BobKGA

Didn't mean to come across as offended- I just thought it odd that the first question I got was "are you an inspector". I moderate at the JLC forums with Hausdok, and over there the guys are very defensive about only letting "professionals" in, so maybe I'm a little overly sensitive on the subject of having credentials questioned....lol. I agree that marketing to the builders wouldn't fly- it's really more of a question of how to let them do my job. While typical purchase agreements for resale purchases include an inspection clause, contracts for new homes are drawn up by the builder, and obviously favor the builder. They typically don't allow many (if any) changes to their contracts, especially in a hot market. You asked why I don't want to do resale inspections- they just don't interest me. I don't enjoy crawling thru moldy crawlspaces and getting sued because I couldn't see that the timer on the oven didn't work, and it didn't go off, ruining Thanksgiving dinner for the new buyers (a true story that happened to a friend of mine who did inspections in Las Vegas.....). Thanks for the input, Bob

I've designed, built, estimated, and managed construction projects ranging from $2,000 remodels to $300 million high-rise condo projects. I've worked as a quality control inspector for a major Las Vegas home builder, inspecting several hundred homes a year. I've consulted with clients on construction-related issues for close to 20 years. I've written articles on various construction topics for several national magazines. I'm a certified 1 and 2-family dwelling inspector under CABO (haven't bothered to get re-certified under IBC because I haven't been doing much residential work for the past few years). I do not, however, have ASHI, NAHI, or any of the other alphabet soup behind my name if that's what you're asking by your question- does that mean I can't post here? Does it make me incapable of providing new construction inspections? Bob

I'm relocating to the Atlanta area in July, and plan on offering new construction inspections as part of a consulting business. I will not be providing inspection services on existing homes. A few questions for those of you doing new construction inspections: - How are you getting the builders to allow you to set foot on site and do your inspections? Are you having your clients add a clause in their purchase contracts? I ask because I'm assuming most builders aren't thrilled with the idea of having additional "eyes" on their sites. - Are the builders requiring you to provide proof of insurance prior to be allowed on site? I've been speaking with several insurance companies, and they don't seem to want to write a GL policy without doing an E&O policy first, and most won't write an E&O policy for just new construction (they want to charge the regular E&O rates, which are excessive IMO, given the lower risk of new construction inspection). - How are you ensuring that the builder doesn't start closing up walls prior to your inspection? Are you requesting a call from the site super prior to insulation, or are you doing drivebys every week to check on the status of the house? Thanks in advance for any answers! Bob