Home Inspector Scheduling and cancellation policies do not exist because we are mean; they exist because of California law.
Why Home Inspectors Can’t Work Like Real Estate Agents?
One of the most common questions we hear — from buyers and real estate agents alike — sounds simple on the surface:
“Why can’t you just reschedule?”
“Can you just come earlier?”
“Can’t you squeeze this in today?”
The assumption behind those questions is understandable. Real estate is a fluid business. Deals move fast. Showings change. Timelines collapse and reassemble overnight.
But what many people don’t realize is that home inspectors and real estate agents operate under completely different business models, governed by very different labor laws. And those differences matter — especially in California.
This isn’t about being inflexible. It’s about being compliant.
Two Professions, Two Legal Frameworks
Real estate agents are independent contractors. They are paid on commission, only when a transaction closes. Their time is their own, their schedules are fluid, and their income is tied directly to performance and closings. Flexibility is built into the model — along with risk.
Professional home inspection companies like ours operate under a very different structure.
Under California Assembly Bill 5 (AB-5), workers who perform the core service of a company cannot be classified as independent contractors. Home inspectors perform inspections — the very service our company provides. As a result, inspectors must be W-2 employees, not 1099 contractors. This is codified under California Labor Code §2775.
At IM Home Inspections, this applies to everyone. Inspectors. Office staff. Every role. No exceptions.
That single distinction changes everything.
What It Means to Employ Inspectors in California
By law, all of our inspectors are hourly employees. That means we are legally required to track their time, pay them for every hour worked, and comply with California wage and hour laws. This includes, among other things:
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Overtime pay, required under Labor Code §510, when employees exceed daily or weekly hour thresholds
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Accurate timekeeping, required under Labor Code §1174, with records subject to audit
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Reporting time pay, required by California’s Industrial Welfare Commission (IWC) Wage Orders, which mandates that employees be paid when scheduled shifts are canceled without sufficient notice
That last point is the one most people don’t know about — and the one that causes the most confusion. In contrast, Real Estate agents, as commissioned salespeople, are exempt from these same laws.
Why Last-Minute Cancellations Aren’t Neutral
In California, if an employee is scheduled to work and that shift is canceled or shortened without proper notice, the employer must still pay the employee. This is known as reporting time pay and is enforced under the applicable IWC Wage Order (Section 5).
In practical terms, that means:
If an inspector is scheduled for your inspection, we are legally committed to that employee’s time and wages.
Canceling or rescheduling an inspection at the last minute doesn’t just inconvenience us. It can trigger payroll obligations, overtime exposure later in the day, or compliance issues tied to meal and rest periods.
What looks like a simple change on the outside can create real legal and financial consequences on the inside.
Why “Just Move It” Isn’t Simple
Inspectors are not independent freelancers sitting around waiting to be dispatched. They are humans with structured workdays, routed schedules, and legally protected time requirements.
When one inspection moves, it often affects several others. This can push an inspector into overtime. It can compress a schedule in a way that prevents an inspector from eating lunch. Last-second changes can force us to rebalance an entire day across multiple employees.
This isn’t a lack of customer service. It’s the reality of operating a compliant business in California.
Ignoring labor law to appear “more flexible” doesn’t make a company better — it makes it exposed.
Why Agents Often Don’t See This
This disconnect isn’t because agents don’t care. It’s because they’ve never had to operate under these rules. Under California law, AB-5 does not apply to licensed real estate professionals; instead, their status is determined under Business and Professions Code § 10032.
Because of this difference in law, real estate agents do not track hours. They’re not running payroll. They’re not dealing with overtime calculations, wage-hour audits, or labor law exposure. Even brokers managing hundreds of agents are still overseeing independent contractors — not employees.
Managing independent contractors is fundamentally different from being legally responsible for employees’ time, wages, and compliance.
Different models. Different rules.
Why Our Home Inspector Scheduling and Cancellation Policies Exist
Our scheduling and cancellation policies are not intended to be rigid or difficult. They exist because once an inspector is scheduled, we are legally obligated to that employee.
We are customer-service oriented. At IM, we do everything we reasonably can to accommodate changes. But there are limits — not because we want them, but because California labor law requires them.
We believe running a legitimate inspection company means:
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Properly classifying workers
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Paying people fairly
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Following the law, even when it’s inconvenient
Cutting corners might make things easier in the short term, but it comes at the expense of inspectors — and eventually clients.
The Bigger Picture
Home inspections are a critical part of the transaction. They deserve to be treated like any other professional service involving skilled, licensed people with real responsibilities and real protections.
When inspections are scheduled with intention — and treated with the same respect as appraisals, escrow timelines, or loan deadlines — everyone wins. Inspectors stay sharp. Clients get better work. Transactions move forward with fewer surprises.
Respecting labor laws doesn’t make inspections harder.
It makes the industry more sustainable.
To book your inspection, call 818-298-3405 or book online here.