NUMBER OF INSPECTIONS PER WEEK

[Anthony DiPonio]

I AM IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING MY HOME INSPECTION BUSINESS, WHAT IS A REALISTIC GOAL TO SET FOR INSPECTIONS PER WEEK. THIS IS A FULL TIME BUSINESS NOT A WEEK END WARRIOR.

[hausdok]

Hi Anthony,

Realistically, about 1 to 2 a week for the first couple of months. 2 - 3 a week for the next 3 or 4 and by the end of your first year 15 to 20 a month.

If you really want to really challenge yourself, set your sights on the ultimate goal of 2 a day, 4 days a week. That's 400 inspections a year with a two week vacation. If you charge a proper fee and can achieve that, you'll be very comfortable.

I know quite a few folks who were able to reach 300 to 400 inspections a year by their 3rd year in business.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[DLRambo]

Mike - I think you must be wrong about the numbers. In Kansas City, at many of the ASHI meetings I hear the other guys talk about doing 3 or 4 inspection a day; and 600 - 800 per year. One of the 1 man ASHI inspectors that started in 1995 (he was a repair man before that)advertises he's done over 23,000 HI's. Several other ASHI inspectors that got started about 1987 advertise they've done over 20,000 inspections - so I would guess your numbers are fairly conservative from what these guys say.

I also see a lot of guys that got started last year that advertise "30 years experience".

I turned 56 this year and like to sleep late and come home early. Therefore I charge a lot for my services and only do 1 or 2 a day.

I keep hearing the realestateors talk about all the truly great ASHI HI's that take 1.5 to 2 hours to do the home inspection and generate the lovely 21 page computerized report with about 25 digital photo's, that says absolutely nothing but looks good.

I just do it the old fashioned way. A 15 page custom field checklist to take home from the site followed up 2-3 days later with a 3-5 page typed overview. My main market is 15 years of past clients (I wish I'd started data basing them before, but I didn't) and attorneys.

Oh yes - the ASHI Experience. Many of us are not really excited about it, having seen it up close already for the past few years.

I'm not picking on ASHI, they just have the most guys around here (141 in a 40 mile circle), so the BS is more visible there.

Dan Bowers (Kansas City)

[Richard Moore]

Dan...

23,000 since 1995 translates to about 7 or 8 inspections a day if I've done my math right. Even the 20,000 since 1987 guys must be constantly doing 4 a day to get there. Amazing! [:-bigeyes] Makes me exhausted just thinking about it. I wonder if they get out of the truck or they just count every house they can see from the roof.

I'm not doubting you as I have seen similar dubious claims on various web-sites. I bet these folks tell good fishing stories too.

[Les]

We run a pretty stable company here in mid-Mich with all ASHI members. When we take on a new inspector the first one hundred for him/her is the most difficult. Our goal is get the insp to the candidate with logo ASAP. Then it is 2 maybe 3 per week. In the long run it is the best way for us. We also have approx 154 insp within a 50mi radius of Lansing Mi, seven of them ASHI members and one of us with logo priv. It "ain't" about numbers; it is about quality. I personally have helped at least fifty of the 154 get started and some are quite good. Ask for help from some of the old timers in ASHI in your area and I think you will be pleased with their response(s).

[Les]

This is good example of why I can't claim perfection. I am in your area and am always happy to help. Forgot that in my first msg.

[Terence McCann]

Mike's numbers reflect mine as well.

Regarding 3-4 inspections a day - [:-bigeyes]. I would call those inspections a "honk and wave".

I do two a day max & that's more than a full days work for me. Anymore than two a day and I would be cutting corners big time!

[a46geo]

Anthony,

Before you set a weekly goal, ask yourself how many days a week you want to work. I know guys that regularly work 7 days. I limit myself to 5. You know what they say about all work and no play?

Next, how many of YOUR type of inspections can you do in a day? I know guys around our area that can schedule 4. I can only do 1. It takes all day for my inspection and OFF SITE report.

