If you have a smartphone and a car, you can make some extra money this month as a field inspector for OnSource, which helps insurance companies perform vehicle inspections.
This totally legit side gig is easy and you can work as much or as little as you want (perfect for stay-at-home-moms and dads!). You can make $18 to $25 per inspection, according to the OnSource website. Each inspection takes around 10 minutes, plus the time it takes to drive to the location, John Cass, director of marketing for OnSource, told the National Notary Association. Most jobs are five to 10 miles away, he said.
The company also reimburses its inspectors $0.65 for each mile they drive if the job is more than 20 miles away. If the person you’re supposed to meet doesn’t show up, you get paid half your normal rate, according to The Penny Hoarder.
One woman who spoke with the website said she makes $200 per week by completing two or three inspections a day. That’s an extra $800 per month—not bad for an hour or two of work per day!
The job itself is easy and can be completed with a mobile app on your phone. Inspectors are tasked with taking photos and videos of the vehicle and jotting down some measurements. They also write short descriptions of what they observe. The mobile app walks inspectors through each task they need to complete, so you don’t need to be a mechanic-level car expert to become a field inspector.
Insurance companies need to be able to access vehicle information quickly to pay out claims or make underwriting decisions, which is why they tap into OnSource inspectors. Visual inspections are typically assigned and completed within 36 hours, according to an OnSource news release.
The company, which was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Massachusetts, has more than 20,000 professional inspectors located around the country. In just one month last year, those inspectors completed more than 25,000 jobs, according to the company’s Facebook page.
“Our inspectors can collect visual info and electronically submit reports while still on location,” OnSource co-founder Tim Schneider said in the company’s press release. “Because insurance companies are able to receive the information more quickly, settlements are distributed faster and customer satisfaction rates increase significantly.”
You can apply to be a field inspector online by entering in some basic information and uploading a photo of yourself and your car. The company also requires that all inspectors pass a background check, which costs about $6.
Once you’re hired, you’ll be notified about potential inspections in your area via the mobile app. You can let OnSource know what time works for you, and they’ll call the person you need to meet and schedule the inspection.
Each job you complete is reviewed by an OnSource quality assurance staffer. The company says it pays inspectors four weeks after their first job. After that, you get paid weekly by check or direct deposit.
If becoming an OnSource field inspector isn’t up your alley, check out these other ways to make extra money from home.
Sarah Kuta is an award-winning writer and editor based in Colorado. She writes regularly about how to find deals, save money and find side gigs. Reach her at sarah@dontwasteyourmoney.com. More.
