It seems like Im averaging between 4 and 5 hours per inspection (on 2,000 to 3,000 sq ft homes). Im not slow, always moving, and think I use a logical progression to go through the home. Some time killers - people that want to talk about neighbors/relatives homes, those damn child (parent) proof covers on electrical outlets, people securing their pets, moving their cars, finishing their showers (whoa!), hiding their valuables, etc.

My progression
Exterior
Roof
Garage
Interior
Attic

Plus my report time seems to be taking 2 to 3 hours.
Definitely cuts in my per hour rate.

Any suggestions?

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John,

The largest amount of time taken besides the actual inspection I believe is the note taking process.

My son for example when he takes his notes writes down everything as if he was actually typing the report. BIG waste of time in my opinion and I cannot break him of that habit.

I jot down everything in a short hand type notes and save the lead or ink.

You might even create yourself a cheat sheet to use. For example, have a form for yourself to use that has check boxes beside a description. I personally find that most of the time we're actually writting down the same types of notes on every inspection so a cheat sheet does save some time.

Writting reports also seem a time consumer for most. I think we all get into trying to come up with the most perfect description, that we get idle quite often. I've learn to write it up as I see it and move on.

As far as walking into the inspection, you have got to take control of the situation. Tell persons what you'll be doing and ask them to talk to you at the end of the inspection so you don't take the chance of missing something important. DON'T CHIT CHAT

I'll give buyers note pads and ask them to jot down things that they have questions about and we'll cover them at the end of the inspection. Some I'll give a disposable camera to and a tape measure and they'll find something to do.

The kids and the pets don't bother me, its the adults.

Rick

I usually start in the kitchen and while I'm turning on the dishwasher and checking out the range, etc. I take care of getting the contract signed and usually finish the small talk then. If the client follows me around, I may keep the dialog going, but I don't stop what I'm doing. I'm able to walk, talk, and inspect at the same time.

If cars need to be moved, I usually find out right away and let the sellers know. I don't wait until I need to get into the attic, etc before I ask them to move it.

Child proof covers? I will carry my screw driver in ne hand and my outlet tester in the other. I pop one off, test the outlet and put it back. If the house is vacant, it stays on the floor. I don't usually test both sides of the outlet, and may not check every outlet in a room. (SOP do not require us to check every one.)

I guess I don't have that many sellers that are not walking out the door when I get there. I don't have to wait for many showers, etc. If I do, I just do the other parts of the house first.

My report system has most of the stuff already put in, so I really only need to pay attention to the stuff thats wrong. I also use a short hand in my note pad, if I don't input it directly to my pocket PC. I really only pay attention to the bad stuff, because of the way I have my system set up.

It takes me maybe 30 - 45 minutes to input the data from my pocket pc, input photos and finish up the report, and post it to the web, then I'm on to the next job.

It sounds like you need to have more boilerplate or pre-done parts to the report if it's taking you 2-3 hours just to write the report. It sounds like you are trying to reinvent the wheel on each job.

For instance. My bathroom section has everything working just fine already done. I input the counter top material, where the GFCI reset is, and I'm done - IF there are no problems. If there are, I just hit one of my pre-sets, for instance "Toilet is loose at the guest bathroom". My prest has "Toilet is loose at ............ bathroom" I just select that item and type in "guest". Takes a few seconds.

The rest of the house is the same way. I input materials and locations for items, but really only have to input something extra if something is "wrong". Saves me a bunch of time. Time is money after all.

JF

A big time saver for me was switching to use of a digital voice recorder for note taking during the inspection. I previously used as small yellow note pad and it was very tedious stopping to write everything down. Now I just talk as I walk and it really smoothed things out. I can recall most of the defect items when I sit down to do the report so the voice recorder as well as the pictures I take just makes sure I don't miss anything.

I too would like to reduce my reporting time. Adding captions to the pics often takes 30-45 minutes.

Jack, It seems that you are very organized. What report system do you use?

