Realtors or homeowners asking for free work

[CopperTone]

$150.00 for the inspection and report back with price to fix all found to be wrong. Will credit $150.00 back towards the work if they agree to do all the work at the quoted price. Of course I add $150 to the estimate so the credit isn't really a credit. I am in business to make money.

90% of the time I never hear back from anyone to do the work. With that being said - I just got a call today to do the work for this same situation.

 

[jaylectricity]

Realtor: Can you give us an estimate on how much it will cost to fix some problems?
You: Yes, there is a $xxx.xx fee.
Realtor: You charge for an estimate? Most places give free estimates.
You: Well no, see...you're not asking for an estimate. You are asking me to troubleshoot. There is a fee for that. Once I determine what is wrong you will have the option of getting a free estimate for repairs.

 

[jaylectricity]

Also don't forget the "free estimate" fee.

 

[shepelec]

Realtor: Can you give us an estimate on how much it will cost to fix some problems?
You: Yes, there is a $xxx.xx fee.
Realtor: You charge for an estimate? Most places give free estimates.
You: Well no, see...you're not asking for an estimate. You are asking me to troubleshoot. There is a fee for that. Once I determine what is wrong you will have the option of getting a free estimate for repairs.

If I have to touch the tools it's a service call. I fell for that free trouble shooting only once. The guy writing everything down I said in a note book should have given it away.

 

[Sierrasparky]

Thanks for the replies.

 

[macmikeman]

Last several I did I charged $260.00 payable at time I arrive at the property. I tell the realtors to make sure the prospective buyer has the check ready to go or there will be no inspection or estimate. So its been one reject to the concept and over twenty who said no problem. About six led to massive work, and I know for sure about some of the others - the repairs were just negotiated as a price reduction and that was that. If you don't try for more, you won't get more. It takes me about an hour onsite to do this, so at that price it is probably a money looser, but the further work is priced accordingly with some more to cover the go out costs as well.

 

[aptman3]

I have run into similar situations with people asking me to inspect further than the home inspector. I usually ask them if they have anything specific in mind that they wanted me to look at. If not, I take a peek at the electric panel and if its been updated recently I tell them that there is nothing critical beyond the home owners inspection. I mean what else could there be? GFCI's for outlets near water and make sure it's a decent panel with proper grounding. But the inspectors will find that stuff. Anyways, people don't realize how much these stupid calls cost us. I try and sniff out if I am just 1 of several estimates to know where I should spend my time.

 

[LEO2854]

So I guess you never work T&M.

I Never do

 

[rt66electric]

We need a estimate to put breaker blank plates on.

We need a estimate to put breaker blank plates on.

I have once charged a $125 service call togive estimate for $125 to put on breaker slot blanks. I could have easily gone to the truck and completed the repairs in 5min but the buyers realtor insisted on getting estimates "only" . I never got paid nor a call back.

 

[Sierrasparky]

I have once charged a $125 service call togive estimate for $125 to put on breaker slot blanks. I could have easily gone to the truck and completed the repairs in 5min but the buyers realtor insisted on getting estimates "only" . I never got paid nor a call back.

Well you should have submitted a bill to escrow or something. I would not have let that money go away.

As far a corrective work Most of the time unless the seller is hireing you you cannot do any work on the house.

 

[kwired]

The guy writing everything down I said in a note book should have given it away.

So talk about things that do not apply to installation

What I would like to do is just get a minimum fee for this without creating friction with the realtors.

If you are the one that owes the realtor or lender any fee they make sure they get it. They probably even charge the buyer/seller for your "free" service. These poor people work very hard for every dollar they earn

 

[mtfallsmikey]

Here's a great New Year's resolution for all of you EC's...

In 2011, keep track of all time involved with giving estimates, advice, consulting, or hand-holding that you are currently doing for free, and see exactly how much $$ you are screwing yourselves out of over a year's time...

 

[Sierrasparky]

Here's a great New Year's resolution for all of you EC's...

