Thread: Introducing Me

As requested I am writing to introduce myself. I am a 65 y/o carpenter from the North Olympic Peninsula in W. Washington. I have worked in mostly residential construction with only about 10% commercial. For the last 15 or so years I have specialized in putting new foundations under old houses. Some with the help of our local house mover and some w/o. I am not an inspector yet but will be taking training beginning in Feb. of 2017. I am here to get started being "in it" by doing what I can without being legally allowed to inspect. I got the idea to do this career from R/E Agents who routinely call me to look at problems uncovered or missed under bldgs by existing inspectors. I have been careful to tell anyone who will listen I am not a licensed inspector and that I am only allowed to consult and prepare estimates with my Wa. Contractors Lic.
I understand that in Wa. State I can not work on a bldg. I inspect for a year. That leads me to a question. If I walk up and find that the bldg is one I would likely be called upon to work on given my specialty (ie post and pier) would you all advise me to decline the inspection on the chance I would get the work or do it and wait the year? What have you other carpenter/contractors done in similar situations?

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Hello tony goldenberg,

I'm Brian Hannigan and I am the creator of InspectionNews

Welcome aboard. Enjoy your visit here at InspectionNews and if there is anything I can help you with just let me know.

As a "Thank You" for making your first post I have a gift for you. You can pick it up at:
http://www.SendYourFreeCard.com

Welcome to the forum, Tony. I'm new here as well.

I am also moving from construction into home inspection after a good number of years in both residential and commercial projects. Getting involved before your transition is an excellent idea.

I would point out that home inspectors generally accept each job by showing up on site. Our reports are expected very soon after the inspection we perform on that first day. That being said, I think you would be placing yourself into a difficult situation by showing up to inspect a home, but then backing out once you saw that you could offer structural remediation services.

Ethical or not, I don't know how one could see a way through it without appearing less than professional.

Welcome,,,

A bird in hand is worth two in the bush...

How many times have you been asked/thought to lower your bid on the expectation of future work that never happened????

Having spent most of my life as a contractor I wondered if that might be a problem once I became a full time inspector. Never been a problem. People ask me regularly 'heh can you rehab this for us' and I gladly say NO. No more hauling tools, no more eating dust, no more long, hard hours on jobsites, no more not being able to sleep because my arms hurt too much.
You can't do both, don't know why you'd want to do both. Those few that I run into up here that do both usually aren't very good at either and just scammers.
You're 65. How many more years you want to hump it on a job site? Make the transition or don't.

Hi, Tony.
Great meeting you.

Originally Posted by tony goldenberg

As requested I am writing to introduce myself. I am a 65 y/o carpenter from the North Olympic Peninsula in W. Washington. I have worked in mostly residential construction with only about 10% commercial. For the last 15 or so years I have specialized in putting new foundations under old houses. Some with the help of our local house mover and some w/o. I am not an inspector yet but will be taking training beginning in Feb. of 2017.

May I ask whom you will be training with?
Although some may agree while others not, the cost of education is dependent upon what you receive in return.

Originally Posted by tony goldenberg

I am here to get started being "in it" by doing what I can without being legally allowed to inspect. I got the idea to do this career from R/E Agents who routinely call me to look at problems uncovered or missed under bldgs by existing inspectors.

You ever get paid for you efforts by the REA?

Originally Posted by tony goldenberg

I have been careful to tell anyone who will listen I am not a licensed inspector and that I am only allowed to consult and prepare estimates with my Wa. Contractors Lic.
I understand that in Wa. State I can not work on a bldg. I inspect for a year.

The home inspection association you join will likely have the same SOP, Standard Of Practice, or COE, Code Of Ethics, or tougher.

Originally Posted by tony goldenberg

That leads me to a question. If I walk up and find that the bldg is one I would likely be called upon to work on given my specialty (ie post and pier) would you all advise me to decline the inspection on the chance I would get the work or do it and wait the year? What have you other carpenter/contractors done in similar situations?

Why would you want to work physically again?
Tony, best advice I can offer, "Leave you fix it hat at the door." Defect recognition is the ability to report on condition, make proper recommendations to the right professionals, and move on to the next inspection.

You require about 20 K upfront money just for your website and marketing.
Several K for good tools.
3 years to transition from one income to another along with the money to survive the transition period.
Unlike yourself, I started transitioning in my mid fifties due to family.
I am satisfied with the change of work.
I just gave away about $7,000 in masonry and other related building tools and sold my work truck for a song to someone in the trades I have known for 3 decades. I am sure he does not know how to operate much of what he received as a gift.

Over 80% fail.
Good luck.