Are some professional Oregon home inspectors getting kick backs from the sump pump installers? I do not have any evidence that they are.
But, curious is the degree to which many of our Oregon home inspectors are, from my experience watching them operate, in love with… sump pump installations.
Many of the home inspectors I am familiar with in the Portland, Oregon area, that fit this modus operandi seem like they are quite cavalier about openly attempting to influence the acceptance of one particular home drainage method over another, during a stressful time for sellers and buyers.
In this case, the subject is always sump pumps, advanced by professional opinion, or simply suggested by the contractor, as the only acceptable groundwater solution to groundwater problems in the crawl space.
This all happens during the last few days of the escrow time, concluding the sale of the home.
Even more curious to me is the fact that, time after time, home inspectors say that the prospective home buyers should contact a professional home drainage contractor, while still attempting to weigh in as a home drainage authority themselves, suggesting home drainage solutions, that their buddies just happen to install.
The home inspectors are not so stupid as to recommend them. They just do the dumb guy act and say that sump pump installation, or this or that, perhaps….. is blah blah.
Home inspectors seldom will shut up and quit talking after they admit they are not a professional home drainage contractor.
They will continue to recommend and postulate, within their home inspection report, about home drainage, and what they think is needed to solve the problem they say exists in the crawl space or basement. And you guessed it, most always a statement saying that they recommend this or that, or grading in the crawl space, or a sump pump.
This garbage is what follows the home inspectors recommendation to contact a home drainage contractor for an evaluation. It is called “the last word on the subject”.
Note, they admit the home needs professional home drainage evaluation, and that they are just blowing smoke up everyones posterior. So why does anyone pay any attention to home inspectors trying to influence the drainage work bid anyway?
Because the recommendation comes during a crisis situation, where home buyers and sellers are both in crisis, emotionally stressed to the max, trying to close escrow on a property they need to own, in order to go on.
Everyones judgement is clouded during these stressful times, and these types of home inspectors and sump pump guys know it.
Many of you readers are nodding your heads right now, because you know I have seen it, just like you have.
The combination of the sump pump contractor and the home inspector, both recommending the same thing, often will tilt the scale in favor of the acceptance of the sump pump method over any other method, nearly every time.
That is why they do it. It is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to them over a lifetime of scamming sump pump installations.
Due to the homeowners buying into their “guarantee”, many of these homeowners just throw good money after bad, sometimes over and over installing more than one worthless sump pump system of some sort.
Most of these guys basically cannot be sued for anything. They may be deceptive, but their contracts seldom say things that pin them down. If they even use a well written contract at all.
Every homeowner I ever have spoken to about their failed sump pump system, said that they got a guarantee with the installation. When I ask them what it covered, and under what conditions, and with what limitations, and…. They most often just say nothing more about it, and my perception of the mood change, means that I should stop asking about it, and that the homeowners would simply not like to talk about it anymore, but to say that they were not able to get any money back from the sump pump company, or get the Oregon contractor builders board to rule on their side in the end. Nothing could be done in arbitration and mediation to bring the parties together to solve the dispute over the guarantee, and the lack of specific teeth in the supposed guarantee, made it the homeowners loss, for lack of their own due diligence I guess. Sad but true, often.
Home inspectors and sump pump installers have shined a spot light on themselves, by virtue of their own decisions, actions, perceived motivations, and the way they treat the public in general.
I have watched home inspectors and sump pump installers mix well, over a 4 decade period in Oregon alone, while serving as a professional real estate commercial-investment and residential broker, and brokerage owner, as well as a licensed, bonded, and insured home drainage contractor in Oregon.
I watch these characters pulling off the same scam over and over, year after year.
“Sump pumps for everyone, whether they need them or not.” This seems to be the overall business plan between the home inspectors involved in this activity, and the sump pump installers. Nice work for them at thousands of dollars per pop. Sell. Sell.
These guys are messing with everyone, and no one is standing up to them with logic.
I know what homeowners tell me over and over about their experiences with groundwater following the sump pump guy and his “guarantee”. They are pissed.
