TOPIC: Infared Cameras

I am thinking of adding infared imaging to my home inspection business and was hoping for some advice.
1. What is the minimal camera that is needed?
2. Who provides the best training?
3. How do you charge?  Do you do it on each inspection or is there an added charge or do it as an energy audit?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Preston sandlin

Preston,

Your question is a mouthful!
I avoided answering your question because I shy away from marketing blogs but Dominic asked me to reply.
I encourage you to give me a call: 615-406-6808

My first question is how much business do you currently have?
Do not buy a thermal camera to try to increase your business. Just because you have it, "build it and they will come" doesn't work. There is a significant amount of education that you must do to inform your clients and potential clients before they will consider utilizing your services. Very few people actually hunt you down until you become well situated in the business. We can talk hours on this one.

Minimum camera: every camera is made for a specific purpose. If you don't understand what you are specifically going to use the camera for, you cannot make a sound decision on which camera to buy. A lot of nonsense out there about low-end cameras (as well as low-end training) states that any camera will work in building analysis. This is totally false! Temperature changes in a building are extremely subtle and difficult to identify at times if the conditions are not perfect. For example, if air is leaking out of the house and you are scanning from the interior you will not see it. Walls are thick and moisture is deep in the wall you need a good eye to catch the anomaly. I started out with a Flir BCAM and it forced me to pay very close attention and it taught me well. However, I am now on my third camera! I personally do not feel that you will be satisfied for any length of time with the camera less than 320 x 240 resolution. Infrared heat does not photograph as clearly as digital because of the properties of heat energy. There is a halo around everything and it makes it look blurry. If nothing else, this blurriness is the primary cause for camera upgrades. In short, you need the most camera you can possibly afford to do building inspections. If you look on people's websites, you will see that they offer a wide array of services with a thermal camera. This is a fallacy in the IR business. You must specialize in certain areas and concentrate your marketing in this area. Just because the camera is capable, does not mean you are! If you do not fully understand what you're pointing the camera at, you must hire someone that does more for go that type of inspection. 90% of the advertising on the Internet for thermal imaging is for unqualified services.

Training: there are only three training facilities that I would consider. They are the top three which you should easily find. Once you start with one provider, you should consider sticking with that provider for all advanced level training. Training is a progression from one level to another and level I in one company does not equate to level I in another. I was trained through Flir ITC for numerous considerations (another long conversation). I found the training to be highly professional and the people that attend the training contribute as much if not more to the training as do the instructors. People in the class will help other people in the class through experience. If you go to a low-end class, you have low-end students who have nothing to contribute. Who do the major corporations send their engineers to for training? These are the training facilities you want to be associated with.

Charging?: this one you're going to have to work out for your self. It completely depends upon the client that you are performing for. Industrial clients expect to pay $2000-$3000 a day for specific services that they are fully aware of the needs. Residential clients don't even know what thermal imaging is and you should get at least 20% to 25% more for your home inspection services if that is what you're doing the IR in conjunction with. There are inspectors out there that do it for free (nothing is for free except when home inspectors are concerned). Roofing companies offer free IR examinations but they get you on the other end when they get the job. Home inspectors don't seem to do this. They buy a $3000 camera thinking that people will flock to their door (which they will not), and when they can't effectively sell themselves in the service (due to inadequate training) they give the service away for free without charging for it in the end.

I purchased my first camera to reduce my liability. I also bought my first moisture meter to reduce my liability after someone tried to sue me for moisture leakage under a toilet (which was covered in the report first place). Lawyers fees were in excess of $5000 and I wasn't even sued. So for $5000, a thermal camera will give you information about the house inspection that is invisible and un-documentable any other way. I started out with no intention of even paying off the camera.

As for using it on every inspection, I use my camera like a flashlight. If I happen to find something, I charge the client for the service. For example, a roof leak that cannot be seen is visible thermally. I advise the client of my findings and ask if they want a thermal scan to verify, identify and document the location of the league and its source. If the client declines, I simply put in the report "there is a roof leak, client declines further evaluation with thermal imaging. No further testing was conducted".

Thermal imaging is not an energy audit!
As I said above if you are going to specialize in energy audits, the thermal camera is simply a tool for that type of inspection. You don't buy a thermal camera and become an energy auditor! Another one of those 90% things on the Internet which people they claim to be able to perform are totally uneducated, uninformed and unqualified. A thermal camera can be used for energy auditing, but it is not an audit.

Your insurance provider may not cover thermal imaging because it is their observation that "guys with cameras" can be a liability because they are not qualified or properly trained and do not have a proper standard of practice that complies with industry standards. This is a result of the "cheaper is better" group. Infrared thermography is a self regulated industry. Many home inspectors do not self regulate. Getting insurance (which is required in big IR jobs by the client, never mind any other regulating body) can be a huge expense if it can not be attached with another industry.

The bottom line is price.
How much do you want to spend?
Home inspectors spent a lot of time trying to convince clients that they should be spending money for home inspection services and that the more you pay, the more you get. But when it comes to buying insurance, inspection tools or other services (such as HIP) "cheaper is better" seems to be their perception. They buy a cheap infrared camera, $500 training and then try to go out and do nuclear power plant inspections at $3000 per hour. There's something wrong with this picture! It is borderline "fraud"!

Did you go with HIP because of price or the service Dominic provides?

As you get started in this business, it is highly unlikely that you will not recoup your money for your first camera if you follow the same path as everyone else. If you can't afford to throw away $4000 to get to the point where you can charge $200 an hour don't go there.

Take a look on the Flir message board, or any other message board and you will see all kinds of cameras for sale "hardly used, like new condition". Why?

This is not an ancillary service. It is another complete business! The only ones I see that are out there that are successful, are the ones that perceive their business this way. If you are not up to opening another business, this may not be the path for you at this point in time. Most home inspectors that offer ancillary IR charge a little bit more for the home inspection and perceive this to be satisfactory. Some are just happy to get the inspection job! They never really break in to the real thermal industry.

Preston,

Dave is dead on!  I'll add that you should wait to purchase a camera until you have attended Level 1 training.  This way you'll get some hands on experience with a few cameras, plus you will be able to truly understand the camera specs that the vendors will throw at you (and may withhold on purpose).  As Dave said, cameras are not the same. Basing you purchase decision on price alone will be a grave mistake.  Making a purchase decision and not fully understanding the specs will also be a grave mistake.  I see too often the regrets of inspectors who made unsound purchase decisions and realized it very quickly (within the first 6 months).

As far as pricing is concerned, Dave pretty much covered that as well.  Once you truly understand the training and equipment costs associated with this technology, you'll be able to set your prices accordingly.  If you're thinking of spending $500 dollars for a certification... DON'T.  Save your money.  I hear from guys all the time who took the course and are FAR from adequately prepared to perform thermal imaging in a residential application.  You truly, truly, truly get what you pay for in this industry in both training and equipment. 

If I can be of further assistance to you or answer any other questions you can email me or give me a call as well. 937-423-2949 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
I stay very busy ,so if I don't answer the phone, please leave a message and I WILL return your call! 

Preston, you definitely want to listen to Dave & Bill. Their both doing awesome with their infrared business and infrared inspection websites.

No use for me to beat a dead horse Dave and Bill pretty well stated the facts of life

Hey Charley!!

Nice to see you guys around here again