn't, I'll stop by when the snow is melted and check the roof then for no charge.

If snow were an issue where I am, I would be willing to discount if they were willing to sign a disclaimer that I didn't inspect any portion of the entire roof system. Roofing and flashings are a small component of that system.
As far as the A/C, you might try the same thing. "I am willing to give you a $25 discount if I am not required to inspect any portion of the air conditioning system and you are willing to sign a statement to that effect".
I haven't tried it but I bet they wouldn't sign or complain about the $25.
Scott, you go to the barber???

I'm with Markus on this one.

I once conducted the experiment of discovering how long it would take to "completely" inspect a large three story Victorian. (It was a pre listing inspection in December, 5 min from my house, I explained what I was doing, and obtained the sellers permission to perform the inspection over several days).

(By "completely" I don't mean making additional types of observations that I would at a typical inspection, but rather that I took as much time as was needed, for example, to completely crawl and inspect every available area of the attic, inspect every rafter along it's entire length on both sides, inspect every accessible area of the roof underside in detail, etc.)

The inspection took around 18 hours over three days.

Afterwords, I was pleased to discover that there were only a handful of reportable defects I would have missed otherwise, and none were things that should have upset a reasonable client if they were later discovered.

The point is: at most inspections I'm performing a sort of triage, deciding where I should spend my time during my already lengthy inspections. At many inspections, there is something that prevents me from inspecting some component or system to the "normal" extent - but all that means is that something else is getting some of the additional attention it ought to in a perfect world.

The ultimate example of this is a foreclosure inspection with all utilities off.

With so many things less than fully inspectable, it would seem logical that an inspector ought be able to knock hours off the inspection of a typical vacant REO compared to a "typical" inspection.

Well, we all know how THAT works out...

With snow on the roof, don't you still look for evidence of leaks at the soffit, fascia, inside, wherever you can?

Offer to take $25 off, then tell them you will need to add $50 back on to cover the time to look for those things as you will need to spend more time looking for that stuff than if you could have accessed the roof ... my guess is that they will not want to pay the extra $25 for that extra work, nor will they want to not pay the first $25 and have you not look for that evidence.

Getting on the roof is only *part of* the "roof inspection".

Originally Posted by Benjamin Thompson

If snow were an issue where I am, I would be willing to discount if they were willing to sign a disclaimer that I didn't inspect any portion of the entire roof system. Roofing and flashings are a small component of that system.
As far as the A/C, you might try the same thing. "I am willing to give you a $25 discount if I am not required to inspect any portion of the air conditioning system and you are willing to sign a statement to that effect".
I haven't tried it but I bet they wouldn't sign or complain about the $25.
Scott, you go to the barber???

Now that is funny. I bet the wife is tired of giving the old cue ball a shave all the time so she kicks him off to the barber for a shave and to get those pesky ear hairs ripped out

Thanks Guys for all your replies. We all seem to be on the same page with this. I just wanted to see if I was in the majority or not on this one.

Scott, I'm sorry about your Barber I have a feeling your gonna get some slack over that comment!
That is why I wear a hat myself!

Thanks Again, I always appreciate everyone's advice and comments on this forum, Class Act (most of the time)

Originally Posted by Ted Menelly

Now that is funny. I bet the wife is tired of giving the old cue ball a shave all the time so she kicks him off to the barber for a shave and to get those pesky ear hairs ripped out

See! I had Missed Ted's Comment before 1st my reply

Originally Posted by Ted Menelly

Now that is funny. I bet the wife is tired of giving the old cue ball a shave all the time so she kicks him off to the barber for a shave and to get those pesky ear hairs ripped out

I get a cut and shine! Still have hair around the noggin just not on top! I just can't bring myself to go with that Mr Clean style!

Originally Posted by Scott Patterson

I get a cut and shine! Still have hair around the noggin just not on top! I just can't bring myself to go with that Mr Clean style!

Sorry Jean-Luc. The small picture looks like no peach fuzz around the sides. It is so tight now you might as well go for the look. You are lucky to have a noggin that goes with such slight hair.

One thing that can be pointed out to clients when snow is on the roof - you can learn things that otherwise would not have been observed. At yesterday's inspection ice damming was present and two areas had accelerated snow melt.

Different days can tell you different things. I've seen too many situations that were observed only because the conditions were just right for the problem to show itself. Kind of like a roof that doesn't leak on a sunny day.

Originally Posted by Ted Menelly

Sorry Jean-Luc. The small picture looks like no peach fuzz around the sides. It is so tight now you might as well go for the look. You are lucky to have a noggin that goes with such slight hair.

As the saying goes - "God only made a few perfect heads. On the rest, he put hair."

I offer final walkthroughs and if a client wanted a discount I would simply offer to look as part of the walk through.
Listen ,nobody here offers discounts for furniture in the way do they?
The idea of discounts for snow is ludicrous.

Originally Posted by Robert Humphries

Hi, Mr. Elliot. I definitely see your point, but I also see the client's point. I think most clients assume what's going to be inspected based on reading SOPs or other "what we do" content on an inspector's Website. So, it's safe for them to assume that if "X" isn't going to be done, then they should get a discount. I think that in the minds of many people, if they are being charged for you to mow the front yard and back yard, and the back yard doesn't get mowed, then they expect a price adjustment.

In fact, I'm not sure "discount" is even the right word to use for the scenario being discussing in this thread. "Adjustment" would be more appropriate.

But, I beseat you on the fact that NO, you do not charge them a "premium" for having to move furniture that they didn't move before you arrived; therefore, you shouldn't give a "discount" for snow that that you didn't put on the roof, either.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not an inspector, nor have I ever been. But, discussing these matters with you all helps me to understand how to be of service to you when the time comes. Thank you all for the opportunity to participate.

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Thanks for your view point Robert however I have never had a client suggest a discount and no slight to our honorable poster but if this ever does become an issue than I feel the inspector did not sell the rest of his services well.
I kinda feel like my clients wish they had not so underpaid me for all the hard work and effort I put into each and every property I inspect.

There is no way I can conceive of a client feeling cheated by my services.
I would commit Hari kari and I am not kidding as I sweat out each and every inspection.That is how committed I am and hope all of us are to stop getting paid peanuts for the most important and impartial part of the whole property purchase process.We are professionals and will only be treated as such when inspectors get rid of the building subcontractor mentality of the past life.

[QUOTE=Robert Humphries;156636]It seems like this matter could easily be solved by simply posting some kind of "Terms" concerning this on the inspector's Website...

Robert as a marketer I am surprised to see these words pass your virtual lips.
Would you ever go negative anything on a website?

Originally Posted by Robert Humphries

Actually, "negative" is relative. It's all in the wording. The written word can be manipulated [if you will] just like the spoken work in order to convey a specific point.

For example, ask anyone what the different between "react" and "respond" is, and most people will tell you that they have nearly identical meanings. Yet, if a doctor told you that your body "reacted" to meds, then that's bad. But, if the doctor tells you that your body "responded" to meds, then that's good.

Convex. Concave.

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OK, now use this issue.