What makes me believe these home inspectors, used in this example, are dirty from a professional standpoint at the very least, comes directly from their own statements, albeit untimely, rude, and unsolicited.
My opinion of them with respect to this issue, comes from viewing their actions and priorities, as well as their failed numerous sump pump systems everywhere in the Portland, Oregon metro area.
These failed systems are installed in just about every way wrong possible. I is amazing the collective stupidity in the existing sump pump installations existing all over town.
I remove these failed systems, at my suggestion, as well as the homeowners request, prior to the installation of hand excavated french drains to collect the groundwater on the outside of the foundation walls first.
Those types of contractors, or individuals posing as one, most often just add to the scope of the home drainage problem, and do not solve it, or reduce the groundwater flow below grade, as a result of their sump pump installation.
Most sump pump installations, that I find and remove, are an encumbrance to the property and not a capital improvement.
The pissed off homeowners that I am handed, as a result of this abuse, have been ripped off by sump pump installers more often than any other complaint I hear, probably at least 10 times over.
I hear 10 times more complaints about sump pumps than any other complaint having to do with home drainage. Year after year.
That is the reason for this article. They fool you guys. They don’t fool any professional home drainage contractors.
Sump pump installers, many of whom I have unfortunately met, shoot their mouths off about “guarantees”, that are absolutely worthless.
Some of these guys really are on a roll, and feel pretty rich and bullet proof, figuratively that is, and do not respond to the needs of the homeowners. They are like the liner car salesmen at a system car store, where every customer must not leave the store without buying a car.
If you think you are going to lose the customer, because he is getting tired of your s..t, then the customer gets turned to another sales person to start the process all over again, to wear down the car buyer to exhaustion if possible.
If you think this is not the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, go hire a sump pump contractor guy yourself, and disprove me. Happy trails.
The groundwater will never stop entering your crawl space after he is finished with you. You are going to be one sad homeowner, after having blown that cash, and you still have a wife that wishes you would have installed the hand excavated french drains that some other contractor proposed.
Didn’t you remember? The guy was referred too. Oh you blew it big time alright pal. Oh well. The wife says, love you honey, and “the beat, or beating in this case, goes on”.
Nothing will change, and the crawl space will just get pumped out partially, while the depth of the groundwater in the crawl space will drop a bit perhaps, or go away between rains only.
My original study of this home inspector, sump pump, sump pump contractor love triangle began years ago, while I was cutting my teeth in the home drainage business, and still owned a commercial-investment real estate brokerage.
When I first suspected, many years ago, that the frequency of home inspectors making un-solicited, unprofessional home drainage remarks and/or recommendations in their home inspection reports, was not by accident, I was not aware that it was a far deeper and more seriously complicated issue, that would affect my business, and Oregon home values and Oregon homeowners health as well.
It was discovered to be a far more serious than had been previously thought problem.
A problem of deception and greed, fleshed out by example, only in the last few years actually.
Early on, I have wanted to follow home inspectors and sump pump installers around with a camera and mic. 24-7. I still think it is a great topic for some bright investigative reporting writer, for some major tv show? Call me John Stossel.
There is an important story to be told here, ladies and gentlemen. It is not just an Oregon story. It is a world wide story.
The numbers of home inspectors that are involved in this game would be anyones guess. I believe the number to be hundreds in Oregon alone, and probably in the same percentages around the U.S. as well, given the remarks that come from homeowners from both coasts and the islands too.
I think it is part of a now little spoken tradition, made legal in the average home inspectors eyes probably. Many home inspectors are just happy with the opportunity to rake in some more cash.
The gratuity referral system is quite normal and standard in everything from a to z in the sales world, everywhere. Except this is one example of how absolute power corrupts absolutely.
This referral ethic, and mutual admiration society, between the home inspectors and the sump pump installers, has proven so massively profitable to them that they now would fight to the death for it, I now suspect.
