The $2,000 Diagnostic — and Why People Pay for It with Tim De Stasio

Tim De Stasio spends a full nine-hour day in a single house before he writes a recommendation. His comfort consultation covers envelope testing, HVAC system performance, airflow, a measured load calculation, moisture diagnostics, and two weeks of indoor air quality data — and it starts at two thousand dollars. He works in coastal North Carolina, a climate zone with brutal humidity and real building problems, but not necessarily a wealthy place. People are buying anyway. In this episode, Tim walks host Peter Troast through how the process works, what he’ll cut when a homeowner isn’t ready for the whole thing, and exactly what he says when someone hears the price and pushes back. They get into why the traditional energy audit model was never enough on its own, how AI search has become his most reliable source of new clients, and why a premium diagnostic can be a viable standalone business — or one piece of a contracting business that’s already doing this work.