Should Home Inspectors Wear Body Cams during inspections?
As an inspector, I have got to look at both sides. If I were pro body cams, I would suggest inspectors wear them to CYB (Cover Your Behind). Claims of what you said, what you did or did not inspect, what you turned off, broke, etc., will all be documented in a video that hopefully cannot be disputed. If you want to keep your 5-Star ratings for integrity and quality reports, maybe body cams can protect your business from angry customers with unwarranted frustrations and save your company from unjust insurance claims and bad reviews. It only takes one bad review from a buyer, seller, or agent to tarnish your brand. By having your inspectors wear body cams during inspections, you minimize your company’s liability for disgruntled clients who will strive to damage your brand and hit your pockets…
In 2018, InspectorPro Insurance did a study where their claims team estimated that 80% of accusations against home inspectors are highly exaggerated, and most have no merit. Every complaint, no matter how trivial, is time and money wasted. Body Cam footage diminishes time wasted and gives quick resolutions.
Pros
Body Cams used during all inspections protects inspectors from false claims and accusations. If a homeowner finds something broken or missing, they may decide to accuse your inspector of theft. An angry homeowner could claim and argue about any problem they have with the inspection report, the body cam footage can be the evidence to prove they are wrong, and that the inspector did his job correctly.
Because you can review all the body cam footage, if the home inspector does not recall causing an issue, sometimes the footage may show the home inspector may not know at the time they made the mistake that caused that issue. Like they bumped something and didn’t have a clue they did it.
Obviously, if no theft is seen in the film review, all accusations can be put to rest. Perhaps there was an issue with the home that the homeowner says it happened when the home inspector was present, the tape can show that the homeowner is mistaken. For example; some clients are known accusers home inspectors causing property damages during the inspections, and body camera footage can help disprove such a damage claim that was an error or concocted for a fraudulent purpose.
Body cams provide that extra liability protection that some inspectors want. A home inspector can reduce lawsuits and possible job termination if they have the body camera footage to refute any damage claim. A client’s real estate agent may also try to claim that the inspector failed to report all defects in the home and hold the inspector legally responsible. Again, the body camera footage can clear the home inspectors name and help maintain his brand and reputation.
Body cams can also show proof of bodily harm sustained by an inspector if they have an accident on the job.
Cons
On the flip side, there are privacy issues with homeowners having 3 plus hours of their belonging recorded onto a video that could get into the wrong hands and be used for malicious purposes.
From an INTERNATCHI Chat room on body cams for home inspectors:
George:
“So, there’s an inspector in my area that now insist on wearing a bodycam during the inspection, at all inspections. Supposedly had a trust issue or two with previous inspections.
I heard about this a few weeks ago. Today I was contacted by an agent desperate to find an inspector that had an opening tomorrow. She had already had the inspection scheduled for over a week with the bodycam inspector, but the homeowners refuse to let him inspect their home while wearing a bodycam….”
Frank:
“I got notice from from a listing agent today that the seller says I am not allowed to wear my body camera during the inspection and only allowed to take pictures of defects that will be in the inspection report and nothing else. I told the listing agent that I would not do the inspection if I could not document the condition of the entire house. What’s everybody else’s opinion?”
Bob:
“I’m with the seller if their personal belongings are still present in the house.”
Conclusion
So, what’s your opinion Blog readers?
Should home inspectors wear body cams? If so, why – If not, why not. Thanks!
Guerry Magidson
Realtor Relations Manager/Home Inspector
Edifice Inspections
guerry@edificeinspections.com
470-534-6465