Home Inspection Price Shopping

[Reggie Russell]

Hey Guys,

As most of you probably know I am new to the business so I have a question about pricing. I have received a couple of calls lately from people price shopping for a Home inspection. One was a guy looking to get one done on a HUD home, it was 1500 sq ft, slab, and around 30 years old. I quoted him a price of $225, never heard from him again. Then yesterday a woman called me wanting a price quote on a 4,000 sq ft. home with a crawl space that was 15 years old. I quoted her a price of $400. I have yet to hear back from her. Am I missing the boat somewhere here guys or are there just that many people out there willing to do a Home inspection for next to nothing? I really thought those prices I quoted were very reasonable. What is typical of what you guys charge for similar sized homes? I really can't afford to keep missing the boat like this, please tell me what I am doing wrong here!

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[Ted Menelly]

Hey Guys,

As most of you probably know I am new to the business so I have a question about pricing. I have received a couple of calls lately from people price shopping for a Home inspection. One was a guy looking to get one done on a HUD home, it was 1500 sq ft, slab, and around 30 years old. I quoted him a price of $225, never heard from him again. Then yesterday a woman called me wanting a price quote on a 4,000 sq ft. home with a crawl space that was 15 years old. I quoted her a price of $400. I have yet to hear back from her. Am I missing the boat somewhere here guys or are there just that many people out there willing to do a Home inspection for next to nothing? I really thought those prices I quoted were very reasonable. What is typical of what you guys charge for similar sized homes? I really can't afford to keep missing the boat like this, please tell me what I am doing wrong here!

I guess it all depends on your market area on what the typical pricing is. That does not matter half the time. You could have increased you prices and 5 out of 10 calls may not flinch and book you and the other five will laugh and move on. Some folks may have already had a few prices 50 dollars more than you and they thought you were to low and for some reason they could not go with you. You could have got a few folks that got prices from a few inspectors that were 25 or more low than you so they went with the (what they thought) were the norm pricing.

[Nick Ostrowski]

What other types of information are you giving callers when you get them on the phone Reggie? Do you just give them a price quote or do you talk about your service? Giving a competitive price is only one part of the equation. You have to give callers something to remember you by and make you stand out. If you aren't doing this, that would be missing the boat.

Aside from this, some people don't call back the same day or the next to set something up. Some callers do their shopping before they actually have an agreement in place. I've talked to some people and not heard back from them until a month later when they were finally ready to schedule something.

[Markus Keller]

Your pricing sounds fine. I have to agree with Nick. I don't think you are losing the deals based on price. You may be losing the deals on your pitch.
Since you are new to the biz ...
- Have you role played your phone pitch with your wife, friends, etc
- do you have a script that you keep near the phone to work from during a call
- do you have a punch, an item, a conversation piece that you use to get them to remember you?
- do you ask how they heard about you, got your number
- do you ask for the MLS # so you can look up the property and give them a 'better price' potentially
- ask them the area of the home and then speak about that area so you sound knowledgeable
- ask them what stage of the process they are in

[Jerry Peck]

To continue what Nick and Markus said ... then ... yes, 'then' ... as in the last thing ... then you talk price.

If you talk price any other time, you may well not get the time to explain how much you know and how good you are.

[Rick Hurst]

Reggie,

Try to avoid talking "costs" first thing when someone calls. Explain your services and what you do. Ask them if morning or afternoon is best for them.

Ask them about what they've seen at the home that may be of a concern to them? They always will come back with something.

Tell them that your making notes to be sure and check those concerns for them.

After you've spent a few minutes on the phone, then explain your fees. You'll be surprised just how many more HI's you'll actually schedule.

Try this approach for just a week and let me know how it works.

Rick

[Joe Funderburk]

Say something like, "you've asked the least important question...first let me tell you about my qualifications and why you should hire me...." Then tell them why you're great. Then say, "I'm not the cheapest inspector...I try to keep my prices in the middle. If you want the cheapest inspector you can possibly find, I can tell you who to call. Now, my price on that would be xxx if you pay at the time of the inspection and you get a $50 discount for paying that day. Would you like me to go ahead and schedule that for you?"