In 2011, keep track of all time involved with giving estimates, advice, consulting, or hand-holding that you are currently doing for free, and see exactly how much $$ you are screwing yourselves out of over a year's time...

It will boggle the mind

 

[macmikeman]

Here's a great New Year's resolution for all of you EC's...

In 2011, keep track of all time involved with giving estimates, advice, consulting, or hand-holding that you are currently doing for free, and see exactly how much $$ you are screwing yourselves out of over a year's time...

Just do it for the first quarter, and then extrapolate. Start correcting the situation May 1 and maybe you will start to show some profit next year...

 

[ty]

I used to fall for this scam. If a realtor calls, $150.00 to come out and provide an estimate. No exceptions.

Same here, we charge for this service.

 

[dmagyar]

With realtors money stays with them

With realtors money stays with them

On this same situation I spent time looking at a house being purchased and to look into what the very basic home inspection reported. When I opened up the Main panel, I saw individual feeders leaving through a knock out in the top of the panel, those were feeding sub panel through the attic with separate feeder cables laying across the studs, no protection, nothing. Many other problems of lesser degree throughout the home.

End result, spent the time, provided the estimate, home seller did the fixes or said they were going to. Buyer purchased the home for $10,000 under asking. I'm sure the unprotected feeder cables are still up in the attic.

I noticed a sticker from a previous EC inside the panel. It gave me a little gut check that when you do work for someone, place a sticker inside the panel. Then down the line they have some "expert" do some illegal work for them, you end up with the blame or at least someone thinking maybe you did it.

In conclusion those are calls that I pass on. The work has been indicated to the home buyer as very minor by the realtor and neither the buyer or seller don't even want to pay that. Most inspection aren't detailed enough to provide a full picture of the electrical system of a house.

 

[renosteinke]

For all the expertise and experience I see at these electrical sites, very few of you partake in the 'home inspection' sites. That's to your own loss.

HI's are nowhere near as knowledgeable as they would like to believe, and -make no mistake about it- you're going to be confronting their ignorance when you are involved in real estate actions.

Note that HI's don't inspect for free. Indeed, when it comes to electrical work, their saying anything beyond 'that looks ugly' can easily cross the line into 'electrical work.' When it comes to 'electrical work,' it's the EC who has the license- not the HI. It doesn't matter how many seminars the HI has attended, books he has read, or tests he has passed.

With that in mind, nobody in a real estate deal has any interest in actually getting something fixed; they just want some bargaining leverage. The 'terrible deficiencies' are completely forgotten once the deal is closed. So, get your money NOW - don't speculate on tomorrow.

As for the customer taking notes and trying to do it himself ... well, that's nothing new. I wish them the best of luck- there's a reason they call this a 'skilled trade.'

 

[Sierrasparky]

So true...

 

[jxofaltrds]

For all the expertise and experience I see at these electrical sites, very few of you partake in the 'home inspection' sites. That's to your own loss.

HI's are nowhere near as knowledgeable as they would like to believe, and -make no mistake about it- you're going to be confronting their ignorance when you are involved in real estate actions.

Note that HI's don't inspect for free. Indeed, when it comes to electrical work, their saying anything beyond 'that looks ugly' can easily cross the line into 'electrical work.' When it comes to 'electrical work,' it's the EC who has the license- not the HI. It doesn't matter how many seminars the HI has attended, books he has read, or tests he has passed.

With that in mind, nobody in a real estate deal has any interest in actually getting something fixed; they just want some bargaining leverage. The 'terrible deficiencies' are completely forgotten once the deal is closed. So, get your money NOW - don't speculate on tomorrow.

As for the customer taking notes and trying to do it himself ... well, that's nothing new. I wish them the best of luck- there's a reason they call this a 'skilled trade.'

So true...

I agree. Better write it down that I agree.

 

[electricguy61]

I too am now charging a $150 service call for the written quote on these jobs. I got stung twice (I'm a little slow or perhaps too trusting), but not again.