Start a Property Field Inspection Business

Lenders and insurers need eyes on millions of properties (occupancy checks, condition photos, disaster verifications) and pay independent contractors per completed report; fees per drive-by are small, so the business is route density and reliability, and it is a classic low-barrier restart because the work is judged entirely on your reports.

1. 1

   Understand the work and the pay honestly

   Exterior drive-by inspections commonly pay $3 to $15 each, occupancy verifications and detailed or interior reports $15 to $75. Nobody gets rich per stop; inspectors earn by completing 15 to 40 tight-route stops a day with zero rejected reports.

2. 2

   Sign up with multiple work providers

   National field service and mortgage inspection companies hire independent contractors through online applications. Requirements vary by company and work type; many entry inspection types are open with basic vetting, which keeps this accessible as a restart business. Apply broadly, because volume comes from stacking clients.

3. 3

   Get the basic kit and paperwork

   A reliable vehicle, smartphone with the required inspection apps, a simple LLC or sole proprietorship, and general liability insurance (often required, roughly $30 to $60 per month). Some clients also want errors-and-omissions coverage for detailed report types.

4. 4

   Learn report standards until rejections stop

   Each client has exact photo angle, timestamp, and form requirements, and rejected reports mean unpaid work. Study the guides, over-document early, and build a personal checklist per report type; a clean completion record is what earns you more volume.

5. 5

   Build routes, not one-offs

   Accept work orders in clusters, map them the night before, and batch by zip code. Mileage is your biggest cost, so track it for taxes and decline orders that break route economics; a $10 inspection 40 minutes away is a loss.

6. 6

   Level up the report ladder

   Reliable inspectors get offered better-paying work: insurance loss inspections, commercial verifications, and disaster assessments ($50 to $150-plus). Certifications from field inspection trade groups help unlock these tiers, and steady clients turn this from gig income into a route business.

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