Works 80% of the time. Sometimes they hang up and continue to shop around and run it all by the spouse, but they often call back.

[Nick Ostrowski]

I've had people tell me many times that I was the only company they called who took the time to talk to them, explain what it is I do, and ask them if they had any concerns about the house. Your goal on phone contacts should be to answer their questions before they even get a chance to ask them. Having a two way dialogue with callers goes a long way towards helping them feel comfortable enough to hire you, even if your price is not the least expensive.

[Jim Luttrall]

Reggie, you may be talking to other home inspectors trying to scope you out, these home inspectors can be a cagey lot!
That is why I turn off my pay per click ads during the slow months. I figure at least half of my advertising dollars are from bored inspectors surfing the net checking out the competition.

[Rick Cantrell]

I think Jim has a good point.
The new person gets shopped by a lot of inspectors. Nothing wrong with that. But it happens.
When I advertise a house for rent, I get tons of calls the first 2 days, many from other landlords and reality companies.
To reduce being shopped and increase quality talk time with prospects, say " I at a job now, what is your number so I can return your call?" This will spot all but a few shoppers and you now have the chance to call them back when you are better prepared.

[John Dirks Jr]

Stay with it. You'll gain confidence gradually. The more confident get, the comfortable you'll feel.

When you have confidence and comfort in your tone, more people will hire you, regardless of the price.

I'm to the point where about 2 out of 3 who say they'll get back to me, eventually hire me.

There's a fine line between sounding eager to serve, and overly eager, which scares them off.

A good way to start is to set up a price structure based on sq footage. Write the price structure on a small chart and keep it with you at all times.

Basic questions I ask soon into the call are,

What is the purpose for the inspection?

Where is the property located?

What is the square footage?

[Randy Navarro]

Then, maybe, there's the opposite. . .

If you price yourself too. . .er, competitive (read cheap), then the folks might be able to sniff that out and think they're not going to get the right guy.

Also, I found out that starting out cheap and then raising prices was difficult. Folks were used to my prices, then when I realized I wasn't making enough money, I had to raise.

It was hard mentally to keep going up in price.

But I got used to it!

[Reggie Russell]

Thanks guys for all the input! You have given me a lot of very good suggestions. I will start practicing my phone answering now.

[Ted Menelly]

An email to me

The Secret? It's Not About Me...It's About You

You remember the third building block, right? It's all about educating your prospects and providing them with value. As you consistently and effectively follow-up with prospects, you build powerful relationships with them that will eventually lead to a sale.

But to be successful, you've got to make your prospects feel special, appreciated, and singled out. I asked my copywriter, and she provided me with powerful writing styles and tips for connecting with your prospects and leading them to the sale. Here's the list:

• Keep asking yourself, "What's in it for my customer?" They don't care how amazing you and your business are. They want to know only one thing...how does it solve their needs and wants. Show them and remind them of the benefits of your products/services.
  
• Write to them. Stop saying I, me, we, and try using you and your. Again, your prospects care about one thing...themselves. Focusing on them caters to that instinct.
• Write in an active voice. Persuading this person to take action will not be easy and if you don't speak in an active, almost assuming tone, you won't be very effective. So, instead of phrases likes, "This hairstyle will help you attract attention," try rephrasing it to say, "This hairstyle attracts attention."
  

Of course there are other copy techniques you should use in your follow-up marketing, but these three will help you grab their attention. For more copywriting tricks and secrets, I recommend reading Duct Tape Marketing or The Ultimate Sales Letter.

Remember, good copy is critical to moving prospects through the funnel and to the eventual sale.

[Don Belmont]

If you have caller ID try and backtrack the number. You may be surprised how many are from other HI's (just checking prices) or RE agents.

Assuming they are real consumers. How many questions are you asking the caller? Get them talking about the house and most importantly what they are afraid of. (I just ask them what their major concerns are). Then I can sculpt my talk to what they care about most.

