hanging on

[Chad Fabry]

What Bill said. My average round trip is between 100 and 200 miles.

[StevenT]

Originally posted by davidlord

After my morning inspection yesterday I drove out to a house (about 30 miles one way) to conduct a 4-point inspection. The client had called me several days ago and we talked about the inspection and that just because I provided the inspection it won't guarantee an insurance policy.

I get there and I can tell from the truck the roof is at least 20 years old (3-tab) and should have been replaced several years ago. He proceeds to tell me he had an electrician and plumber tell him everything was ok and all he needed was for me to say the roof had another 5 years of life.

I told him I couldn't do that because that roof needs to be replaced. He said it doesn't matter that no one will know because its just for insurance. I told him that I would know and that's not how I operate.

He decides he doesn't want the inspection and that he hates that I drove out there for nothing. I told him that hated it as well because it took up about an hour of my time and my Excursion ain't no hybrid. He hands me $20.00 for gas so I take it and start to leave resisting the urge to snatch a knot in his head, as my Dad would say.

He ask me to wait as he calls his insurance guy. Insurance guy says go ahead and do the inspection but stretch the life on the roof as much as possible.

I do the inspection, he writes me a check, I give him his $20 back, and I sent the report that says the roof needs to be replaced.

The majority of my EIFS inspections are bank/ins. co. ordered. It seems that some institutions are rejecting barrier systems. In case you don't know, 99.9% of residential installations are barrier systems. So, after the thrill of booking the job passes, the thought of, "here we go again," sets in, as I don my Angel of Death costume.

When I first started, a client asked me "how did it do?" After I foolishly told her it was a barrier system, I asked to get paid. It was not a pretty scene.

I even had one mortgage broker call me after I left his office with my check, and tell me he was stopping payment on the check. That changed when I told him to go ahead, I would let the bank know what had happened. His boss called me ten minutes later and told me to cash the check.

My golden rule is that I do not discuss an inspection, except for brief summaries with clients at a regular home inspection, until I collect my check. I make no exceptions. I always get paid.