I wonder if an independent inspector could be suspected of getting kickbacks if he recommended a termite exterminator? To me it looks like a cut and dry conflict of interest. I know a guy who used to do inspections and routinely recommended different companies. He always claimed he never got kickbacks and it had no effect on his inspection report. I still see the possibility for abuse.
I used to work with a guy that was trying to open a small retail shop for his wife. He wasn’t from around the Chicago area and had the bad luck of selecting the suburb of Cicero for the store location. I think most people from around here would recognize Cicero as about the last place to do legitimate business. The whole city is corrupt and it’s been a haven for organized crime for decades.
Anyway, his electrical inspection didn’t go well. He had the fixes made and the reinspection didn’t go well. More fixes led to another failed inspection. Finally, the inspector made clear that my coworker was going to have to hire a certain electrical contractor at a highly inflated cost in order to pass.
Then, his plumbing inspectiin didn’t go well. Same thing, use this certain, connected plumbing company to pass.
Then, the safety inspection didn’t go well.
He never did open the shop.