Last, are you going to market to realtors or market direct to the home buyer? Here is where you can set yourself apart. Most of your competition obtain the lions share of their business from their marketing through realtor. Hardly anyone goes directly after customer. However, realtors do control the market in Michigan, so it will probably be a faster start working with them.

Set your goals based on your own personality and way of doing business.

George

Like Les, I am also in your area

[DLRambo]

Richard - I always wonder if the Realtors or buyers ever stop to do the math like you did, or if they really believe that BS. Last month a lady called our offices 4 times before finally booking. On her 4th call, when I asked her why -she told me she had been comparing credentials.

According to her, although 2 of her friends had used me and recommended us highly we were $50 to $100 more than my competitors. All of us were ASHI Certified; all BUT ME had over 25 years EXPERIENCE; and all BUT ME were bonded and licensed; all BUT ME had over 20,000 inspections. She worked for one of the nearby City's - Code Enforcement Departments.

Her boss told her since we were all ASHI Members, we'd all be doing the same thing so to go with the lowest price. Once I knew what was keeping her from booking - I just told her the primary reasons she should book with us.

The 1st reason was that if she had accurately described my competitors sales spiels - they all lied - a lot. There's only 3 of us in KC that have doing home inspections for over 20 years, and 1 of those no longer personally does them. We have no licensing law for HI's, unless its an occupational license. I helped her do the math for how many HI's someone could do and explained to her what kind of HI it would be if they ever had done that many. Finally I gave her my ASHI number (#1038) and told her to ask my supposed COMPETITOR's numbers to see if any of them were under 100,000 - they weren't.

She called back the next day and booked. On site when I asked who my competitors were and she gave me the names - I almost dropped.

Three of the 4 had been out there less than 3 years, and 2 had been in my past training classes. The 4th has about 5 years experience, does HI part-time and claims to be a licensed PE, but the state has never had him on their roster going back to 1970.

Oh yes - the ASHI Experience. Please Lord protect me and the consumers from more of the EXPERIENCE and my "fellow" ASHI members.

Dan Bowers (Kansas City)

[Paul MacLean]

I've been doing inspections for 14 years. I do fewer inspections now than I used to, but I'm working just as much. As others have said the more inspections I do, the longer they take. Experience seems to add to the stuff I look at and report.

That said, a full week for me is 6 to 8 inspections working a five day week. And the truth be known, I'm perfectly happy with one a day.

The guys claiming 30 years experience and 20,000 inspections are blowing smoke (or maybe smoking something). It amazes me that the public doesn't seem to notice outrageous claims. In Texas, your license number is a dead giveaway. License #1 was issued in 1985. License #7000 will be issued very soon. My license #2221 was issued January, 1990.

[Brian G]

I'm in George's boat, one per day. I could do two inspections in one day, but not with the reports. Frankly, I have no interest in doing much more than that. My plan is to become the most expensive HI in my area by the end of three years, streamline my process somewhat without cutting quality or service, and do one per day / four or five days a week. That's it.

I don't care about piling-up a lot of money or claiming absurd numbers completed, I want a better quality of life. I want to take my boy fishing, play golf in the middle of the week, take my Mom to lunch, fix things around the house, or any one of at least a dozen other things I could name. I don't think anyone ever lays on their deathbed thinking "If only I had worked more, made more money, wasted less time on the people in my life."

Brian G.

Less Is More [:-king]

[DLRambo]

Brian - Good Thoughts. The old guy motto.

"Work less, charge more, take less liability, and enjoy life more".

Dan Bowers (Kansas City)

[swarga]

I do 2 a day 5 days a week.

Last year I did about 480 inspections.

If you look at my 3D breakdown though I did almost 1000 inspections last year.

It breaks down pool inspections, spa inspection, re-inspection, etc...

I would bet that is what they are doing when they advertise 20,000 inspections.

Just be honest that's the best way. Last year 480. Total in career somewhere between 1500 and 2000 I haven't counted. Didn't think it mattered.