The standard was probably established a very long time ago, and handed down from one inspector, and generation to the next for over 50 years, as everyones memory of groundwater removal methods from the old country went forgotten as ancient technology. Everyone now says: what’s a french drain? I heard about a sump pump though, that must be the right choice. It’s only money.
Old world systems got disrespected, and were replaced, with the better, new type of system, run by power. OOOh Power.. I can just hear Homer Simpson saying that line, which seems appropriate in some ways given the sad sick humor in watching homeowners shoot themselves in the foot, installing sump pumps to prevent groundwater entry.
Or home inspectors are simply out of constructive input, and default to what they have heard everyone else writing in their home inspection reports. Stuff like “adjust the low point drain, install a sump pump”, blah blah. Bingo, it’s the fact. It is the, just established, need for a sump pump or crawl space system to be installed.
This “fact”, now needs to be disproved by anyone coming behind it, instead of the remark being treated as an allegation, that additionally needs to be supported with evidence to become a valid charge, and additionally proved, before it becomes fact.
My personal evidence, not here-say, that I have observed, watching home inspectors practice over approximately 40 years, as they write words in home inspection reports that include sump pump referrals, directly by name, make my conclusions very true to me.
In over 25 years, previously as an Oregon licensed real estate broker alone; I started in my 20’s in Oregon, it never came to my attention that the additional language that home inspectors added about home drainage was there for a reason that paid off for the home inspector in dollars, as well as in mega bucks for the sump pump contractor.
That is, until I started losing jobs to this bull, as a home drainage contractor.
Oh sure, it costs me money. I am pissed too.
I’m sure you had that vibe right away when I started discussing it, but I wind up coming behind these clowns work over and over, and have to deal with their emotionally damaged homeowner victims, who at that time resemble dogs that were beat too much.
They stare and shrink a bit, every fearful that you could be one of them too. Really.
You would be unhappy too. Too often this business borders on therapy as well as home drainage solutions.
Some of these folks just need a hug and someone to listen first.
Just listening basically, and then trying to help if you can.
Real home drainage contractors laugh their butts off reading home inspection reports and goofing on home inspectors and the stuff they write.
Who knew home inspectors were actually self, and pump promoting devices, used to sway the minds of homeowners and buyers, during a real estate transaction.
A home inspector in Oregon, that I know to be honest, tells me he is sad to say his industry, is in fact influenced by sump pump installers and their pitches.
He tells me many Oregon home inspectors just figure it is money on the side, and that homeowners want sump pumps anyway. They have no problem with doing it at all.
A referral fee is not against the law that I know of. Even though in this case, it is a conflict of interest and a fraud, in my opinion.
Like many good old boy industries, this honest home inspector friend that I know, who made the above statements, would not go on record for this article, as his own organization would surely have something unpleasant to say to him about his attitude, and his diminished future respect with the association, or something else like that to get his attention.
In the end, if his Oregon home inspection peers wanted to spank him, they would.
Two home inspectors that I have met personally in Oregon exemplify the need for discussion of this problem. Other home drainage contractors tell me the same as well of many Oregon home inspectors that they have met and have become aware of, doing the same thing.
Home drainage information of quality is little to none in the public domain, and the home drainage information that is out there is often distorted, not factual, manipulated, and controled by the sump pump business and their agents.
These joint efforts are orchestrated underground and behind closed doors, against home buyers and home sellers.
These home inspectors and drainage contractors, doing mainly sump pump installations, are referring work both ways, while postulating on the abilities and strengths of each other, and touting the other persons system or reputation.
The intention of both parties is to elevate the other party to a higher standard in the eyes of the home sellers and buyers that need to choose a home drainage contractor to solve their groundwater problems, and to be the first one to do it, making everyone else the new concept that needs to be defended.
Just good ol boy stuff that happens everywhere, at every level in the construction world, as well as in America specifically. Kick backs are part of our lives, whether we like it or not.
From congress to the streets, they are common place.
The consistent, always present, burning theme and practice of many home inspectors in Oregon seems to be to share the word to the public about what they know about home drainage, while writing a home inspection report about just how cool and effective sump pumps really are, and that they “may”, be needed at that property.
