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00:00:01
I am the Devil
6 Plays14 days ago
Why I hate inspections!!!!!
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Transcript
Introduction and Context
00:00:01
Baker Plbg
OK, hope everybody's having a fabulous day. It's crazy out there, crazy world, crazy life. I hope your life is going spectacular despite the madness that the world provides.
00:00:14
Baker Plbg
I'm going to talk about inspections today. i had lots of comments, for whatever reason, on the garage heaters that we install.
00:00:27
Baker Plbg
ah and ask how many permits do we call, how many inspections do we have, so on and
Issues with Inspections
00:00:34
Baker Plbg
so forth. Listen, I hate inspections. And I'll be perfectly frank and say it is a rare occasion that I actually get an inspection.
00:00:42
Baker Plbg
And it's usually reserved for simply brand new builds, not additions to what's going on there. And my reasoning is this. um The liability that I take on as a contractor when I install gas, plumbing, or electrical um does not get shifted in any way, shape, or form when the inspection happens.
00:01:09
Baker Plbg
I'm still absolutely responsible for everything that happens there. It is simply a third party that shows up to make sure that I know how to do my job. I know how to do my job.
00:01:20
Baker Plbg
There's a couple of reasons that I... think that it's a waste of time and money to do these inspections. Most of the inspectors these days are not plumbers. They're not specific to their trade.
00:01:34
Baker Plbg
And the reason for that, believe it or not, is that the city doesn't want to play a union rates of plumbers and electricians and so on and so forth. And so they either hire the handymen or ah the framers.
00:01:50
Baker Plbg
building and The building inspector now does everything. And they're not trade-specific anymore. So I'm literally having someone come in to critique my work that's never gone to plumbing school, that's never installed anything related to what I'm doing.
Financial Motives Behind Inspections
00:02:07
Baker Plbg
And their only education is books. And we've talked about that before. ah Books are important, but the real learning happens sometimes.
00:02:19
Baker Plbg
with your hands and in the field. And any i be I'll challenge anybody to try and tell me that that's that's something different happens there because it just simply doesn't.
00:02:30
Baker Plbg
um and So that's reason that's the first reason, because they're not actually plumbers and inspectors. The second reason is is they've gone when, you know, it used to be a flat rate.
00:02:42
Baker Plbg
Like if you're getting a gas inspection, it's $250. If you're getting a new home inspection, it's $300. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And now they have, I mean, there's plumbing permits, hydronic permits, gas permits, gas fireplace and permits, solar permits, cross connection permits, on and on and on and on.
00:03:02
Baker Plbg
And I know for a fact, having talked to many inspectors, that the city encourages them to fail the project. So not only do you pay the initial fee, but you pay for the re-inspection fee.
00:03:16
Baker Plbg
And how do you explain that to your customer when they, you know you show up and obviously you've sold them on your ah knowledge, skills, and ability, and you fail the inspection because it's within ah the mandate of that inspection agency to fail it so that they can increase their revenue.
00:03:37
Baker Plbg
So that's reason number two is that they're no longer a service ah provided It's a revenue generator for the city. They are looking to generate revenue, which is also, like I say, the reason number one is that they don't want to pay the rates for actual tradespeople that are specifically trained in that field.
00:03:58
Baker Plbg
They're basically weekend warriors. So that's number one. Most of the inspectors are weekend warriors. Number two. they are encouraged to fail it and to get the re-inspection fee. And three is because they're basically the black hand. If you've watched The Godfather, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
00:04:15
Baker Plbg
Basically, they take a percentage of your job. They have their base they have a permit processing fee, which they've never had before. In Calgary, at $112. And then it's basically, what is it? $10.14 of every $1,000 of construction value.
00:04:36
Baker Plbg
Now, that's not what it costs you. That's what you're billing the customer. So if I'm billing the customer $10,000 to a do a job, then they want an extra, whatever the hell that is,
00:04:50
Baker Plbg
another 101 bucks. And they'll also, you know, charge me the re-inspection fee when whatever it goes wrong.
00:05:04
Baker Plbg
On top of that, number four, the number four reason that I think it's absolute bullshit is because I have to wait there for them. They no longer give exact appointments. It's morning or night, which I understand.
