TOPIC: Inspection Time

We are in a dilemma. We usually take 4-5 hours to do a thorough inspection, between the two of us we check all the outlets, the appliances, windows, doors, walls, thermal imaging, moisture, attic, basement/crawlspace, all plumbing, electrical box, furnace and water heater, roof, outside and garage. Our issue is that the agents are complaining that we are taking too long, they want us in and out in 2 hours tops and a half hour walk through. It takes us a half hour to introduce ourselves, go through the recall check info, get paid. I don't understand how we can do a good job and fit it in the time they want. The clients have never complained. We did just to prove a point one time, cut the walkthrough down and we got two phone calls and an email complaining that there were things in the report that we didn't explain. Are we taking too long? should we NOT be checking all the outlets and windows? There is two of us. Gary does the stuff that he is trained for and follows up on anything I don't know. I check the appliances and get the numbers, I check the lights and ceiling fans and stuff like that, to save time. How long do some of you take?
Thanks.... Glenda
Lizotte Inspection Services

What's your average size house, and where are you located? That makes a huge difference in the amount of time it will take for your reports.

How are you collecting data on site? Are both of you collecting data or just one of you?

For a 2000 sf home it takes me 2 to 2-1/2 hours.
As for the introduction...Hello everyone I'm Roy and I will be doing your inspection today. After I have finished I will do a walkabout with you and explain my finding and answer any questions you may have.
Today I'm doing 3 inspects. one at 10am one at 1pm and one at 4pm weather permitting.

We are in small town Saskatchewan and we travel anywhere up to 2 hours. I usually follow Gary with a pen and paper and I check the small stuff and jot down a note for each picture he takes, usually up to a hundred pictures. When the client arrives and he is collecting payment and discussing the recall and his limitations and stuff, I put the pictures in the program and start the report.  Houses vary from 800 sq ft - 2000 sq ft.  We can do the smaller ones in 3 hours. We check all the outlets all the windows, he takes off a few ceiling tiles per room in the basement.  See we have Mike Holmes on tv telling people 'your inspector should have caught that'. He even has to tell people "Im not Mike Holmes, I cant take walls apart and make holes"  The walk through takes up to 2 hours because he answers all their questions, and sometimes they bring family and friends and even the agent will ask tons of questions, it's crazy.

The amount of time it takes depend of the issues that are discovered, it would be better to get a video of the home focusing on the issues in a structured pattern and play back the video (pause as needed) and photos of pictures you take on site this can reduce your time in the field and with your Realtors and agents who are on inspections all the time some will give me the lock box combo and allow me to go and start the inspection and they just show up 30 minutes before I conclude I am never at the site more than 2 hours unless it is because I have a client that just wants to involve me with small talk my written report is submitted 24 hours after the field inspection. When I get back to the office I can spend as much time I want with the video and photos.

2 hours for the walkthrough? That seems totally crazy.