They spin stories of underground rivers and springs, and attempt to influence public opinion on dry wells, saying they don’t work, as well.
An actual fact that I discovered recently through a weird, late night conversation with a home inspector, is that he had also invited one of his favorite sump pump contractor buddies to speak at the 2009 Oregon Home Inspectors Association gathering. You know, throw the dog a bone.
This would not in itself be need for further observation and criticism by me of the home inspectors intentions, but combined with the fact that very little home drainage engineering or science was discussed, at the state convention no less, as a result of this theatrical display, his motivations are now in question as a result of what I will share with you now.
A good part of the 2009 Oregon home inspectors convention was a sump pump business info commercial, I am told by another licensed home inspector who attended.
I am told by the home inspector that was in attendance, that it was just another sump pump stump speech, talking nonsense about home drainage.
Many home inspectors are totally up to speed with home drainage. Many call me and refer me. I am talking about the ones that should be discovered for their intentions, asking yourself, why would they do this.
Lots of home drainage professionals and real estate professionals are hip to the intentions of home inspectors and sump pump installers, and how they work together.
We are sad to see they fool homeowners. They do not fool us.
Statements from this particular sump pump installer I refer to here-in, working in the Portland area, were thrown out to the Oregon home inspector association crowd in 2009, as home drainage facts, when in fact, the many home inspectors that knew the difference could easily see the room divide off between those that support the game, and those who did not. He said it was a very interesting display of good old boy power.
Many home inspectors questioned this sump pump contractors statements about things like, “dry wells don’t work”, and other stupid statements.
These guys have crossed the line of mis-information and decided to specialize in just being liars, instead of just a bunch of scoundrels.
They come on to informed home drainage professionals as crooks that resemble a wild west fake preacher, in front of a room full of wealthy widows and orphans, trying to get them to buy into the new proposed wealth builder project. Perhaps that new railroad, coming in a few years, that will need some advance cash and some blue chip stock investors right now. Right?
This example, and other examples not shared with you at this time, all show me there is a money trail between many sump pump guys and the home inspectors. They just work too hard for each other.
The plot is so easy to discover once you suspect it exists.
They don’t just refer work back and forth, they attempt to influence the placement of it with lies.
Many home inspectors function actually as part of the sump pumpers business, in many respects, in my opinion, due to their actions and motivations, and perhaps beliefs, even if in ignorance, because many of them benefit from placing work monetarily with their sump pump buddies.
The home inspectors playing this unethical game earn their referral fees by providing the sump pump contractor with a copy of the inspection report that indicates, in the home inspectors opinion, which should not be in there at all, that the homes crawl space or basement may perhaps require the installation of a sump pump, or any one of the many other b.s. attachments that could be added to it by his buddy.
The sump pump guy is always called out first, by the home inspector himself.
That secures his referral fee too.
The home inspection report is usually handed to the sump pump friend right away, so he is the first one out to the home to postulate the need for a sump pump installation, and attempt to set precedent, of which groundwater removal system should be installed.
That puts him in total control, for the moment.
The evidence of a mutual admiration society in itself, like that which exists between home inspectors and sump pump installers, is not direct evidence of, or an indictment of anyone at all, even if these home inspectors practices, by themselves, or simply their intentions, could be determined by a blind man in a snow storm.
That is not the basis for my opinion on this matter however.
I have watched Oregon home inspectors inject themselves into a position of authority, during a real estate transaction, through their language and recommendations, written in their home inspection report, too many times to remember.
I have observed this hundreds of times over the past 35 years, since I first started in professional real estate activity in Oregon in the 70’s.
I should have been talking about this problem decades ago.
The words in the home inspection report, such as, “adjust the low point drain”, “install a sump pump or crawl space drainage system”, “grade the crawl space”, come up on almost every one of the Oregon home inspection reports that indicates there is groundwater in the crawl space or basement, and also contains a recommendation to contact a home drainage professional as well.
