Scotland Yard Home Inspections

Gerald was excellent. We had our general home inspection done by him. When scheduling, he answered his phone promptly, gave clear instructions, and was flexible, whereas other inspectors took days to get back to me. He showed up within his window, and took a reasonable amount of time looking around. He took us up onto the roof, and into the basement/walk space to go over everything thoroughly and in-detail. He answered all of our questions, and was candid with his responses. His experience in framing also brought up something our foundation inspector didn't mention. He even offered a discount because we didn't have an attic and our crawl space was easy to access, which was just plain nice of him to do. He was polite, professional, and friendly, and we felt like we could really trust his opinion. We will most likely want to work with him again in the future, and we'd recommend him to anyone.

Gerald was prompt, professional, friendly and great to work with. His work was terrific and the end report was fantastic. I would use Gerald again and highly recommend him.

GM did a home inspection for a duplex I have in escrow. He came early, got down and dirty, and had the report to me fast.

Gerald lives up to all of the positive reviews. He's extremely thorough, knowledgeable and accessible. Well after the inspection, Gerald was still available to take my calls and answer questions.

I used Gerald to inspect a home I am considering purchasing. He was very thorough and walked me through all of the issues he found in person on site. He also gives me some rough idea on how much it would cost to fix them and provide lots of valuable information related to the property. After the inspection I also had a few follow up discussion with him to further clarify a few of the details, very easy to work with. Will use again and refer him

very detailed and meticulous, to the point and tells it like it is. he works for you and wants you to know every single detail. more importantly, knows his business and the trade. Will use Gerald again and refer him

Gerald and I met at 8:00 am to inspect a home I am considering purchasing. He was very thorough and walked me through all of the issues he found. He explained in detail why these were issues and whether I needed to go back to the seller. I would definitely use him again.

Gerald came highly recommended and the praise was well deserved. He arrived on time and spent almost three hours conducting his inspection. He welcomed questions and offered valuable information on issues we should be aware of as homeowners, not just issues to be addressed by the seller. He even offered to be available for consultation in the years to come. As a licensed contractor, his knowledge of issues was strong. I would recommend him to others seeking an independent inspection. His loyalty is only to the buyer.

Gerald was great. Easy to book and showed up on time ready to work. He was very knowledgeable and took the time to explain any minor issues that he found along the way. Very happy to have found him and have already recommended him to friends who are also in need of a home inspector.

Most of the professional service provider I have dealt with are either on time or late. I am actually impressed that the inspector came 30 minutes prior to our agreed time and started conducting inspection. The entire inspection started at 1:30 PM and ended at 6 PM. Gerald, the inspector, showed me the roof condition and explain the roofing concerns to me on one corner of the roof once I walked into the property in interest. Although I have not much understanding about house construction and roofing, his explanation will help me in the future to find the right roofing specialist for future repair and improvement. The entire inspection seemed to flow very well with the main house. Gerald was able to show me some more places that were not done correctly when the previous owner built the house. Nothing really screams for my attention with the main house and the backyard until we are inspecting the detached garage/guest house unit. Gerald pointed out the big crack in the side of the garage concrete floor. Settlement cracks seemed to be normal and common in Los Angeles area. However, this crack shows there is a vertical movement which indicates one side of the building is sinking. Later on we have found out that the inside area is showing uneven floor. The bathroom door seem to tilt to one side. It appears the entire west side of the building is sinking and that is causing the floor to be unleveled from the garage area all the way to the guest house living space. Gerald has framing experience, and he was able to point out that the building has some structural work done to it, and the building should be safe. I was very happy to hear that from a professional opinion. However, the sinking concrete is still a big concern which I should know before I move forward with the house. The inspection ended with no other big issue except this foundation/soil issue that is causing part of the floor to sink. I was very concerned with this issue. In the subsequent days, I have called Gerald for more questions about the foundation concern, and I have even brought in foundation specialist to do an inspection. He was consulting me from the perspective that how he would repair the foundation assuming that the soil is not issue. I have to say that he is very knowledgeable about framing and foundation. I like the house, and I certainly would like to know that the issue can be addressed with the right amount of money. This right amount of money will be my negotiation with the seller to proceed the transaction. Gerald certainly help me understand the procedure of the repair, and he was able to give me his theory about what happened to the building from all the other structural works the previous owners have down. Without hearing from someone who has the experience, I feel very uncomfortable to even proceed the deal. Luckily, the foundation inspector says very similar thing as Gerald. I know understand the foundation issue is fixable, and it shouldn't involve tearing down the unit and rebuild. It is just the matter of the preferred method of repairing the foundation and its cost. I have to say that Gerald went extra ways to answer my phone call and explain things to me. If things are all looking good, probably I would have felt spending this inspection service is a little high. I have gotten a quote from the inspector that my mother used to buy her house 3 years ago, and the service fee is much lesser than Scotland yard. I still went with Scotland yard because the good reviews. I am glad that I made the right decision because I did encounter a big issue that I need someone to explain it to me in a term that I understand.