Under no circumstances should you answer the question for a price. You must engage the potential client and get them focused on the service. It's tough sometimes but you will get more business by pushing them to focus on the service. Once you can get agreement on the services they need (and you can provide superbly) then you can give them a price.


However you do it your goal should be to engage them for at least
20 minutes before you answer their price question. Question them and listen to their answer. Get them focused on how you are the guy that will give them the inspection they need, not just another generic home inspector with a commodity service.

[JORY LANNES]

A lot of good ideas have been posted about telephone pricing. Remember you are selling a product which is YOU. Sell em don't tell em.

When some asks you what do you do for a living, how do you reply? Everyone should have a 30 second "elevator response " as well as a phone routine.

Emphasis should be on asking leading or open ended questions. Get the customer to talk. Almost every one likes to talk about themselves or problems....ie buying a house.

It takes time to develop a phone patter. Look over the previous responses and write a list of questions that everyone has suggested.Call a friend and practice asking these question on the phone.

The product is YOU...When you sellem the prospect should be convinced that without you the home should not be purchased regardless of the price.

One last thing. DO NOT BUY BUSINESS. DON'T BE THE CHEAPEST.
KNOW WHAT IT COSTS YOU TO DO AN INSPECTION. Do a break even analysis. If you do not know how ask your accountant(you do have an accountant). There is a cost of business spread sheet that is offered by one of the sponsors of this site. It is worth the $ to know what your costs are which helps you in your pricing. Be a shopper of your competition. You have to know your market and you costs before you set a price.

Good luck

[Stuart Brooks]

I think that sometimes people are expecting to hear some really minuscule amount like $50 or less. Like, how much could it cost for somebody to walk around a house and tell you if anything is wrong? Any real inspection pricing blows their mind. I've had people quibble over $25, others who never ask about the cost, and still others who don't care about the price. They just want a very complete and thorough inspection.

Sometimes you may have other inspectors calling to check to see what you are charging.

[Nick Ostrowski]

I have never priced shopped the other inspectors in my area. I'm sure some do it but I never have.

[JORY LANNES]

How many inspectors have done an analysis of expenses..break even....markup.....pricing matrix???

[Nick Ostrowski]

Brian H has a book on "The Cost of Doing Business" that helps you figure all of that out.

I know I am running under where I would like to be from a price standpoint right now but it's either take a little less and schedule inspections or give out higher quotes and stare at an empty work schedule.

[JORY LANNES]

Brian H also sells a disk that does the calculations......I understand your frustration as to price point...... Reminds me of an old joke about a doctor. His friend asked him if is an interest or has a sub specialty...The doctor replied he was very specialized and does rich medicine.....His fees were so high only the rich could afford him, and since his fees were so high his clients assumed he was a better doctor than most....The point is we all make business decisions, do 2 inspections for $300 each or one inspection for $500....do we market ourselves or subcontract our services to other inspectors that have more work so we stay busy.....The bottom line.... have the information about your business and market to to make pricing decisions and marketing direction. The original thread was why no business or call backs.....the answer is all knowledge,experience,marketing and marketing and know your business and your target market.....now what about mold and radon

[Ted Menelly]

Brian H also sells a disk that does the calculations......I understand your frustration as to price point...... Reminds me of an old joke about a doctor. His friend asked him if is an interest or has a sub specialty...The doctor replied he was very specialized and does rich medicine.....His fees were so high only the rich could afford him, and since his fees were so high his clients assumed he was a better doctor than most....The point is we all make business decisions, do 2 inspections for $300 each or one inspection for $500....do we market ourselves or subcontract our services to other inspectors that have more work so we stay busy.....The bottom line.... have the information about your business and market to to make pricing decisions and marketing direction. The original thread was why no business or call backs.....the answer is all knowledge,experience,marketing and marketing and know your business and your target market.....now what about mold and radon

Mold and Radon ???? Whats that??? Mark up??? I did some mark up on 2 Realtors that tried to anoy me and belittle me like I worked for them or something earlier today...least I thought thats what they were thinking...I marked up good... As far as pricing Matrix I priced all the episodes the other day and decided not to get them and just watch them when they come on the telly again.