Other articles on this site explain how home inspectors work with lenders to plan the late disclosure of home drainage problems in order to further their buddies chances of a sump pump installation, as it pertains to the home inspector, and control the buyers better, as it pertains to the banks and home lenders, who order the reports and communicate with the home inspectors. Actually paying for the report and becoming the home inspectors customer, instead of the home buyers becoming a customer of the home inspector directly by ordering the report ahead of time themselves. Explanations abound in previous articles on this site.
The sump pump guy has always been there first. Every time. That might tip the not so aware off, right away.
The home owners have been told that their home inspection person would be happy to send a professional home drainage contractor, his sump pump contractor buddy, by to look at the homes drainage problems. Would that be o.k.
Duh. Like it’s not going to be o.k. Slam dunk.
First point in the match automatically goes to the sump pump guy, as he is the one that can do what the inspector wants him to do as well, right out of the gate. Wow. What luck. Hum. Install a sump pump.
The home inspectors report always makes the recommendation for the home sellers and buyers to contact a home drainage professional, but it does not stop there.
If the home inspector can arrange for his sump pump contractor to be marched through the home first, planting mis-information in the minds of sellers and buyers, that every other qualified home drainage contractor will be forced to compare their installations with, and explain why their system is better than, etc. the first battle of the drainage mis-information war is won, in favor of the sump pump guy, who if found hiding behind the curtains in the room with you and the homeowner, would be laughing his ass off.
This is a very old political trick.
The stage is set. The home inspector gets the house warmed up, and in comes the sump pump guy to validate everything he just said about needing a sump pimp, oops, I meant pump. Sorry. lol Well, no, I’m not sorry actually. So hate me if you must.
The home inspector postulates, and then he brings in his friend the sump pump guy, when he is not present, who backs up what the home inspector has told everyone in his report.
A sump pump or interior crawl space french drain is required perhaps, according to the “sump pimp” guy.
I have read home inspection reports shown to me by homeowners, and after inspecting the home myself, I have told the homeowners that there was no drainage problem at all. This was all after they received a sump pump proposal from the sump pump guy, who had just bid a job valued at around $8,000.
A near perfect crime of ignorance and deception, perpetrated on so many smart homeowners, it would amaze you.
This is not going to just change overnight folks. It will take everyone talking about it, and finally people with legal abilities legislating over the top of.
Do not listen to what home inspectors say about home drainage.
Whether the sump pump guys business buddy, the home inspector, speaks out first and attempts to establish a standard or not, your preparation for his theatrics will be sufficient to end the whole thing, should it occur, with an early curtain call.
When he sees you are not falling hard for his stories of underground rivers and springs under the home, he will go on to easier pickings.
Just keep asking your questions. You are in control. Read articles on this site that teach you how to interview contractors and stay in control of the truth of their intentions and abilities, as well as always research their referral base well.
I will discuss with you now, the motivations for my criticism of certain home inspection practices in Oregon, that are apparently not only tolerated by the industry, but have become the basis upon which homeowners are systematically lied.
This happens everywhere around the state of Oregon, and probably elsewhere as well around the world.
Many homeowners health and finances have been compromised by sump pump guys working with home inspectors in this manner.
Criminal, or just good old boy business as usual, yo to quit. They are counting on homeowners home drainage ignorance and vulnerability to keep this scam alive.
A former president of the Oregon Homeowners Association, who I been previously introduced to, called me one night, about 2 months ago, around 9 pm, stepping in on a discussion that I had been having with a prospective customer, engineer, earlier in the evening.
It was later in the evening than I would normally even have picked up or looked at the office phone, but something made me pick it up.
The engineer, prospective customer homeowner, I am told, asked the home inspector to call me, because the sump pump guy who had previously bid the job was the home inspectors friends and no doubt the source of some cash too, as it turned out.
The home inspector was at least a good enough to work until 9 at night for I guess. He was interested in putting me on the defensive and as he told me his engineer friend had really asked him to call me, about the sump pump, a bell again went off, and I just let the dude ramble on, filing in lots of blanks for me, some of which I have already shared with you in this article above.
