Ev Gallardo

Ev Gallardo owned a roofing company more than twenty years ago. He has spent his working life in construction. He is based in Long Beach and inspects from Chula Vista up to Lancaster and Palmdale, and out to Big Bear.

Ask him what he has learned in his three years as an inspector with Cert-A-Roof and he does not hedge.

“More than I learned in the last forty.”

What the standard actually gave him

“They have thirty or forty years of experience of trial and testing, sharpening the focus and the formula. It is a broad spectrum of what I learned. Doing inspections, the software, the whole paradigm, the logic and reason behind Cert-A-Roof and the NRCIA.”

What he keeps returning to is the fundamentals rather than the tactics.

“It gets you back to basic principles that we forget. You have to stick to your core values, you have to do great inspections, but essentially you have to love what you do. When you combine all those aspects together, you can see the value we bring.”

Why paying for an inspection was never a question for him

Gallardo has owned income property, so he came at the free inspection debate from the buyer’s side of the table.

“Because I have done a lot of real estate and owned income property, I know that if I need an appraisal, it is going to cost me. I would never imagine getting a free appraisal. It is the same for me. If I was going to buy a property, I would absolutely pay for a roof inspection, because it is a service that I need. It is hiring an expert to let me know the condition of the roof and my cost before I purchase.”

His clients tend to arrive already understanding that.

“Because I understand their objective and how they see the value in what we are doing, they are actually saving money. They are not spending money.”

The range of work

The variety is the part he enjoys most.

“Roof inspections, forensic inspections, inspections for escrow when someone is purchasing a house, insurance renewals, inspections for insurance companies, commercial roof inspections for maintenance or leaks, and inspections for someone buying a building who wants to know the condition before making that large investment. It is never the same day.”

On the reporting platform

“I have used different types of software in different businesses, and I like ours because it is so simple. It is all there for you. Writing up the reports, writing up the estimates, the scope of work, it is all in the report page. That is what I like about it.”

The tow truck

The story Gallardo told at the end of our conversation is the one that stayed with us. He was in Palmdale for an eight o’clock appointment, having left Long Beach at five thirty in the morning, when his truck broke down.

“Next thing you know, the tow truck gets there and takes me to Orange, then an Uber comes from Orange and takes me to Long Beach. A week later my truck is ready. It opened up my mind. You are stranded two hours from home, and all of a sudden you are back home, because everyone was there to help you. The tow truck and the Uber. Without them you are nothing.”

Then he connected it to the job.

“It really dawned on me that when I show up to my customer and there is leaking, and the walls are gone, and you can see the framing, and the carpets are wet, I am their tow truck. You get that when you are pulling up. They are looking at you like, Cert-A-Roof is here to save the day. And in fact that is what we are doing. We are giving them peace of mind, protecting their investment, and taking that stressful component out of their mind so they can go to sleep and put their life back together.”

His advice to new members

“It is so simple it is complicated. Put everything you have learned aside on the shelf, and then take this new formula and run with it. There is so much information, knowledge and expertise. Put what you know on the shelf and start new again, new mindset, which is hard to do, because it is retraining our thought process and our common sense. Jump in with both feet. Do not test the water. Do not put your tippy toes in there. Fully jump in.”

Walkup song

Gallardo is the one member who has answered this question with nothing.

“That is a really weird one, because opposite of songs, I like quiet. Peace and quiet. Having that stillness is my zone. I could drive to Arizona and not listen to music one time, because I am just in the quiet zone. That is when I know I am in my flow, because everything is flowing.”

As our host put it, imagine a closer coming out of the bullpen in the ninth to complete silence. That may be the most intimidating walkup in the set.

Today’s Inspection… Tomorrow’s Protection®

Inspectors and contractors can review the accreditation programs at the membership page. Property owners can find an accredited member through the member directory.

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About the author
The NRCIA Member Success Team develops training, field guidance, and business resources for accredited members of the National Roof Certification and Inspection Association. Questions about anything in this article can go to support@nrcia.org.

LeakFREE®, Forensic ROOF®, Mr. RoofCheck®, InspectionPLUS®, Today’s Inspection… Tomorrow’s Protection®, and Got Leaks?® are registered trademarks of Field Gate FLP, used by permission. RoofGUARD™, ForensicGUARD™, DisasterGUARD™, E3GUARD™, and Think Like a Raindrop™ are trademarks of Field Gate FLP.