Re-Inspection Fees

[jar546]

How about some feedback on reinspection fees please. This has been a hot topic in the past but a realistic topic, for both municipal inspectors who are employees and for third party contract inspectors.

Here is my take:

1 free re-inspection for a "job" or permit.

Try to schedule the reinspection when returning for other scheduled inspections. (do the electrical reinspection when you come back for mechanical for example)

Be careful what you charge

 

[globe trekker]

Re: Re-Inspection Fees

Jeff,

What we have done is to go out on the first inspection and document what is there.

When we go back for a follow up inspection. If there are deficiencies that were not

corrected from the first inspection, we then charge them $25.00 and $25.00 per

inspection thereafter. This applies to Residential, Commercial, Rentals and others.

Some jurisdictions near here charge up to $50.00 for theirs. Some use a

graduated monetary application ( i.e. - $50.00 for the 1st, $35.00 for the 2nd,

$25.00 for the 3rd, etc. Conversely, some go the other way and charge $25.00

for the 1st, $50.00 for the 2nd and thereafter. ). It all depends on what amounts

your elected officials want to adopt and actually charge.

.

 

[Mule]

Re: Re-Inspection Fees

1st trip out Red Tag

2nd trip out no cost to reinspect however if items on the original Red Tag were not corrected...$45

Now if we are doing what we call a framing inspection.....framing, plumbing top-out, mechanical duct/unit, and electrical rough in, and we write up say framing and electrical and each trade does not correct all the items on the original Red Tag, each contractor pays a reinspection fee. In this case $45 for the framing and $45 for the electrician. All four of them......$180

 

[fatboy]

Re: Re-Inspection Fees

1st reinspect is free, unless blatantly not ready, then $47.50. 2nd and thereafter $47.50. And that's per inspector, on some larger projects that cover a lot of rooms or areas, we might hit with 2-3 inspectors, so it could get expensive. But, it's happened, usually not twice with the same contractor. :mrgreen:

 

Re: Re-Inspection Fees

Our fee is $110.00 every time. We call it a re-inspection fee but it is really a fine for bad behavior. So when do I levy the fine? I depends on the situation. Hardly ever with a homeowner {city hall and all of that}. Contractors that abuse the system get it frequently. Two days ago I showed up for a footing inspection on a large site and there was nobody there to meet me. I called the contact # on the request slip and the workman that answered the phone told me he wasn't on the site. I asked him why he stood me up and he replied that he didn't call the office in time to find out when I would be there so he decided not to wait around all day. It was 10:00 AM. He wanted to know when I would be coming again and I told him that he could reschedule an inspection as soon as he paid a re-inspection fee.

Today I was stood up on a storage rack inspection. Small warehouse and locked up tight. Too many contractors just call for inspection without coordinating with their customer. I have had them say "Well don't I get one free one". They figure that the customer will find a notice that I was there and then call and talk to me. They don't care if they waste my time and I don't care either as long as they pay the fine.

A mechanical contractor that does primarily wall furnaces never leaves me a ladder so I always leave him a re-inspection fee. I wrote the same contractor a correction to remove the carpet directly below the furnace so many times that I started collecting the fee every time I had to write the correction. He told me that doesn't remove the carpet because I am the only inspector that has ever required it and he wants me to be the one to tell the homeowner. Ok by me, pay the fee.

The stories go on and on. Maybe I'll write more later but now it is time to get an ice-cream cone.

 

[pyrguy]

Re: Re-Inspection Fees

We were doing $50, 100, 200, and thereafter.

One contractor paid $750.00 for t-pole re-inspections. Showed the superintendent 2 or 3 time what was wrong as the electrician never was in site. Still took too many inspections.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Re: Re-Inspection Fees

I'm retired now; but, I feel that progressively higher re-inspection fees are a good thing. Too many builder's supervisors call for inspections without being notified by the contractors that the work is complete and ready for inspection. This was one of my sore spots. They would use the inspector to put a fire under the contractor; and to provide a punch list for them. We charged the same for a framing inspection (frame, electric, mechanical, plumbing) that we charged for a T-Pole; treated it as one inspection. All first inspections were included in the permit fee.

I loved my job and had a great boss; but, of course did not agree with everything.

Uncle Bob

 

[RJJ]

Re: Re-Inspection Fees

I had to actually check my fee schedule because it has been so long since I turned in a re inspection fee bill.

Permits fee covers first inspection and one re inspection for any given part of a project. Plumbing, HVAC, Frame etc. It also covers one return trip to correct issues turned down. If a third inspection is required a 125.00 fee is charged for each additional inspection. Needless to say I have very few third trips! :lol:

Hit them in the pocket book! This they understand!

 

[fatboy]

Re: Re-Inspection Fees

More than the pocketbook, it's the fact that we won't do ANY inspections untill the reinspection fee is paid. Job grinds to a halt, tends to get their attention. That's REALLY hitting them in the pocketbook!

 

[Alias]

Re: Re-Inspection Fees

Reinspection fee here is $50.00 if I arrive and find that the corrections that were noted aren't finished and I have to come back. I've only had to use this a few times so far, mostly with one owner who is a 'good ol' boy'.

Sue

 

[Daddy-0-]

Re: Re-Inspection Fees

Here it is $57.00 which can be doubled if they fail multiple times for the same thing. We can also cancel the inspection with no fee if we want to be nice with a homeowner who is having trouble. It gets fun when you have a #4 electrical final, a #3 mechanical final, a #4 plumbing final, and a #4 framing all at once. That gets expensive fast.