[Randy Navarro]

When asked right away what my price is, I've come up with a new idea.

Ask them, "What do you think it's worth to have your $XXX,XXX.00 investment analyzed to discover potentially $5,000.00 - $50,000 worth of problems?" Then don't say a thing and let them come up with a number.

I don't have the guts yet but I'm gettin' closer. . .

[JORY LANNES]

RANDY...GOOD FOR YOU ....SCREW THE BREAKEVEN...YOU GOT IT NAILED!!!!!

[David Nice]

Say something like, "you've asked the least important question...first let me tell you about my qualifications and why you should hire me...."<SNIP>

Works 80% of the time. Sometimes they hang up and continue to shop around and run it all by the spouse, but they often call back.

They think that they are asking the most important question.Telling them that it is least important right off the bat is no smooth move. There is a good chance that you will turn them off right there. No wonder they hang up. Qualifications need to be offered up but save them for after you have provided a lot more information about the importance of a home inspection and what the inspector must do. I bet that the aforementioned formula more likely fails 80% of the time.

[Jerry Peck]

When asked right away what my price is, I've come up with a new idea.

Ask them, "What do you think it's worth to have your $XXX,XXX.00 investment analyzed to discover potentially $5,000.00 - $50,000 worth of problems?" Then don't say a thing and let them come up with a number.

I don't have the guts yet but I'm gettin' closer. . .

Close to what I would do on occasion.

I'd tell them ... Well, let's see, you are paying 6% just for the privilege of being able to BUY the house, so it is worth AT LEAST that same 6% to actually find out and know what you are buying, right?

(then some silence from you ... and them as they let that 6% soak in ... $500k x 6% = $30,000 ... )

Then you come back in and say ... And to think that I can do that for MUCH LESS THAN 6% ... (allow them time to wipe their forehead and go whew!) ... in fact, I can do that for even less than 1/10 of that ... (let that math soak in ... $30,000 / 10 = $3,000) ... (then continue) ... I will even do my inspection for less than that, instead of paying 6% or $30,000 just for the privilege to buy the house, I will inspect it for (insert price here - it will be a heck a lot less than 1/10 that 6%) ...

[A.D. Miller]

I keep a list of the cheapest and least skilled (usually one in the same) inspectors in my Blackberry. When the first question out of the gate is price I simply tell them that if they are looking for the cheapest inspection possible I will need to refer them to these bright and shining stars. Additionally I tell them to look for licensees with license numbers over 10,000. These are the neophytes who will do nearly anything (except decent inspections) for money.

Why?

I simply do not want these people for clients, and I do not want referrals from them. They will only refer more of the same: unsophisticated and indiscriminate home buyers that are only going through the motions of hiring an inspector. They do not see the value in my work and will not benefit from the information given them. Pearls before swine.

About half of them stop in mid conversation and re-think the issue when I use this approach. These become my customers. They simply started off the conversation wrongly by asking the price first. The other half will become someone else's clients. There is an inspector for every client and a client for every inspector, but not every client is for me.

[Rick Hurst]

Aaron,

You should see some of the emails my son (the realtor, I know I brought him up wrong) gets from these new HI's. On average he gets more than 10 of these a week.

He forwards them to me to see. Some are inspecting any home any size for 150. (for a limited time of course it says)

Rick

[A.D. Miller]

Some are inspecting any home any size for 150. (for a limited time of course it says)

Rick: The limit is whenever they run out of houses.

[Reggie Russell]

Thanks again for all the responses guys. After some more investigating I found out what happened. Turns out the HI they used was a friend of a friend. They still called me for a quote, and since it was the same price as the other guy they went with him. What's funny to me is that when he got to the house, he claimed he didn't know it had a crawl space and raised the price $50 on site!!! I was told about the crawl space over the phone. I don't know what his problem was. I hope they were happy with that shining display of unprofessionalism and higher price to boot!