John, Aside from all the other good ideas to speed up the process you have to "TAKE CONTROL." When a client shows up with family and friends I stop the husband and wife in the driveway and tell them. " THis is your time to be with me. You are paying for me to be here now. If you want to learn about your home you can follow me and listen now. I don't follow you around and I don't go over everything twice. I recommend that the most savvy of the two, whichever, stay with me and the other go entertain the troops.
Sometimes the broker will be talking to the husband while I am trying to explain something to the wife. I nicely ask them both to leave so I can work and so the other spouse will understand whats going on. You are doing your clients a disservice by letting them control or interfere with the inspection process. If you need quiet, tell them all to be quiet.
My normal inspection of 2-3000 is 2 hours but I tell my clients on the phone prior to that I will stay at the home as long as they need me to stay in order for them to understand their new home.
The recorder is invaluable in keeping the pace going and controlling their interest. Nowadays I can go through and just take pics of everything without recording but I still use it as my 3rd backup. 1) Memory 2)Camera 3) recorder

Plus, when the client sees you will be taking voice notes throughout the inspection, they know they need to clam up .

I wouldn't necessarily look at the chit-chat as a bad thing John. If your clients didn't like or trust you, they wouldn't chat you up too much. Engaging in other topics of conversation with the client aside from just inspection related stuff helps your clients see that you have a life, a personality, and a sense of humor. Building this type of rapport can go a long ways towards establishing a referral base for future business. Plus, I firmly believe that if past clients like you and feel you are looking out for their best interests, they are less inclined to hold your toes to the fire if they feel you might have missed something during their inspection. I'm not saying being nice and personable is a get-out-of-jail free card but it can help reduce callbacks on the little things.

John - Perhaps you're being too exhaustive? Here in PA we have a home inspection law that says the purpose is to find/document problems that would have a significant impact on the value of the property and/or be a an unreasonable risk to personnel on the property. In other words, it is a given that there are problems that are non-significant and risks that are reasonable.
I feel I spend too much time also, by the time my report is done. But on most jobs, I would spend much more time if I tried to find and document all or even most of the "small stuff". I could spend days in some of these places!

"I could spend days in some of these places!"

Where do you work John? There aren't any houses like that around here .

I have found that the longer you have been in this business, the longer your inspections will-or should take. I typically take about 4 hours for a 2000 sq ft. home as well and I am fine with that. If the length of time for an inspection is reducing your $/per hour below an acceptable level- raise your fees. We, as an industry- are grossly underpaid for the services we provide. Fees have essentially been the same for the last 10 years. I would rather do 1 house per day and make the same money as the guy doing 2 houses per day. 1/2 the liability exposure, 1/2 the travel time and distance, more free time. I could speak at great lengh on this issue- but - its usually a waste of time.

Keep them coming. Everyone seems to have lots of good advice.

I do use checklist forms (for each type of room, etc).
I do take control of the situation - without being rude or obnoxious.
As far as the small stuff - this is where we differ on opinions. I believe my client is paying me to inspect and give them the facts about the home. Personally, the small stuff bothers me and when people start seeing small stuff that wasnt addressed in the inspection report they question the rest of the inspection. Some of my peers have told me the majority of calls they get from their clients are asking them why they didnt write down the problem with ___
(you fill in the blank).

TREC SOPS are the minimum. I believe we should go above and beyond the minimum (without getting to anal).

I just write down what I find wrong, I trust my memory to recall the other details. I take a great number of pictures and refer back to the pictures if I can't recall something or I have a question. This saves a tremendous amount of time. Like Jack, my report has a good amount already filled in. So all I have to do is fill in the details for the property and the problems I find. Average time to inspect a 2000-3000sf home is 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Report production time is around 30 minutes or less, if it has only a few issues. I use 3D for my reporting software.

__________________
Scott Patterson
Spring Hill, TN
http://www.traceinspections.com

Nick:

1. I make one thing crystal clear to my client prior to beginning. This is not HGTV. HGTV is not the real world; this is. I do not have a script to work from or an editor to alter time for my convenience. This is also not a tutorial, but rather an inspection. If you have lived in a residential structure prior to today, then you are familiar with how to open doors, flush toilets, etc. If have not lived in a residential structure prior to today, I will quietly take my leave. (I don't do educational seminars for aboriginals). I am one-trick pony. I can either inspect or carry on a conversation with you. Either way the fee is the same. You decide. Once I am finished inspecting I will walk you around to see what I think is important for you to see and we'll discuss any questions you have then.

2. I use a digital recorder and a camera. No notepads and I do not rely on my memory any more than is absolutely necessary. Memory is not accurate under almost all circumstances.