I'm a first time homebuyer, so I was naturally a little bit nervous going into the home inspection process. I could not have asked for a better inspector than Gerald at Scotland Yard. Gerald has an excellent "bedside manner" and made me feel like I was a part of the inspection process throughout. He explained everything in detail as he went, and he was extremely thorough. What I appreciated most was that he was always careful to give his recommendations and observations in context (what problems were urgent and which weren't so important). There are an overwhelming number of issues that come up during a home inspection, so this real-time prioritization was very, very appreciated. If a first time buyer's perspective isn't good enough for you, I should also mention that my agent was extremely impressed with him, along with my dad (a real estate veteran) who reviewed his report. Speaking of Gerald's report, it was clearly laid out, easy to read, and had the perfect amount of detail. Gerald also does a great job of following up and talking you through his recommendations. I really can't recommend Gerald more highly. Stop searching and give him a call!

Gerald McMahon is a great inspector! This is actually the 2nd inspection he has done for me & soon to be a 3rd. In both cases, he identified extremely expensive needed repairs ($50-100K each). Neither seller would come down the full amount of repairs, so I walked twice. He saved me from tremendous expense & headache! The 1st seller tried to steer me to her own inspector. But I had already reviewed home inspectors on Angie's List and Gerald's reviews were in the top 2, I felt. The following comments pertain only to the address listed. When we 1st spoke by phone, he recommended to do a video camera inspection of the sewer (Goldak has done 2 great inspections for me for $425 ea.). The sewer video showed a 95% obstruction from roots. As with the prior inspection, Gerald welcomed my presence, even my going with him in the attic & the crawlspace. Do the crawlspace if you are able. You need old clothes or better a jumpsuit, goggles, dust mask, gloves, flashlight, & if you have it, a moisture meter, A moisture meter can check suspicious areas for high levels of moisture which would signify a recent leak. Gerald taught me along the way. He 1st visually inspects. He noted an exterior chimney crack. Crawlspace inspection showed the contractor had not finished out the chimney support structure. Los Angeles is earthquake country, and this chimney was at increased risk of damage in the next quake. He recommends sub inspectors; in this case, he recommended inspections by roofing and drainage. The crawlspace perimeter dirt was moist from excessive watering of the newly laid grass sod. The downspouts dumped right next to the foundation. Consequently, the crawlspace floorboard undersides showed signs of fungus, which was the final straw in causing me to walk away from the escrow without even asking for repair costs. Fungus is too big of an unknown expense. My hand held EMF (electromagnetic field) meter showed that the best place for the bed in the master bedroom had high EMF readings where the head of the bed would go due to the electric service panel right on the other side of the wall. High EMF exposure is postulated, but not proven to cause malignant brain tumors in cell phone users. Maybe it doesn?t, but I would want the peace of mind of avoiding prolonged exposure to known EMF sources. EMF meters are available on line. Read their reviews to decide which is best for you. Gerald gives a verbal summary at the end of the inspection. He follows with a detailed written summary within 2 days, complete with photos and arrows pointing to defects. We are doing a 3rd inspection this week. The termite report a year ago when the flippers bought it showed water damage. The place has since been rehabbed, but I plan to check the drywall moisture levels where the water damage was found. Probably was a roof leak. The roof was replaced. But, with an old roof, and it hasn?t rained hard in a while, you can always spray water on the roof a few hours before the inspection.

Gerald arrived early and was very friendly and polite. He was very detail oriented and explained a lot of what was going on in the house in stages throughout the inspection. He seemed to anticipate a lot of the questions/concerns that were asked of him. He was also very clear and concise in his summary of each area of house.

