Thread: Home Safety Inspections

I have had some great success offering home safety inspectoins and have been getting several referrals. Is anyone doing the same?

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Are you licensed first of all?

Most all home inspections consists of things that are looked at from a safety point of view.

As far as calling it a Home Safety Inspection alone, I don't want that liability.

JMHO

rick

Hey Rick Thanks for your reply. In Michigan you don't have to be licensed to do safety inspections and the Liability isn't an issue. I don't guarantee a disaster won’t happen, I teach how to be proactive and prevent a disaster. Education saves lives. Did you ever discuss evacuation routes with any of your clients? What if one had a fire and someone was injured or died. Would you feel bad? I bet you would.

Originally Posted by John Rybski

Hey Rick Thanks for your reply. In Michigan you don't have to be licensed to do safety inspections and the Liability isn't an issue. I don't guarantee a disaster won’t happen, I teach how to be proactive and prevent a disaster. Education saves lives. Did you ever discuss evacuation routes with any of your clients? What if one had a fire and someone was injured or died. Would you feel bad? I bet you would.

I guess if you have the proper training and experience as a safety professional this would be a good service to offer. As Rick said many items that a home inspector looks at are considered safety items, but under the realm of a home inspection.

A fellow from Carson Dunlop, I think his first name was Weldon had a safety program a few years back. I belive he even sold a system that consisted of a CD video, etc.

I don't discuss evac routes or tell my clients they need a ladder for the second floor bedrooms, etc. Would I feel bad if a past client died because of their own stupidity? I bet I would feel bad, but not because I did not tell them how to get out of their house if it catches on fire. I tend to make friends of my clients so anytime something happens to one and I find out, it does bother me for a while.

Hi Scott,

Thats the beauty of the home safety inspection, with the proper training it offers a new revenue stream for the home inspector. In my neck of the woods (Michigan) the real estate market is pretty depressed, Home safety is something that every homeowner needs and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to get into that business.

What would you consider proper training?

What kinds of thing do you look for and what do you report? Do you provide a written report?

Who are you marketing this service to? By that I mean how to you define your marketplace and what avenues are you using to identify those customers.

I have some training in the safety field. I have been a fire fighter and a technical rescue technician (hazmat, confined space, trench, buildling collapse, swiftwater, and rope rescue). I would think that an extensive knowledge of the OSHA standards would be useful.

How did you devise your pricing structure?

Hay Bruce,

I am Certified Restorer and have been trained in Residential Disaster Prevention and Preparedness, while that sounds complicate it’s really not especially if you have fire fighting experience.

During my inspection I create a detailed floor plan of the home, identify primary and secondary exits from each bedroom, discuss safety equipment homeowners should have such as fire extinguishers and smoke alarms, even develop an evacuation plan and teach families how to use escape ladders if necessary. I do provide the homeowner with a detailed written report and include with that items that they should add to the booklet like a copy of their ins policy and emergency contact numbers. After 25 years in the disaster restoration business I have developed a pretty extensive system to teach people to prepare and prevent disaster at home.

Marketing couldn't be easier, Families with young children or elderly parents living in the house is the target market (thats a heck of a lot bigger market then the depressed real estate market). I started with my own house and taught my own children, next thing I knew the neighbor kids were coming by to test out our escape ladder then their parents called for the training and it’s been referrals after that. Pricing ranges from 350.00 to 1,500.00 depending on what ad on’s the homeowner is looking for. NACHI has been after me for several years to put on a certified training program at their national convention, I just haven’t had the time.

John,
.
Would you mind going to the top left & clicking on the User CP and adding your location.

Thanks,

Did it

Originally Posted by John Rybski

Did it

.
Thank You,

hello...[didn't see a post button...no attempt here to hijack...but...but have a question]: I have been an insurance inspector since march; & have familiarized myself w/ all relative code info...but 1 thing still baffles me about residential dwelling fire extinguisher installs as required in APARTMENTS: they never seem to be tagged (as in...inspected by a local official). My company cites 'standard practices' as to their requirement; & NFPA 10 sez nothing about residential vs. commercial. So, I guess the question becomes: Since class A fire extinguishers are required to be installed in the kitchen of an apartment (1 for every 75 feet of travel)...what code governs this requirement; & why. thanx, mel odic

A code covering fire ext. use is useless unless there is some enforcement. Since a code official rarely ever visits a property after the final occupancy certificate is issued a code isn't going to do much. I'm not trying to minimize the need for fire ext. I just think you're "barking up the wrong tree"

Originally Posted by Mel Odic

hello...[didn't see a post button...no attempt here to hijack...but...but have a question]: I have been an insurance inspector since march; & have familiarized myself w/ all relative code info...but 1 thing still baffles me about residential dwelling fire extinguisher installs as required in APARTMENTS: they never seem to be tagged (as in...inspected by a local official). My company cites 'standard practices' as to their requirement; & NFPA 10 sez nothing about residential vs. commercial. So, I guess the question becomes: Since class A fire extinguishers are required to be installed in the kitchen of an apartment (1 for every 75 feet of travel)...what code governs this requirement; & why. thanx, mel odic

Mel, Try the IFC (International Fire Code) for an answer. As far as the tags go, some AHJs will except a recent receipt for the purchase of the FE. If the occupancy is a duplex or greater, an inspection tag will be required for the annual inspections. A type 2A-10BC FE is typically required for a residential kitchen. I am sure the insurance company has its own requirements for FEs. If it doesn't I would follow the adopted codes, rules, and regulations of the local AHJ. Good Luck.