Apex Home Inspection

About one year later after living in the home I must say I would now rate Apex Home Inspection a D. As he (Chris) missed a very serious crack in the jacuzzi tube in the master bathroom. Watching many home shows and other home inspections in the past a flash light is used to observe any problems in a bath tube surface. Needless to say this cracked caused a serious leak to the living room ceiling that has to be repaired. I went back to review the pictures to make sure this was not a new problem. And sure enough the crack is present right below the home inspector's picture. In conclusion, Apex and Chris did not prove detailed enough to find other small serious issues in the home. Look on for a more detailed and focused home inspector.

The inspection was very through and excellent - - see above.

Apex is run by Chris McDougall and his wife. Chris does all the inspections. I started by researching carefully two items: 1) What is a good home inspector?, and 2) How do you find a good one? The conclusion I found was that anyone--seriously, anyone--can call themselves a "home inspector" in the state of California. Doesn't mean they have a lot of experience. Doesn't mean they know much about what to look for and what can go wrong. The research told me time and time again: Find someone who is ASHI Certified (American Society of Home Inspectors) because that requires, at minimum, a four-hour test, and then interview quite a few inspectors, starting NOT with the question "How much will it cost?" but rather, "How many inspections have you done and can you provide references?" After interviewing about ten inspectors on the phone, and rejecting the inspector recommended by my realtor (never a good idea, apparently, since realtors love the guys who will not "scare" a prospective buyer away by finding too much), I found Chris. His phone manner, and his patience during our 30-minute phone interview, were consistent with what we eventually experienced from him in person: He was calm, thorough--a good teacher and communicator. I learned he's done over 1000 of these, often works for legal organizations that demand his reliability, thoroughness, and attention to detail, and he asked good questions (about the house itself) right back at me. His written report matched the sample found on his website (the pictures embedded in the report ended up being important and telling), he was utterly prompt and professional, and he found serious errors in workmanship and judgment (in a house that we were looking at that had recently been utterly remodeled by a house "flipper") that were missed by city building inspectors and others. Example, a brand new furnace, recently installed, had enough subtle failures in installation, that it was not now, nor would it ever be, safely operable. In short, he saved us from buying a house that was far less than it seemed aesthetically. As further questions arose, he was consistently open to phone calls from me, from my Realtor, and even the seller. A true pro, through and through; just the advocate you want on your side during the process of making a huge investment.

Chris arrived on time and was thorough in his inspection. He found an electrical issue that was extremely dangerous, identified what was causing it, and disconnected the box so that it was no longer usable until an electrician could fix the problem. He shared information as he went through the house, pointing out specific items he found of interest. When he was finished he summarized what would be on the written report. The report was available on-line within 48 hours after his visit.