[Nick Ostrowski]

I can't tell you how many times I've gotten to a house and found a crawlspace (or two) after the client told me on the phone the house had no crawlspaces. It's enough to make you want to bang some heads together.........and tack on an extra fee.

If the HI didn't ask if any crawlspaces were present, that's on him. If he did and they told him there were none, then that's on them. I've never charged more when encountered with crawlspaces I wasn't advised of but if they are large enough, dirty enough, and require an extensive amount of time to inspect, I don't think tacking on an additional charge is unreasonable. Especially if you asked about them beforehand and were told by the client none were present.

[Reggie Russell]

Now if the question was specifically asked and you were told wrong then yes I understand that. But this person freely admitted to me it had a crawspace, I didn't even have to ask that question. So I highly doubt she would have told the other guy that it didn't have one. And if he didn't ask then he should have eaten the cost and gone on and did the inspection at the original price.

[Erby Crofutt]

Just remember that a lot of people that call really have absolutely no idea of what questions they should be asking but they do know to ask about the price & timing.

Educate em about what's important BEFORE you give them a price.


-

[Nick Ostrowski]

Here are the things I ask before giving a price:

- house age
- style
- interior square foootage
- number of bedrooms and bathrooms
- any garages on property (attached or detached)
- basement, crawlspace, or both
- selling price

Lately, I've been getting the address of the property and pulling it up on line when possible to get a better idea of what I'm looking at.........before giving a price.

[Ted Menelly]

Tell them 16,428.10 and then there will be silence. Wait, and it is very important, until they break the silence. After the silence is broken by them you can all chuckle a little bit and then go on with the conversation and questions and then give them a price which will be thousands less than your original quote and then ask them immediately all the basic pertinent info you need to set up the appointment.

[Tim Hill]

Additionally I tell them to look for licensees with license numbers over 10,000. These are the neophytes who will do nearly anything (except decent inspections) for money.

Does this mean anyone with a license # over 10,000 cannot perform a decent inspection?

[A.D. Miller]

Does this mean anyone with a license # over 10,000 cannot perform a decent inspection?

Tim: Probably. Let's do the math, OK?

The astronomical and legendary 10,000 mark was hit on or about 3/31/09 according to the TREC records. That was 37 days ago.

ASHI says that you are an inspector after 250 inspections and the passing of the NHIE.

It has been proven that competence in any given field requires 10,000 hours of assiduous attention focused in that field.

So, for the sake of argument - and to help prove your side of the argument, let us go with ASHI's miserably low number. Assuming an average total time of 4 hours per inspection one would then have 1000 hours in the profession. That is one-tenth of what is required to become competent, but let us say it is enough.

Now Mr. 10,000 has 37 days in which to accomplish this 1000 hour mark, or the requisite 250 inspections. That would require a 24-7 schedule performing 6.75 inspections per day. Simply not possible. Sorry.

OK, let us take the hypothetical example that you are probably using as a hold card in this debate. Mr. 10,000 was already a municipal building inspector for years and has additional construction experience to boot. The still does not make up for the fact that he has no experience in inspecting existing homes that may range above 100 years in age. How will that new construction experience aid him in the field? We diagnose aging systems, after-market installations, homeowner jury-rigged crap, et al. Where does one get that experience other than in this field?

So then, to answer your question: yes, in all likelihood a license number above 10,000 indicates at the very least an abysmal lack of experience which equates to little or no consumer protection.

I patiently await your retort.

[Ted Menelly]

@ things

10,000 was hit some time ago well back into last year. I do not know why TREC would say otherwise. People have been advertising with numbers in the 10,000 and up range for over a year.

The second item is one that I am put into the position to debate quite frequently. The matter of so many inspectors advertising that the lower the TREC number the better they are because they have been inspecting longer.

My number is 7543 ONLY because I received my license from TREC in Nov of 2004 when I moved here. NOT because I started inspecting in Nov 2004. I moved here as an inspector and was incorporated as an inspector and have been inspecting part ime for about 20 or so years and then 10 to 12 years years full time on top of that.