3. I never, I repeat N-E-V-E-R, do on-site reports.

4. You must have a system that works for you.

All that said, I produce on average a minimum 50-page report and spend no longer than 1-1/2 hours on-site actually inspecting the average 2000 s.f. home.

You might also hire someone like this guy as your helper . . .

YouTube - Stephen Wiltshire draws Rome from memory

Aaron

I am also of the opinion that the longer I have been inspecting, the longer it takes.
I used to do three inspections in a day, had a one page 81/2 x 11 inch, 4 part carbonless form, with check boxes and comments written in by hand and no pictures.
Now I take lots of pictures and usually include 10-20 in the report and the report is usually 20 pages or more without any boiler plate, etc.
I know more now and find more, so it takes longer to inspect and to write the report.
Oh, by the way, I charge more now, too.

I never worry about how long it takes, not one of my clients has complained about me spending too much time or effort on their inspection.

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

In my first couple years I was constantly trying to figure out how I could speed up an inspection. One day I realized, people were hiring me because I take my time.
So, don't beat your self up over how much time it takes, just do it right.

__________________
Consistency is a direct path to perfection.

Clients rarely, if ever, get upset when an inspection runs long. Realtors, especially listing agents, generally don't share that sentiment.

__________________
"Baseball is like church. Many attend but few understand." Leo Durocher
Bruce Breedlove
www.avaloninspection.com

I think S Taylor summed it up well. Take your time and do it right. Everyone is different. I do one a day. Helps having a working wife. After a few years and a good referral base I raised my rates and make a reasonable days pay. 4 hours on 2000 sq ft is not unreasonable. Some I have done in under 3 hours some over 4 hours.
I have spent 8 hours on a 6000 sq ft house.
None of this includes the report that takes me longer than most. (I think it is my software) Not built for speed.
I find most people are very glad I take my time and are very appreciative.
I consistently get positive e-mail feed back and many times have been given bonus money. The gratification of doing a good job and feeling good about your work is big for me.

__________________
Dave

To me, there are no real set times for doing an inspection. On back-to-back days I can do a large 4200 sq ft home in 3 1/2 hours but do a 2200 square ft home in 4 to 4 1/2 hours because of the age/condition of all the mechanicals and systems. That's why I put such a premium on age-- more time= more money.

I go all over the DFW metro area. I know to schedule anything in certain parts of town for only 1-per day and other areas I can easily do 2-per day.

To me there is no such thing as a set time for each inspection. I have to have set time-frames for general areas of the metro area.

__________________
"If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?"
Richard Rushing, HCRI
Duncanville, Tx.

Let's take a closer look at this whole longer-is-better thing, shall we? That might be a great line of discussion for you Monday morning quarterbacks and wheel chair generals. It is absolutely counterproductive to even consider that this concept is integrous in any other line of work. If any of you ever actually built houses, and I know it's a very small percentage of you who have, you cannot tell me that you spent more time on each successive house you built. Actually, maybe you did, and that's why you are no longer building houses. Otherwise, you worked hard to streamline your procedures and processes into a system that created better and better houses in less and less time. Granted there is a break-even point, but you never stopped working at arriving at that point and staying there. Right?

The list of analogies is endless. Which things that you do or pay to have done in your life should take more time on each successive occasion that the person performing the procedure spends on a job? Does it take you more time to mow the yard than it used to? Does your mechanic take more time each time he changes your oil for you? Is your barber or hairdresser now up to 4 or five freaking hours cutting what's left of your hair? God forbid that it takes your attorney more and more time . . .$$$!

What king of bull crap are we considering here? This whole idea is nothing but a hot smoldering patty of it. Too many inspectors tend to justify raising their prices with spending more time on the job. Wake up, educate yourself and get the job done in short order.

Now for those of you who work in my neck of the woods, I will certainly promote and support the idea that you spend more and more time on each inspection. After all, the market will only bear so much as regards your pricing. Your customers will eventually gravitate to me where they can have the same thing or more done for the same price in half the time.

Maybe some of you work exclusively for the retired and the homeless. That's fine, but not me. The clients I work for have lives to live, jobs to go to and families to care for. They do not cherish spending endless hours waltzing around with some schmuck who's belaboring the operation of the freaking oven timer or expounding endlessly on the inner workings of a sprinkler control panel.

Jeez!

Aaron