# Safebuilt anyone ?



## braunsys

Just curious, anyone else working or who has worked for Safebuilt?

I would like to begin a thread for anyone who has been involved with Safebuilt, whether a contractor, inspector or homeowner, and any experiences with Safebuilt you would like to share.

I have personally worked for Safebuilt as a combination inspector, and have mixed feelings about their professionalism and their "corporate" approach to inspection services and employee management.

Please post your experiences, as I believe that Safebuilt's contract inspection service model is becoming more common, especially with municipalities.

There doesn't seem to be much conversation about Safebuilt as an employer or as an inspection service from those that have had first hand experience, other than their clients.


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## ICE

I don't think that this is a good idea.


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## cda

We knock a lot of things on this site

Not the company I was thinking about.

http://safebuilt.com

Maybe a few employees that need to be let go?

Anyway if not doing the job, someone will find out.


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## cda

Welcome .....


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## fatboy

"I don't think that this is a good idea."

I don't think so either.


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## fatboy

"We knock a lot of things on this site"

Yeah, but a specific thread on a privately owned company?


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## chris kennedy

I'm interested, let it ride for now.


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## cda

fatboy said:
			
		

> "We knock a lot of things on this site"Yeah, but a specific thread on a privately owned company?


I do not see myself doing that

Just saying we knock a lot of things but we got lines we should not cross.

Especially in Colorado, I hear they have ufo bases carved in the mountains !!


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## pyrguy

I'd like to leave this open a while.  But first post.....?!?!? :confused


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## cda

pyrguy said:
			
		

> I'd like to leave this open a while.  But first post.....?!?!? :confused


Ex employee?


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## mark handler

Bad-mouthing online can bring lawsuits


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## TheCommish

My mother said if I don't have anything nice to say I should keep my mouth shut, good words of wisdom


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## TJacobs

Put me down in the not a good idea column.


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## mtlogcabin

For six consecutive years, our clients have rewarded us with an overall 97% or better satisfaction rating in our annual customer service survey. 

That is great for the AHJ's they work with. 

A contract employee for them may see things a bit differently as all employees do with their employers from time to time.

My inspectors may not always agree with how the AHJ wants to "work through" a problem but we listen to the inspectors concerns and work through it together. Other departments may not care what the inspectors concerns are (ice's office manager for example) and want things to go "smoothly" 

No I do not think this should be discussed openly about a private company. If someone is considering becoming an employee then maybe contact braunsys privately through the message board to discuss* his *concerns


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## FM William Burns

I would remove it (personally) but then you may speak badly of me   Seriously, this should be removed and handled by the poster through private messages or an open request like "I would like to know your experiences with said company, please PM me....."     due to potentials for ......slander and all!  Nothing on the Devil Machine and cloud is not subject to the potentials.


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## jdfruit

I spent nearly 20 years with code consulting private companies, tech work, management, & client PR. There are always difficulties with PR vs. code compliance. Balancing "what plays in Peoria" and "what does the code require" results in numerous situations that the employee feels is not right and the company didn't support the employee decision. Really no different than public agency situations except the involvement of a private company providing the inspection or plan review or some other service. Same game, different player situation.

Hopefully the OP is not based on an egregious situation.


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## MASSDRIVER

Just a lot of sales words and corporate culture rah rah but that shouldn't necessarily be an indicater of performance good or bad.

Civil servants are just susceptible of Jedi mind tricks like that, and they know it.  

Brent.


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## Inspector 102

Massdriver- I wish you worked in my area. I think we could have some really interest conversations and arguments. I have been an inspector for 26 years and hopefully have not turned to the Dark Side with my enforcement. Sometimes I get the biggest chuckle from your bluntness on this site. A lot of times I even agree, but do not tell my boss that. I agree, this discussion should not breach into a single company, but general discussion only.


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## JBI

Generally speaking... my opinion is that privatizing public safety is a bad idea.

I don't know the particular company referenced in the OP, and have heard mixed reviews of inspections 'for hire', so to speak.


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## jdfruit

The private companies offering inspections (and other services as well) "for hire" have been around nearly 40 years now. About 30 years ago, after going through a horrible series of events as Building Official, I went to work for one of the pioneers in code consulting (company started in 1976). "Privatizing" has it's benefits and shortfalls; good fodder for discussion on plus/delta basis.


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## mtlogcabin

JBI said:
			
		

> Generally speaking... my opinion is that privatizing public safety is a bad idea.


Don't let the guy who owns this site hear you say that :-D


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## fatboy

Seeing where the replies have been going, and that the company specified has not come up in the conversation, and the fact our main man has not chimed in, I'm also inclined to see where this goes, as long as we can keep it generic, Private vs. Public.

I happen to know many inspectors that have bounced between public/private, and back and forth. As with any jurisdictions, there are good and bad, in both realms. I don't think either method can lay claim to the perfect system. For some jurisdictions, private is really the only realistic option.


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## jdfruit

One benefit for private companies is to aggregate a number of small jurisdictions that cannot afford a full time building department, provides full time coverage with enough people sharing time between the jurisdictions. Usually the private company fees are based on a percentage of plan check and inspection fees so the jurisdiction budget doesn't go negative.

Looks like the thread has "legs" now.


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## ICE

fatboy I could tell you some stories about "generic, Private vs. Public"  ......but I won't......A lot of people we don't see come here for a brief time and I wouldn't want to spoil their delusions about the building inspectors out there.

JBI I must say that having been in the private sector for the first 2/3 of my work history, there's no comparison.   Nobody would buy from, frequent, or have anything to do with a private entity that operated the way government does.  A private company would whither in no time.  Building departments are a monopoly.  Everybody knows that.  Government workers can't be fired without a mortal sin.  Even then they can be "rehabilitated".  Everybody knows that.

There is nothing "generic" about this thread.  It has the name of a company in the title.  If I told folks what I know without naming any company....if I stated up front that what I say has nothing to do with Safebuilt.....it will not matter.  Safebuilt is associated with whatever comes out here.

Most of the people here on a regular basis are removed from the reality to one degree or another.  mtlogcabin, fatboy, all of you guys that work in smaller jurisdictions have it together.  There really isn't a valid comparison of you guys to big government departments.  You can keep a grip on moral values that big institutions have to teach and drill into the employees.  Hell, I have sensitivity training for cross dressers.  And no Brent I'm not talking about you.....you're a Missdresser not a cross dresser.  Shirley you can see the difference.


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## JBI

There always was and always will be a need for non-government inspections services. Even the Codes recognize that... IBC Chapter 17 provides a number of categories of Special Inspections and minimum qualifications for Special Inspectors in each category.

And I agree wholeheartedly that there are good and bad in every group, inspectors included.


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## jdfruit

ICE brings up a good point;

Anyone that wants the thread continued "generic", I started one called Public vs Private


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## pyrguy

With that last post I am locking this one. The discussion is moved to the generic topic. Thank you for playing nice.


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