What I liked:
1) Punctual: Arrived on time, regimented in his work
2) Professional: Everything including his service, communication, etc.
3) Knowledgeable: He knows the Tarion code very well
4) Helpful: Walk around with him, and you'll be sure to learn lots about your home
5) Useful for issues in the attic (identified a few)
What I disliked:
1) The 2 person team didn't work out for me. I had questions to ask Phil on some of the rooms/bathrooms, but unfortunately, they were covered by his colleague and I missed asking them (and didn't have the issues included in the report).
2) The pace felt hurried. That's one thing I didn't appreciate. It was easy to miss many things. It took less than 1.5 hours on ~ 2000 sq ft for the whole process (including intro at the beginning, inspection, going over report, payment). So probably a good 1 hour of inspection. Considering the price paid, I would say that's a pretty costly service.
3) Several important issues that you would expect from an inspector were not done. Eg. verifying that all vents are venting out (including dryer). These are usually the ones that take time (and effort to check), and were left out. You sign a waiver at the beginning of the process that basically covers them for liability (for good reason, but I feel that this signature has made it easier for them to miss things without any scruple or worry, especially when they're in a hurry for 3 appointments in a single day).
The 2 first factors combined (the hurried pace along with the 2 person team) resulted in an incomplete inspection in my opinion (the 3rd point). When I enlisted their services, my understanding is that everything will have to go through Phil at the end (who is the person I am hiring). Every room and bathroom will need to be inspected by him. He's the certified and experienced inspection I am hiring. My understanding was that his colleague was only to do fill the report and do the thermal imaging. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case and 2 out of 3 rooms + the main bathroom (along with good chunks of the main floor and basement) weren't covered by Phil.
If you can get Phil alone for your inspection, and make sure it is done in a minimum predetermined time-frame (eg. minimum 3 hours). then you will probably get the most bang for your buck. Otherwise, I would personally not recommend and would instead get a single inspector (the equivalent of Phil) to do all the work.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $440.00
- Company Response
Thank you for the positive comments in your opening statements. There were parts of our process that did not meet your personal expectations, and I sincerely regret this. Could you please contact me directly, as I would like to explore ways to ensure you receive value in our services to you. Over the last 8 years, Randy and I have performed over 5000 inspections together, so we have had plenty of experience in honing our processes. The pace of the inspection, given that we are a 2-person team, reflects the degree of practice we have in performing home inspections together. If I had performed the inspection alone, then my on-site time would have been considerably longer, in the range of 3 to 4 hours. The team effort provides an efficiency benefit that exceeds cutting on-site time in half. In terms of leadership, the responsibility and ownership of each inspection rests solely with me. Although Randy is a InterNACHI Certified Home Inspector, and is sufficiently trained, qualified, and experienced to conduct inspections on his own, it is his choice to be with Acker Home Inspection and under my direction during home inspections. We are a team, and we are proficient at what we do.