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Current Field Inspections

The field inspection industry has been going on for over 30 years, but everything has changed in the last decade due to the Internet.  In the past there were fewer companies with larger territories and all work was done using telephones and classified ads.  Now the number of companies has exploded and banks and insurers have a bigger choice which drives field inspection prices down even lower.  The smart people do inspections for awhile, and realize they can start their own company and get others to do all the footwork while they collect the money from the banks.  In the past year (2008), most of the growth in field inspections is from foreclosures.  The foreclosure inspection is either a drive-by inspection where you photograph the exterior condition of the property, or an interior inspection where you photograph the interior surfaces for needed repair.  A related service is property preservation where you board windows, remove debris, and perform maintenance, although some preservation services can require contractor or trade licenses and insurance.  The field inspection industry has nothing to do with the home inspection industry, yet with the foreclosure situation they are in a perceived conflict with each other.  The idea of a foreclosure inspection where you just take a few photos and fill out a form (less than a half hour) could be confusing to a home inspector who adheres to a society's standards (taking several hours).  Yet, if you really understand and can accept that a field inspection has nothing to do with a home inspection, you could make some great money doing it and other types of field inspections.