Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Ybarra.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
We started as and still are, a family run business that began officially about 5 years ago. Its roots go back quite a bit further though as the company was started with the invaluable guidance of my parents, who ran a successful HVAC company based in Pasadena for quite a few years. My sister, Jennifer Wattier, was the one who actually got the ball rolling and put together the initial brand. I left my job with the City of Houston as a building inspector to become her partner and after a period of time bought her out. Now, with the help of a modest staff, we are a small but promising third-party energy code inspection and testing company.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Self-employment always brings challenges! That is, for me, part of the appeal in that, along with certain freedoms comes the opportunity to answer questions about competitive pricing, growth possibilities, and industry changes.
The Energy code is relatively new (10-15 yrs.) and staying in the running price-wise with competition means, frankly, staying on top of competitor’s pricing. Along with deciding what to charge is choosing when to push in certain directions like buying a truck or hiring additional staff. Because the Energy Code is so new, as it changes (the way all codes do!), we have the added challenge of educating all those we are trying to serve, i.e. builders, city officials, architects, etc.
Jenergy Inspections Inc. – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Whenever you build a commercial or residential building you have to follow certain national building codes. Some of them are the International Residential Code (IRC), the International Plumbing Code (IPC) and the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). My business is a Third-Party consultancy that exists to provide the compliance documents, inspections and testing required by the 2015 IECC. We bring a wide variety of construction experience from HVAC, construction and code administration. We specialize in finding solutions to both residential and commercial project code compliance. We are especially proud of going the extra mile for our customers and do our best to not only satisfy our clients but thrill them!
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
One of the first that comes to mind, was when I realized a serious uptick in business from word of mouth or references. This signaled to me our work was speaking for itself in a very complimentary fashion.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3214 Federal St.
Pasadena, TX 77504 - Website: www.jenergyinspections.com
- Phone: 713 677-0087
- Email: office@jenergyinspections.com
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