00:05:17
Baker Plbg
But who's paying for me or my guy to sit there waiting for the inspector to show up? And if you miss them, instant re-inspection fee. Like, they they're not waiting around.
00:05:28
Baker Plbg
they they the I don't even know if they even call you anymore. They used to call you and say, hey, we're on the way. They either show up and off they go.
Inspection Necessity and Criticism
00:05:37
Baker Plbg
It is crazy how the city has, like, changed this whole thing into um it's – it's It's not there to help the customer anymore.
00:05:50
Baker Plbg
There are lots. i and And I do understand the reason why inspections are important and are needed because there's lots of unscrupulous contractors out there that will do anything to rip people off.
00:06:01
Baker Plbg
um And I guess that's why but i've said it before, why we're so busy is because there's so many meatballs out there that don't know what they're doing.
00:06:11
Baker Plbg
So all that to say, i rarely call call for an inspection because i'm hiring i'm i'm I am hiring someone that's underqualified to inspect my work um because they are there to find something wrong with it.
00:06:29
Baker Plbg
and And it used to be back in the day is I would create the scenario where there'd be one thing wrong when we do new construction. This little thing is wrong. And they'd be like, oh, fix that and then we're good.
00:06:41
Baker Plbg
And then there there wouldn't be any new inspection fee. That doesn't happen anymore. So it's um they are there to fail it.
00:06:52
Baker Plbg
Not to work with you, to fail it. Number three, the percentage thing. It's literally what the mafia does. You want me to protect you? This is what it's going to cost you. I get a percentage of your revenues.
00:07:07
Baker Plbg
But i don't I don't provide any services for you. And then what was number five? ah Oh, the wait time. Who pays for the wait time on that?
00:07:19
Baker Plbg
um not Did you get to bill that to the customer? Did you remember to bill that into the job? It could be as long as four hours. And you know what our rates are, you know that could be anywhere from $1,000 to $1,200 that I could be elsewhere making money. Instead, I'm waiting for some stupid inspector shop.
00:07:35
Baker Plbg
I think it's bananas.
Customer Guidance and Summary
00:07:37
Baker Plbg
And I think The conversation that I have with every customer that we do work for on a residential point of view is like is exactly that. i'm If you want an inspection, then we will absolutely sign one up.
00:07:52
Baker Plbg
I'm fully insured. I'm fully registered. I have all the paperwork fully licensed. There's no issue with that. But when I explain that to them and say, listen, if something goes wrong, you're not calling Mr. Inspector or 311 at the city.
00:08:08
Baker Plbg
You're calling me because I'm the one that has to make this right. And you're welcome to pay for the city to come out and do this, but it's going to be an extra $1,000.
00:08:19
Baker Plbg
How can it not be an extra $1,000? i don't know I don't know how you run a business and not cover that cost knowing those three things. Four things. What are they?
00:08:31
Baker Plbg
The inspectors are underqualified, number one. Two, they're there to fail your job. Not work with you, fail your job. And I get that this is a big statement, and it's not true with everyone, but that's my experience.
00:08:46
Baker Plbg
My thought's not yours. Number three, the black hand. They're taking a percentage of your profits no matter what. it ah It doesn't necessarily take longer for that to...
00:09:00
Baker Plbg
to to look at something. ah And then number four, the wait time in between. And frankly, finally, the last one I'll say, number five, is most people hire a third-party agency anyway to do home inspections.
00:09:15
Baker Plbg
So let the customer deal with that. Say, all right, if you want to, It happens all the time in the real estate market, right? Let the customer hire that guy. If there's a problem with the work that that they see that's done, then contact me and I can actually have a conversation with a real person that's actually trying to help the customer and not just c create some crazy revenue-generated BS.
00:09:37
Baker Plbg
As usual, and those are my thoughts and
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
00:09:40
Baker Plbg
not yours. It's fabulous day, everybody. It's a beautiful Friday. It's gorgeous out there. Winter is coming. Prepare yourselves. Hope all is well.
00:09:48
Baker Plbg
I like most of you.