I still did not understand why this home inspector had been shoved out front to talk to me about home drainage, at 9 pm by my prospective home drainage customer, the engineer, who by the way, should not have needed the opinion of the home inspector, or to have him call me about a job that he was not going to hire me for anyway. Nothing made sense from what they said their motivation were. Strange but true, at 9 pm no less.
The call to me, unsolicited on my part, was almost at bedtime, and consisted of over an hour of questions, on the part of this condescending, pumped up home inspector, who touted his experience with home drainage, trying to invalidate my proposal and get me to justify, or explain to him, something that was none of his business in the first place.
I finally tired of being the nice guy and told him that when he had a world wide page rank on google, yahoo, and bing, on the subject of home drainage with hand excavated french drains, then he could talk home drainage, and I was done with him.
Why this dude thought he would be able to intellectually bully me is beyond me. They guys are punks.
I think some home inspectors, like some of the ones I know, are guys that are getting money for driving business to the sump pump installers, and are part of a long standing public home drainage and groundwater mis-information campaign about home drainage, designed and practiced to get sump pump referrals to their buddies installing them, and money back in the hands of the home inspectors.
Now I understood exactly what was motivating the home inspector to work a little harder at 9pm on a friday night.
The homeowner engineer really had not made up his mind yet, and was on the fence, still asking questions about both proposals, when the sump pump guy recognized this from his call back to the homeowners, and thought a referral back to the home inspector would inject validity into his claims, and stature back into his postulations.
Things were starting to make sense.
The home inspector wanted me to attempt to get me to re-sell my proposal to him, as made to the engineer.
He was sleep walking I guess. This guy is not playing with a full deck. Why was he calling me? Did he think everyone just was hatched out yesterday, and had not even fluffy out their feathers yet?
After seeing the effort this particular, self professed, former president of the Oregon home inspectors association home put in, late night, trying to get the deal away from my drainage company, and land it with the sump pump guy, his buddy no doubt, which he eventually accomplished, I am now quite convinced that these guys are in financial bed together. Game, set, match. I’m done with there bullshit.
And they may have bitten off more than they can chew, in the end, messing with Oregon homeowners like they do.
I suspect that much of the home inspection industry is run that way, from the regularity with which I am confronted by this subject, and how often I watch home inspectors attempt to influence the opinions of both home buyers and sellers during a real estate transaction, when most sump pumps are installed.
If this is not true, why don’t home inspectors do the professional thing, like they are paid to do, and shut up about what they know little to nothing about. Simple.
Another very interesting aspect that perked not only my ire, but my desire, to express my opinion to the public on this subject, was the fact that the home inspector that I have used in this example, also was referred to me 12 months previously, by a top realtor friend in the area.
I had been introduced to this inspector by the realtor professional, and the home inspector complimented on my hand excavated french drain work.
Same Oregon home inspector, who at the time of the late night call to me, we are discussing, did not remember who I even was.
Funny stuff, these inspector types. More like the “Pink Panther” than anything else.
The home inspector had indicated, when I met him, that he was interested in sharing referrals, and asked me for cards, but since I did not offer a payment of any sort, I never do, or bring it up at all, the discussion soon turned off, and he could not find his cards at that time.
When the same home inspector called me late night, less than a year later, he had already forgotten who I was, or where he had previously met me, when reminded, since I had told him that he had previously met me.
He said, at the time, he was out of cards, while he was actually mowing the lawn at the home where I was installing hand excavated french drain groundwater removal systems for his realtor friend, in order for all of them to get paid and close the transaction, after my groundwater solution was completely installed and inspected.
Question everything that a home inspector or sump pump installer says about home drainage, and watch as every home inspection report that indicates a problem with drainage at the home in escrow will also contain an un-solicited recommendation from the home inspector, attempting to influence public understanding.
Home inspectors spout junk about grading the crawl space, adjusting the low point drain, or installing an interior or exterior sump pump system, or french drain system, with a sump pump in the crawl space, or one installed against the exterior foundation wall, even prior to any home drainage professional looking at the problem.
