Hey everybody, got a loaded question for you. I am a general contractor and a HI. My bread and butter is GC. I am considering purchasing a thermacam to compliment my GC work but I would also use it for inspections where it will help. To be more specific I would like to do inspections, probably more along the lines of energy efficiency and of course looking for damage.

My idea is to disclose up front that I am a general contractor, then determine the extent of the inspection. After doing the inspection, I would do a full disclosure of anything that I find, along with pictures to show that I am not making it up. If they choose, I can then make a full scope of work that needs to done so that they can solicit bids for the work. Of course it is up to the HO to decide any and if any work will be done.

The question is should or could I even submit a bid to do the work?

Mitchell, of course you are not in Texas, but here it is totally illegal to do any repair work on anything you inspect.
Most SOP's don't allow it. You can either inspect or repair, but not both.

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Jim Luttrall
Mr. Inspector.net, Inc.
Allen, Texas 75002

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck then it has to be a conflict of interest

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Jerry McCarthy
Construction Consultant
www.expertbuildingconsultants.com

In Oregon it is illegal to do work on a home withing 1 year of inspecting it.

Two years in Wisconsin.

I figured that would be the answer. I guess I need to push it more with the GC side than the HI side. I work with a lot of old buildings and so I guess I can pick and choose my clients for the inspection work. I think I will focus on working with clients and letting the camera be the only thing. More of a forensic type of work?

I would rather do consulting work anyway. That way I can work when I want.

Do you know why 2 years? That seems like a long time.

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I say lets merge all the home inspection organizations into one.

Seepaluce

Fella in town is both a GC and an HI. His response is always:

Do you go to a Dentist? Does he inspect your teeth and then tell you what is wrong? Do you go to a different dentist to get your teeth repaired or do you use the same dentist?

There could be a conflict of interest. No laws against in North Carolina.

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Bruce Ramsey
Advocate Inspections
www.NCAdvocate.com

This is the difference and where Mitchell Meeks could make it work without it being a conflict:

One typically goes to the dentist, doctor, auto mechanic when 'something is not right and they want to find out what it is', whereas with a 'home inspection' the intent is 'to inspect and advise' for (usually) a buyer of a home being sold - on a 'maintenance inspection' the use would still be 'to inspect and advise'.

For this to work for a GC (which I am also one) would be for the GC to be called in 'for some problem' and then use his 'knowledge to determine what the problem was and this is how and what it takes to correct it' - in which case there is no conflict. The initiating reason was 'something is not right, can you figure out what it is'. This, of course, would not be applicable for a buyer looking at a house, or a seller trying to sell their house, or an owner having a 'maintenance inspection' done.

The *intent* would first be 'work' with 'inspection' as an evaluation of what 'work' is needed.

Just like with the dentist, doctor, auto mechanic, etc.

There is not always a conflict of interest there ... as long as the *intent* of the contact is the 'work'.

It's the same reason we do not need to tell a contractor to "evaluate" something before they repair it ... they cannot do anything without first making their determination of what is not right with it (i.e., they must "evaluate it").

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Jerry Peck, Construction / Litigation Consultant
Construction Litigation Consultants, LLC ( www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com )

I believe the wait in Wisconsin is six months for contractors to perform work on inspected properties. The two year duration would be the time of accountability after the inspection.

WI 440

440.978 Discipline; prohibited acts. (1) Subject to the
rules promulgated under s. 440.03 (1), the department may make
investigations or conduct hearings to determine whether a violation
of this subchapter or any rule promulgated under this subchapter
has occurred.....

(i) Performed, or agreed to perform, for compensation any
repairs, maintenance or improvements on any property less than
2 years after he or she conducts a home inspection, without the
written consent of the property owner given before the home
inspection occurred.

NACHI COE # 1(11)

11. The NACHI inspector shall not perform or offer to perform, for an additional fee, any repairs or associated services to structure on which the inspector or inspector's company has prepared a home inspection report, for a period of 12 months. This provision shall not include services to components and/or systems which are not included in the NACHI standards of practice.

NAHI COE #6

An Inspector shall not, directly or indirectly and for
compensation, perform repairs on or recommend
contractors to perform repairs on any component or
system included in the inspection under the NAHI
Standards of Practice. An Inspector may recommend or
offer ancillary inspection services.

ASHI COE #1(E,F)E. Inspectors shall not accept compensation, directly or indirectly, for recommending contractors, services, or products to inspection clients or other parties having an interest in inspected properties.
F. Inspectors shall not repair, replace, or upgrade, for compensation, systems or components covered by ASHI Standards of Practice, for one year after the inspection

Thanks Michael, I stand corrected. For some reason I thought it was six months in Wi.

We're all here to learn from each other Robert. Glad to help.

It's 12 months in SC...

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Critical Home Inspection Services
www.Home2Spec.com

There is a law in NC and it's 1 year...

Tony

__________________
"A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke".
Kipling
www.aahomeinspectionsllc.com

However,


You guys are all talking about "inspectors" working on homes they have "inspected", not ...

... "contractors" working on homes they have been retained to "work on".

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Jerry Peck, Construction / Litigation Consultant
Construction Litigation Consultants, LLC ( www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com )

True.....

__________________
"A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke".
Kipling
www.aahomeinspectionsllc.com

Many confuse the HI business as a way to promote their remodeling business and I think the (2) should be separated.

HI's shouldn't be an open door to walk in and look for things to do to keep your remodeling business afloat.

If your a great GC or a HI, you don't need the other to get business.

rick

I agree, however, you cannot limit the GC from 'inspecting' what they are to work on, least you make it a requirement that no contractor may do anything without it first being inspected by an inspector, which plants seeds in some people's minds that the inspectors then 'know it all', and they do not. In fact, much of the time the contractor needs to do 'exploratory surgery' before they even know what goes on, and that is beyond the realm and scope of a 'visual inspection'.

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Jerry Peck, Construction / Litigation Consultant
Construction Litigation Consultants, LLC ( www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com )

Anthony, can you tell me where you saw that it was one year before work can be done? I cannot seem to find it.