You can go to almost any seasoned inspectors website in TX and they will be blowing their TREC number out their backside stating that every number higher then theirs means that the other higher numbered inspector is crap.

Now, does that say that Inspectors with the number 10,000 or better are any good, no.

Does it mean that an inspector with a number under a hundred is anygood, no.

Does any of that mean that one with all the ICC certs under their belt is any good as an inspector. Absolutely not.

Blanket statements that this guy s***s or that guy s**** because they have a low or high number is ludicrous. Blanket staements that this guy or that guy is great due to his edumication is ludicrous.

[Jim Luttrall]

According to the TREC license search, #9999 license expired on 3/31/09 and 10,000 will expire on 3/31/2011. So it does appear that the magical 10,000 number was reached at least a year or more ago. Probably March of '08?
I figure any license number above #3779 is just a young 'un with much to learn
But then I will also concede that I am an old fart with much to learn!

[A.D. Miller]

According to the TREC license search, #9999 license expired on 3/31/09 and 10,000 will expire on 3/31/2011. So it does appear that the magical 10,000 number was reached at least a year or more ago. Probably March of '08?
I figure any license number above #3779 is just a young 'un with much to learn
But then I will also concede that I am an old fart with much to learn!

Jim:

(1) You are not as old as some of us.

(2) Even if the 10K mark was hit 12 months ago, competence would not be reached for 2500 inpsections, as per the most recent scientific data. That would still equate to 6.84 inspections per day, working 365 days.

Dream on.

[A.D. Miller]

Spell check holiday on the last one.

[Jerry Peck]

Maybe I should get a Texas home inspectors license and brag that any number lower than 10,000 is crap?

While I understand what Ted is saying, by and large what Aaron is saying rings true, and, like EVERYTHING ... there are and will be exceptions.

There are probably some Texas inspectors in the low hundreds who have been inspecting "forever" and do crap inspections and produce crap reports.

I knew an inspector in South Florida who owned a long established and well established multi-inspector firm who bragged that he had done 10,000 inspections HIMSELF, and he quite possibly may have, with the 10,000th inspection being done EXACTLY as crappy as his 1st inspection, and that was what he prided himself and his inspectors on - always doing the same inspection all the time, kinda like McDonald's ... you know what you are going to get when you go there, all the food tastes like cardboard, and it is the same at every McDonald's and you are okay with that, same for his inspections, and agents where okay with that, and the agents are who referred him and his company - was VERY HEAVY into real estate agent office marketing.

Sold out to one of the large national companies about 5-7 years back or so, and became one of their management people. Last I heard (a few years back) he and they are parted ways - but he sold out to them for a large chunk of money.

[A.D. Miller]

Maybe I should get a Texas home inspectors license and brag that any number lower than 10,000 is crap?

JP: Sure, why not?

While I understand what Ted is saying, by and large what Aaron is saying rings true, and, like EVERYTHING ... there are and will be exceptions.

JP: Agreed.

There are probably some Texas inspectors in the low hundreds who have been inspecting "forever" and do crap inspections and produce crap reports.

JP: Quite a few. I am practicing my equanimity today though, and will not name names.

with the 10,000th inspection being done EXACTLY as crappy as his 1st inspection, and that was what he prided himself and his inspectors on - always doing the same inspection all the time, kinda like McDonald's ... you know what you are going to get when you go there, all the food tastes like cardboard, and it is the same at every McDonald's and you are okay with that, same for his inspections, and agents where okay with that, and the agents are who referred him and his company - was VERY HEAVY into real estate agent office marketing.

JP: This guy sounds like one we had here who is now teaching Millionaire MF Inspector seminars. Again, no name shall pass my lips. Ok, just a little hint - M.C.

[Joseph Melbourne]

Had a call today, lady asked how much would I charge to inspect her home. I asked size and she stated 5,000 sf. Fortunity I told her that I would call her back. I did get address of property from her and then I checked tax rolls and found out it was 6200 sf and had a pool.
Called her back and explained that my fee would be $ 6500. She then asked about Chinese drywall and I reply that my price included a visiual inspection and that if she needed further testing of suspicious drywall, that I would have to sent it to a lab for additional fee and testing.
I'm waiting to see if she gets back to me.
Do you guys think my answers were good along with the pricing ?

