This month I will discuss Pool Barrier Safety. I realize many inspectors completely exclude pools; however, I found pool inspections to be a great up-serve for my clients.

The IRC defines a “pool” as any vessel containing water over 24-inches deep. This includes below ground, above ground and spas. Of course a child can drown in less deep water so my belief is to recommend protection at just about any water containing vessel.

Most of us are aware of the barrier requirements for pools; minimum 4-feet high surrounding the pool; non-climbable from the outside; gates self closing and latching and swing away from the pool, all described in Appendix G of the IRC. I recommend you become familiar with these requirements and your local amendments, if any. My recommendations were always to “upgrade” to modern standards “for enhanced safety” where conditions were noted that might have been compliant with previous regulations.

What becomes the dilemma is do you report deficient conditions noted if the client elected to not pay to have the pool inspected? I believe is a significant item is noticed, it should be reported with the caveat that the client elected to not pay for a pool inspection and the notice is courtesy only; other defects may exist and pool inspection is strongly recommended.

Regardless of whether I was paid to inspect the pool or not, I always provided clients requesting inspections of homes with water containing vessels onsite the CPSC brochure “Safety Barrier Guidelines for Home Pools” and noted the delivery in my report. This way I felt I provided the most information to my clients regarding the risk of pool drowning. Go to http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/chdrown.html to download this document.

For more information on pool barriers see Code Check.

We'll talk next month,

Mike Casey
Kaplan Professional Schools
Now You're Ready For Business!™

I must admit, marketing can be a frustrating necessity for business owners. All successful businesses market their products and services whether it is through paid advertising, co-op marketing ventures or networking for free at a business event.

Regardless of your chosen marketing avenue, how will you know if your investment and efforts have been successful? And just as important, how will you identify when marketing campaigns have not had a good return on investment (ROI)?

To answer these questions you will need to implement a ROI measurement to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of each marketing campaign.

Here are some simple measuring techniques that you could use in your home inspection business:

• Unique telephone numbers – when prospective clients call a specific number, you can determine the specific marketing campaign.
• Unique email address – when prospective clients email to a specific address, you can determine the specific marketing campaign.
• Unique URL (domain name) - when prospective clients visit a specific web address, you can determine the specific marketing campaign.
• Discount codes and coupons - when prospective clients use the coupon, you can determine the specific marketing campaign.
• Membership programs (offering discounts or a prize for referral business etc) - when clients sign up as a member, again, you can determine the specific marketing campaign.
• And the easiest of all… Ask every client where he or she found your information!

So why should you care about where your clients are coming from? Knowing the response to your marketing endeavors allows you to make smart business decisions in the future. You can repeat campaigns that have proven successful and eliminate programs that provide little to no return.

Caroline Knox
Marketing Manager
Kaplan Professional Schools
Inspection Training Associates

Need Help with your Inspection Business Marketing? Kaplan ITA's Marketing Team can help! Call 1-888-695-6980 or click here today.