Builder bans Inspector

[Les]

Sometimes Kurt is wise beyond his years! I have been sued,(ranges from $16,000,000 to $175.00) served, threatened too many times to count. BUT I have never had to pay one dime to any plantiff. Granted, I get free legal advice and have had to pay abt 6,000 in other legal fees(contempt) and paid for one 40gal water heater a sub-contractor didn't properly inspect. I am not all that smart, but I do know how to inspect and report and demand that of anyone that works with me. Know your limits and do good work. Don't blow smoke up anyone's hind-end and follow Jower's advice. My second favorite saying is "I've been shot five times, thrown off tall buildings and chased by irate husbands.What makes you think I'm afraid of you? I'm your best friend or worst enemy - you choose."

[DonTx]

I dislike 1 year warranty inspections. They take longer and I hate having to deal with the homeowners following me around. For example. Yesterday the wife was home with a 2 month old baby. She kept asking if we could be quiet..did I have to go into the baby's room...did I have to check the smoke alarms...did I have to open all the windows...why was I filling all the tubs...etc, etc. Drives me nuts.

My other inspector loves them. Go figure.

We do a lot of 1 year warranty inspections and they are probably easier and less liability for us. But as others have said, you need to know your stuff, especially when it comes to the codes.

Scott - I like the thought of such an organization - how soon can you get it set up and running? []

Chris - Thanks for the fax. It sounds like AZ is a consumer friendly state. I envy those kind of laws. TX is a builder friendly state. Out of the top 25 business conntributors to politicians, 3 of them are builders. They own Austin and our consumer protection laws show it.

Our new Texas Residential Construction Commission has just published some proposed warranty and performance guidelines. They avoided the easy route where they could have just adopted the IRC. Instead they have some guidelines along the same route as the NAHB. Pretty lax.

http://www.trcc.state.tx.us/Rules/Warra ... dards2.htm

Donald

[Brian G]

Originally posted by Scottpat

Maybe we can all ban together to form New Construction Inspectors Consortium (NCIC).

Not catchy enough. How about the Anti- Substandard & Shoddy Housing Organization & Lobby Effort...most of us are accused of that title anyway, I say wear it proudly! All we need is a President. Who wants to be the head....um.....guy? [:-dev3][][:-dev3]

Brian G.

Probably Should be in the Hall of Fame Myself

[DonTx]

Originally posted by Brian G.

Not catchy enough. How about the Anti- Substandard & Shoddy Housing Organization & Lobby Effort...most of us are accused of that title anyway, I say wear it proudly! All we need is a President. Who wants to be the head....um.....guy? [:-dev3][][:-dev3]

Brian G.

Probably Should be in the Hall of Fame Myself

ROFLMAO...that one will go down as a classic! [:-jester]

[Brian G]

A conversation between two builders one morning at the local greasy spoon....

"Hey Bob, I got a call last night from the Smiths, bought that crappy thing I built over on 23rd Avenue... Well they just got a warranty inspection from that Lawson guy in Conroe, now they're hollering for me to come back and fix all that stuff! He found screw-ups I didn't even know about! That A......!"

"Yeah, I think he is one Bill. I got the same thing from one of those other A...... inspectors last month! We gotta do something. We can't just take this s... from these A......'s"

"Okay, I've had it! Let's get the builders association to ban all A...... inspectors from our new construction, then try to get our stooges at the state capital to pass a bill blocking those A......'s from warranty inspections, or at least burying them in paperwork!"

"Good idea! Damned A......'s! They stink!!!"

Brian G.

Pioneer A...... Inspector []

[Scottpat]

Got the fax Chris, thanks.

A question. Is this attorney doing this on a contingency fee for those that have a problem or is he doing it as pro-bono work?

Do you know when they are going to get an official ruling on this?

[Paul MacLean]

Donald said: "I dislike 1 year warranty inspections. They take longer and I hate having to deal with the homeowners following me around. For example. Yesterday the wife was home with a 2 month old baby. She kept asking if we could be quiet..did I have to go into the baby's room...did I have to check the smoke alarms...did I have to open all the windows...why was I filling all the tubs...etc, etc. Drives me nuts."

The homeowners can be a pain. Last week I walked off a one-year warranty inspection because the homeowner would not listen to what I was telling him. He wanted me to see through walls, leap over buildings in a single bound and move faster than a speeding bullet. After about a hour of this, I finally told him that he wasn't listening, I wasn't going to be able to satisfy him and he should find another inspector.

For 14 years I have satisfied thousands of clients. This guy was the first I walked away from, and I'm not looking back.

[Brian G]

I hate having the client around while I'm inspecting. Due to my strange small-market / service-heavy method I almost never do. Yesterday I did one where I had both clients, both of their kids, the seller and one of his kids, two chatty bricklayers, a barking-at-nothing dog, and a hornets' nest. My worst day at work to date.

My absolute favorite is a totally empty house with a built-in microwave and a refigerator, a mile or two from home, on a slab, with a key hidden on the outside.

Brian G.

[chrisprickett]

Originally posted by Scottpat

Got the fax Chris, thanks.

A question. Is this attorney doing this on a contingency fee for those that have a problem or is he doing it as pro-bono work?

Do you know when they are going to get an official ruling on this?

The attorney is AZ ASHI's general counsel. We have him on retainer. He will do the first test case pro-bono, and has a standing offer to the first HI to get bounced, and want to take up the torch. At the rate I'm going, I may be that guy. This guy is a real "pistol". If anyone can help us, he's the guy.

The "CAN" group is collecting data, and going from there. The wheels of justice turn slowly!

[Paul MacLean]

Originally posted by Brian G.

I hate having the client around while I'm inspecting. Due to my strange small-market / service-heavy method I almost never do. Yesterday I did one where I had both clients, both of their kids, the seller and one of his kids, two chatty bricklayers, a barking-at-nothing dog, and a hornets' nest. My worst day at work to date.

My absolute favorite is a totally empty house with a built-in microwave and a refigerator, a mile or two from home, on a slab, with a key hidden on the outside.

Brian G.

I agree that client's can slow you down and be a pain. That said, I strongly encourage all my clients to follow me around, watch me work, ask questions, etc. The time spent answering questions during the inspection is frequently made up when we go over the report. " Yep. You showed me that." "Oh yeah, that was the thingy on the water heater," etc.

And most buyers want to be there. It's a learning experience for them.

I want the buyer to know exactly what I did and what I didn't do. But most of all, I want them to know and like me. That translates to fewer callbacks and more referrals. Almost every problem I've had has been from someone who wasn't at the inspection.

[Brian G]

Originally posted by Paul MacLean

I want the buyer to know exactly what I did and what I didn't do. But most of all, I want them to know and like me. That translates to fewer callbacks and more referrals.

I agree, I just do it with a second trip back to meet the clients for a walk-through after I've finished the report and printed a few pictures. I know most wouldn't want to do it that way, but in my current situation it helps in half-a-dozen directions. I may not always do it this way myself.

Brian G.