E&O, Liability Ins., Bonded

29 year resident and property damage adjuster on the north coast

Check us out on Angie's List!
On Facebook see hundreds of photos of the types of house problems I see in our area.

• the condition of your current home?
• the liability and condition of rental property?
• the condition of property that you’re considering purchasing?

Why so much time? You just never know what you are going find and the only way to find it is to take the time to look. Every house, new or old has maintenance issues that need to be followed.

A new house may be built in such a way that sheathing at the roof eaves is going to deteriorate within a few years, poor application of roof shingles, exterior doors installed such that they can be easily removed when locked, plumbing drains running uphill, unusual foundation cracks, poor venting of attic, poor slope on soil grade around the house that will force rain runoff towards the foundation, etc.

An older home may look really good but in reality has just been given a quick paint job over some serious issues. Without proper ongoing maintenance a 40 year old house will have as many problems as a 40 year old car.

Flipping a house usually means putting the least amount of dollars into it and hiding as many problems as you can.

Repossessed houses sometimes have owners who deliberately damaged them out of spite.

What we look for: During the first hour we’ll be looking around the entire perimeter for signs of damaged siding, window and door problems, moisture damage, electrical service alterations and inadequacies, soil grade issues, foundation/earth quake problems, poor deck and stair attachment, roof edge deterioration, safe electrical outlets, hose bibs working, etc. Then it’s up on the roof to look for deteriorated sheathing, improper materials for the slope, leaking penetrations, deteriorated flues and chimneys, lack of slope, poor gutter condition, worn out materials that could require a complete new roof, etc.

Second hour is looking over the interior checking water supply and drainage at each plumbing fixture, past or present signs of leakage, soft spots in flooring, out of level floors, electrical outlets not wired correctly, interior electrical sub panels that have been altered, heating and water heater systems operating correctly, bath enclosure leakage issues, interior water leaks at windows and ceilings. Then up into the attic to see the underside of the roof structure, adequate ventilation, signs of leakage present, are there dangerous electrical wires present, old deteriorated wiring that is not evident at the service panel, bath and kitchen vents emptying into the attic that should be going through the roof, abandoned chimneys waiting to fall over, cracked or altered roofing supports, insulation present, etc.

Then, finally, into the crawl area, which is the least likely area to ever have been inspected. Looking for plumbing leaks, moisture damaged sub floor, damaged joists and beams, sinking foundation supports, poor electrical installations, poor venting, excess moisture entry, deteriorated heater ducting, deteriorated insulation, abandoned floor heaters, etc.

Our report may have 50 items of concern. Are you worried about them? That’s up to you. My own house has some areas of concern. I repaired the ones that I feel are important. We do not know what you are worried about so we will name all the areas on our reports for you to decide. Many times the owners of the house you are considering buying do not even know of the problems. They may be selling the house as is, but did not know that the heater is 10 years beyond its expected life or that the roof needs replacement. So, it is prudent to know what “As is” means. Perhaps they will adjust their price after all.

Be a more informed buyer, owner, landlord, or financer
Just as when buying a vehicle it is advantageous to have an unbiased person familiar with body work and mechanics look your vehicle over, it is of great advantage to have someone certified and continually educated in home inspections let you know the condition of any house you are considering buying.

Rest easy
You can have confidence that our I.T.A. professionally trained and CREIA certified inspector is here to assist you and let you know much more about the residence you are considering purchasing. You are invited to join the inspector through the entire inspection process. If you are not able to be at the property when inspected please call for a follow up with any questions you may have. We are working for you.

We will email, fax, mail, or sometimes even hand deliver a detailed report with photos, usually within 24 hours of the inspection.

Our complete home inspection process
The inspection is a non-invasive physical examination of the primary building structure and its associated parking structure as described in the CREIA Standards of Practice.

Surface grade, wall cladding, flashing, trim, eaves, sidewalks/driveway, gutters and downspouts.

Service entrance, main/sub panels, branch circuits, sample of outlets/receptacles/switches, ground- fault circuit- interrupters.

Covering, flashing, vents, skylights.

Framing and sheathing, access area, ventilation, presence of insulation.

Floors, doors, walls, stairs, windows, ceilings, smoke detectors present.

Ability to work with normal user controls, venting, energy source, ducting distribution system.

Supply, waste, vent piping and their functional flow/drainage. Fixtures, faucets, drains, water heating equipment.

Foundation, including ventilation, access area, presence or absence of seismic anchoring, wood separation from soil, floor support.

Chimneys, flues, dampers, hearth extensions, solid-fuel or gas-burning.

Our inspector is totally unbiased, does not perform any work on the property, and is here to help you make an informed decision.

We invite you to become another one of our happy customers. Call today for an appointment. You will be glad you did!

For more about CREIA or I.T.A. log on to creia.org or home-inspect.com.

Click here to view photos of problems uncovered during some of our recent inspections.

Serving the following areas: Humboldt, Del Norte, and Trinity Counties