[Joseph Melbourne]

OOPS, sorry guys, too many 0's I quoted her $650.00. Not $6,500.00. I have to start proof reading

[Barry Lewis]

Reggie,

I think you are in the ball park with your pricing. You should try to find out what other inspectors are charging. Realtors are a good source for that.

Here's how I approach it. When asked about price I quote $10 to $15 per hundred sq. depending on the age, location, and heating system. I ask as many questons as I can to get a good feel for the property. Ask about outbuilding too. Many think an inspection includes barns, sheds, stables and machine shops. But why are the age, location and heating system important?

Well a 50 or 60 year old house, with all its additions, modifications and deficiencies will take considerably longer to inspect and report on than a house built in the last 10 years.

A house closer to your start point means less travel time and less expense.

Heating systems in our area can be anything from nat/prop gas to wood/oil combos. Try getting some of these systems up and running!

You'll need to figure out what variables increase your monetary expenditures and time output to put the "depending on" adjustment in your pricing.

During the call I ask about the time frame to get the inspection completed. Then I try to focus on what will be inspected, how it will be inspected, the amount of time that it will take to inspect. When the call is a shopper, I always recommend that they ask other inspectors what, how, and how long as well. I also imply that an inspection of less than 3 hours length is probably not a true inspection. I follow all that with my calendar opening, suggesting that I can "pencil in" a "date" for them to do the inspection telling them that I can hold that date until tomorrow at "x" AM. I also ask them for the courtesy of calling back today if they have engaged another inspector.

Courtesy, honesty, and a real concern for their thoughts and concerns will go a long way towards getting the "sale".

Good luck!

[Stuart Brooks]

I just ran across an inspector in Northern Virginia, DC, and Southern Maryland who advertises a flat-rate of $350 for ANY house. Condos were like $200. ASHI certified, Virginia and Maryland certified (so much for certifications). Apparently does a checklist report only. Doesn't want the client to accompany or ask questions during the inspection (a review is done after he's done). I guess he can knock off 4 or 5 of those babies a day easy.

[JORY LANNES]

AS THE OLD SAYING GOES...YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

[John Goad]

Or DON'T pay for!

[Steven Meyer]

Guess you could be a "Wal Mart, blue light special"!!

Charge enough to make it worth your time, and feed the family!!

[A.D. Miller]

Mr. A.D. Miller,

I find it interesting that you identify yourself as a "southwest guy" but refer to TREC and 10,000 licenses. Ooops! Now you can admit to being Texas guy, huh? ;-)

Austin, TX guy - license number less than 10,000.

CM: I have never denied being a fifth-generation Texan. As I stated in another thread on this forum: Texas is the Southwest, with minor satellite states for garnish.

[Stuart Brooks]

Tim: Probably. Let's do the math, OK?
... Snip ...
It has been proven that competence in any given field requires 10,000 hours of assiduous attention focused in that field.

...Snip

I was wondering where you found that bit of information?

[Rory Hernandez]

Can you list three or four of your USPs?
Unique Selling Propositions
Do not list anything common to your area...i.e. digital photos...credentials, etc.
List only those things you offer that few or no others offer
Remember that only 7% of people buy on price, but 100% buy on price when given no other criteria
Good luck

[A.D. Miller]

I was wondering where you found that bit of information?

SB: Read "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell. Then read his other books, Tipping Point and Blink.

[David Nice]

SB: Read "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell. Then read his other books, Tipping Point and Blink.

A.D. when you say "It has been proven that competence in any given field requires 10,000 hours of assiduous attention focused in that field."and then cite the theoretical works of Gladwell as evidence of a proven fact, your credibility slips to near zero.

The "10,000 hour rule" was a proposal, not a statement of fact. Gladwell' evidence is purely subjective, not scientific.