Home inspectors invite further investigation of their businesses and their practices.
Hand excavated french drains predate sump pumps, or the idiots that install them almost exclusively, and constantly, in lieu of collecting the groundwater prior to it saturating the outside of the foundation, by thousands of years that we know of.
The reason home inspectors act like they know diddley about home drainage is because they are trying to set the bar and posture themselves as the expert.
This is done naturally so the sump pump installer can attempt to make everyone else the new concept when they come along.
After all, both the home inspector and the sump pump installer have said the same thing needs to be done. Not some old dumb expensive, nasty, not in the budget, french drain.
Especially not one installed by one of the best contractors at it, as they perceive this would be much more expensive for them. Often not the case at all.
Home sellers know professional groundwater removal is not cheap. They think sump pumps are cheaper, which often they are not.
Home sellers think a sump pump installation will not solve the drainage problem, but it will get the home sold and closed anyway, if the buyers accept the terms.
Those of you with no experience reading home inspection reports will not see this as a problem, and perhaps already question my intentions.
Many home inspectors writing in their two cents on something that they could easily keep there mouths shut about, all indicates to me that there is an ongoing fiduciary problem here, and potentially a legal problem for them as well, if they are ever caught.
Question every thing home inspectors and sump pump contractors say about home drainage. They know little to nothing about professional home drainage installations.
These guys are in bed with the sump pump guys, who out number real professional home drainage contractors specializing in hand excavated french drains by 10 to 1.
The professional home drainage contractor who wants to solve the groundwater problem, by installing hand excavated french drains, is not the new suggestion, even if the home inspector got to the homeowners first, and opened his mouth first, when he wrote the home inspection report, about how a sump pump should be installed, or how some other unsolicited non professional recommendation should be recognized as needed.
Just because he got in the first word does not make him even remotely correct. He is part of the scam too, in many, many, cases.
A professional home drainage contractor that is licensed, bonded and insured is the first and only professional recommendation anyone should pay any attention to.
Avoid companies that specialize in sump pump installation. Call them and ask the question. If yes, say thanks, and be the wiser and richer for it.
Everything that a home inspector says about drainage is subject to inspection of a home drainage professional anyway. Don’t pay any attention to their postulations on home drainage.
The whole trick about the home inspector being able to talk first, attempting and succeeding at driving home drainage business to the sump pump installer, shakes out like a premise has been established as a result of this first opinion.
This is the opening shot of the home inspector-sump pumper game in many cases, and where it all starts.
It can mean game, set, match, in favor of the sump pump installer very often, if every other contractor has to come behind him, answering questions about underground rivers and springs under the homeowners home. Everyone already on the defensive, and thinking all they need is a sump pump, because somebody put that idea into every ones head before the starting bell.
It happens about every time just like that. Would that make you wonder? When the obvious professional decision on the home inspectors part should simply be to shut his mouth, after saying contact a home drainage professional, and explaining the physics of where the groundwater is located in the crawl space, and how much groundwater is in the crawl space.
That’s it. Not..blah blah..a sump pump may be required. Or something like that. Just shut up.
They would shut their mouths if there wasn’t a benefit to it for them for always opening that flapper, unsolicited. Human nature.
I know human nature too well to let that one blow over my head. Don’t let it cloud your judgement either.
I think we need to call it for what it really is. Homeowner manipulation at the very best. And perhaps, unethical and even fraudulent, as it comes during federal lending and constitutes a conflict of interests between the home inspectors, lenders, sump pump installers, and and their hyped independent reviews.
It is just a way for sump pump installers to buy referrals from home inspectors, and visa versa. The mutual admiration society with income potential and lots of back slapping good times with the cash.
The obvious is their own smoking gun, and the legions of damaged homeowners that would be happy to bury them in a court of law.
I am telling you, I could stage a parade tomorrow with the numbers of damaged sump pump installation homeowners I know of in Portland, Oregon alone.
A mouth that remains quiet has already been satisfactorily paid.
So tell me. Why don’t home inspectors just shut up about drainage? Or do you think I might have a point here?