[DonTx]

Many inspectors in the Houston area advertise that they've done thousands of inspections in their short careers. Like Scott said, 1 HI is 3 or 4 inspections for them, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, structural.

I trained a guy this past summer who retired from an oil company as an electrical engineer (designing switch and guage systems). Now his ads say "30 years experience in the engineering and construction field".

Interesting.

Donald

[bigdogbonz]

I had to reply to this topic, as I find it quite humorous! I consider myself fairly new to the business and fantasized about doing 3/day. That was when I was in HI class. Now that I am out there actually doing them, reality is probably 1 a day and some days 2/day...alternating every other day would be great (2 one day 1 the next). My inspections take 3 hours for your average 1500-2000sqft home and figure an hour between inspections (minimum). With that said, my 8-9 hour day is filled and I'll go home and sleep pretty well knowing that I actually looked at the house! 4/day?!...come on! I wouldnt even consider my fantasy of 3/day anymore!

Bigdog

[Brian G]

Mr. uhh...Bonz, howz 'bout filling out your profile a little more. We don't know your name, where you're located, etc. The "man of mystery" thing works better with the ladies than with the curmudgeons and jokers.

Brian G.

Part-time Curmudgeon, Full-time Joker

[hausdok]

It would help,

You see, all inspectors are welcome here, regardless of whether they belong to an association or are independents and irrespective of experience. However, when someone asks for advice about certain issues, it really helps to know where you are from and what your background is. That way, those responding know how to couch their responses.

It's the same way when you provide someone else advice. Someone in Nevada asking for help with a tile roof issue might feel more inclined to listen to someone from his or her own state, California or Arizona, before giving too much credence to something that I tell them about concrete roofs, since I'm up on Puget Sound in Washington.

Using a handle is okay to sign on with, but tell your colleagues who you are and you'll fit in better.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[dlee]

Anthony - ditto re how many days you want to work, how much life you want to have, etc.

I 'grew' my business to 2 a day (5 days/wk), peaking at 340/year in the 4th year. Then I went from a checklist to Mark Cramer's Intelligent Reporter software (unfortunately no longer available). I learned much from that sofware, found myself digging more into the 'mysteries,' providing much more information for my clients, etc. Within a year or so of that I went from three hours on the average house to four hours. Doing two a day was no longer possible in good conscience. I was having to worry about getting #1 done and getting to #2. So I decided to limit to one a day. (And somewhere in the fifth year I also decided to quit marketing to realtors. They were getting lessand less interested in me anyway.)

Now in year 12, and am very content with the way I do inspections. Now averaging over four hours, and counting.

Moral of my story? Your business will evolve, and will be guided by the crucial descisions you make along the way.

-David Lee in VA

[chrisprickett]

I do mostly new, slab on grade, no crawl space, averaging around 2000 sq ft. I do two a day, every day. I sometimes work Saturdays, and on about once a month, I'll have to pull at three-a-dayer.

I agree that you can't consistantly do more than two a day with a drop off in quality or a severe case of burnout.

I've got three kids to put through college, so I bust my ass more than I'd like. In a perfect world, I'd play golf for a living.

[Scottpat]

I like to do two a day, except for Monday and Friday. I work five days a week and try my best not to schedule any jobs for Monday mornings or Friday afternoon. I fill these slots up last. If I don't fill the Monday AM slot, I use that time for office work. If the Friday PM slot is open, I might treat myself to a movie or just do my "Honeydo" items around the house. The weekends are for the family.

I also fill in empty slots during the day with a few draw inspections and a couple insurance inspections when they come around, most of this is done before my AM inspection or after my PM inspection.

[Renron]

Scott,

what is a "draw" inspection

Ron

[chrisprickett]

Not to reply for Scott, but a draw inspection is:

After closing on a loan and starting the construction of your property, the next step in the process is the releasing of funds. The consultant will meet you at the subject property and inspect the entire building. All items included in your plan will be reviewed. The amount released will be directly related to work specified on the plan that has been completed. The signed draw form will be faxed and then mailed out to the lending institution within 24 hours, for them to process your draw request and produce the check.