[Mike Schulz]

$225.00 is to low. You need to start higher and then when they ask for a discount it won't be so bad. My base price is $250.00 for 1,000 and under. Because of the age and sq, ft. you mentioned the price would of been $325.00.
Yeah sue me for putting my price out there!

[Steven Meyer]

Let me see if I can get Mr. Miller's thought process right.

Those that have a license number under 10,000, are the "cream of the crop", not a bad apple among them??!! They have stood the test of time, even thou some were (and still are) crappy inspectors, but no matter, they are UNDER the 10,000 bench mark.

And what, Mr. Miller, is your license number? 01 or 02?

And those with over a 10,000 number, probably can't find the crawl space.

The older guys probably have not gotten much beyond the the building advances of a log cabin!

[Steven Meyer]

[QUOTE=A.D. Miller;83622]Jim:

(1) You are not as old as some of us.

(2) Even if the 10K mark was hit 12 months ago, competence would not be reached for 2500 inpsections,



So, under your theory of 2,500 inspections needed for competence, then that amount of unsuspecting customers just got screwed, but customer 2,501, he hit the jackpot!!

That also means that the first 2,500 inspections YOU DID, were faulty??!! I hope you have made amends with those customers, and confessed to your lack of competence in their inspection. Think a refund to those poor suckers just might be in order.

[Rick Hurst]

Not once have I ever had a client ask about licensing numbers.

[Jim Luttrall]

All the newer inspector see things from their point of view, "I'm just as good as those older guys, no reason a newer guy can't be a fantastic inspector, even better than those old farts" and the old farts point of view, "Those new guys just don't know what they don't know, they won't be around long, they are still wet behind the ears."

Truth is, both are right and both are wrong.
I trained under an experienced inspector who was also a PE with many years of experience and I learned much from him. I honestly believe I actually had more knowledge of construction than he in many areas, but he had more knowledge of what inspecting was and was not.
Today I know much more than what I did when I started inspecting and I continue to learn daily (I hope.)

There is absolutely no way a newby inspector can know as much as he will know 10 years from now unless he is an arrogant SOB that refuses to learn or gets Alzheimer's.
Learning is part of the gig. That said, there are many arrogant SOB's that are piss poor inspectors even though they have been around since dirt.

[Jack Feldmann]

Remember what is said about assuming.

You should not assume that just because someone has a high license number, or is new to your area, that they are a new inspector.

If I decided to move to Texas, and get my Texas license, (after I had jumped thru the hoops) I would have a very high license number. Yet I have almost 20 years under my belt inspecting. Not exactly a newbie.

Be careful what you assume.

[A.D. Miller]

A.D. when you say "It has been proven that competence in any given field requires 10,000 hours of assiduous attention focused in that field."and then cite the theoretical works of Gladwell as evidence of a proven fact, your credibility slips to near zero.

The "10,000 hour rule" was a proposal, not a statement of fact. Gladwell' evidence is purely subjective, not scientific.

DN: My credibility slipping in your eyes is the least of my concerns, I assure you.

[A.D. Miller]

Remember what is said about assuming.

You should not assume that just because someone has a high license number, or is new to your area, that they are a new inspector.

If I decided to move to Texas, and get my Texas license, (after I had jumped thru the hoops) I would have a very high license number. Yet I have almost 20 years under my belt inspecting. Not exactly a newbie.

Be careful what you assume.

Jack: Too bad. You might have learned something about real BBQ while here.

[A.D. Miller]

There is absolutely no way a newby inspector can know as much as he will know 10 years from now unless he is an arrogant SOB that refuses to learn or gets Alzheimer's.
Learning is part of the gig. That said, there are many arrogant SOB's that are piss poor inspectors even though they have been around since dirt.

JL: Agreed.

[Jack Feldmann]

I have had Texas Barbeque. What I had was very good. I have to say I am partial to pork rather than beef, but that's just me.

I also have to say that I really did not care for North Carolina Barbeque, because of the vinegar based sauces.

I guess the same can be said for assuming "your" barbeque is better than anyone elses.