Ethical considerations, such as conflicts of interest, are something I take very seriously.
A Message from Rich Beasley, owner of U.P. Home Inspection LLC. —
I got into the home inspection business because I love helping people, and we at U.P. Home Inspection LLC. are proud to go above and beyond for our clients consistently.
But there’s one situation where you will hear me say “no” time and time again. That’s when my home inspection clients ask me to help complete necessary repairs.
Why I Don’t Accept Bids for Home Repair Work
I don’t say “no” because I’m not competent in home repair or because I don’t want the extra business. I grew up in construction and could easily do and/or supervise home repair and renovation jobs.
I turn these requests down because they are conflicts of interest. It’s against my code of ethics to accept these jobs.
Conflicts of interest are not always obvious. You may be wondering, “how can something as simple as completing repairs on a home you inspected be unethical?”
Well, here’s the straight talk—I don’t ever want to do something in my business that damages my hard-earned credibility and trust. And when a home inspector offers services like repairs, radon abatement, or renovations, there’s plenty of room for them to exploit their clients. I have made it my policy to avoid anything like this that might create conflicts of interest.
Examples of Conflicts of Interest in the Home Inspection Industry:
Do you know how easy it would be for an unethical home inspector to manipulate mold or radon test results then try to sell you abatement services? Or exaggerate water damage and then offer their drywall services? You can see where this is going…and it’s not good.
I like to think most folks in this industry are operating with integrity and honesty, and understand that people need to make a living. But in my mind, and for my business, the choice is clear: I’ve chosen to avoid that ethical gray area altogether and focus on being the best home inspector I can be.
Here’s What I Can Do to Help You if You Need Home Repairs:
If you do end up needing repairs after your inspection, I am happy to refer some excellent local tradespeople who can help you out. But I always suggest home buyers shop around and get multiple quotes before pulling the trigger on any costly project.
Ultimately, as a home inspector, I work for YOU—the client. Not the seller or the real estate agency (or anyone else for that matter). To keep our relationship above board and transparent, I feel that it’s my duty to focus on what I was hired to do—inspect the property to the utmost standards.
Standards like those set by InterNACHI. This code of ethics is designed to avoid conflicts of interest, and it states that certified inspectors must follow this code or be stripped of their qualifications.
Got Questions About Conflicts of Interest in Home Inspection?
If you’d like to learn more about my InterNACHI certification and what that means for the standard of quality I provide in my inspections, please click HERE.
If you have any questions about conflicts of interest in the home inspection process or my InterNACHI certification, please feel free to reach out at (906) 360-3879 with any questions today!
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