Checked all areas of condo and complex. Gerald gave with recommendations on how and what to repair. Walked me through his inspection. Inspected AC Unit on top of roof. Provided a detailed report with photos within 48 hours. Gerald has set the bar for professionalism and work acumen.

With a great attitude, a sense of humor and attention to detail, Gerald performed a home inspection. His extremely detailed report was most helpful. We would definitely use him again!

Gerald arrived 1/2 early! He toured the outside and inside ... including the dusty attic ... while we followed him. He explained his findings, gave us welcome advice and patiently answered our questions. He was friendly and through. We will definitely use him again when we purchase our next house.

We wanted to have our home inspected in advance of listing it for sale so that we could take care of everything and not have any surprises after going into escrow. Because of the excellent reviews, we contacted Gerald and scheduled an appointment for this morning. He showed up on time and was here for about two hours, checking out everything very thoroughly on the exterior, interior, garage, attic, basement, under the house, etc. He verbally went over his findings with us before he left, and said he would email us a written report by Sunday. He was quiet, low maintenance and very professional, and I will definitely use him again and recommend him to others.

It went very well. They discovered some issues that we were not aware of and provided very useful details in their out-briefing and especially in their inspection report. We now are in the process of renovating systems that were deficient and identified in the report. They are worth every penny!

Gerald was one hour earlier than promised. That was fine because I had scheduled an inspection of the sewer line (which Gerald does not do) and so was at the home. Gerald inspected the property thoroughly taking several hours to do so. He provided a complete and detailed list of every item inspected. He also provided a summary that included the items that should be inspected further by specific providers, such as plumbers, roofers, etc. The summary included the items that he thought needed the most attention. Gerald was very pleasant to work with. I would definitely use Scotland Yard again.

the i nspector was VERY VERY thorough. we were in escrow for our 2600+ sq feet house, and he did an amazing job! He was very detailed and kept us updated as he was doing the inspection. The inspector was at the house for over 5 hours! Even the listing agent was surprised how long the inspector was there for. We truly appreciate his insights, and all his recommendations of what to get inspected before we purchased the home. we appreciated that he took his time to do such an amazing thorough job! definitely highly recommend him!

Their website was very easy to use and set up an appointment. I got an email confirmation the day before, but it would have been nice to get a phone call as well. Arrived on time and prepared. Very professional and courteous. Answered all of our questions and did a walk through of the condo to point out the issues to be flagged in the report. The report was turned around quickly and had all of the key information. I thought it was strange that he did not turn on the HVAC system to check the heat (he said it was over 65 degrees so couldn't be turned on). He also didn't open up the HVAC system to check the heating coils, which I thought would have been included. He also didn't seem to know how to turn on the wall stove or the dishwasher. Overall, though, very good.

Gerald and Robert (his assistant) arrived early and ready to do the work. He allowed me to tag along and explained the inspection along the way so that I can get first-hand information. He is knowledgeable and frank to point out what is good and what needs repair. He also answered my questions and suggested solutions. I find him approachable and easy to work with. At one point, he was suit up to go into the crawl space and he asked whether he could get to the back of the house through an outside gate instead of walking through the house because he didn't want to dirty the house. I think little thing like this shows his genuine concern and professionalism. We started at 9am and finished at about noon. I had the inspection on Friday and got the report on Monday. He called and apologized for not sending the report over the weekend. The report was about 50 pages with very detail pictures and explanation. I had a few questions reading the report and called him back to clarify. Gerald was very patient and answered all my questions. Overall, I'm very satisfied with the inspection service. Gerald is a good guy to work with and you can expect to get straight answers from him. Will definitely hire him again. Update: On the second last day of my inspection contingency deadline, I needed to verify whether the shower pan was leaking because there was conflict between my inspection and the seller's inspection. I called Gerald for help and after finding out that I have problem finding someone to check the shower pan, he told me that he could drop by to re-inspect the next day. I was very grateful that he could help with such a short notice.

I called Gerald last week to see about scheduling a home inspection on a house my husband and I are purchasing in Oak Park. After reading all of his stellar reviews on Angie's List, I felt he was the right person for the job. My husband and I have had exactly two home inspections and both inspectors came up sadly lacking. The first missed the fact that a floor was buckling in a condo we were looking at, and the second missed the severe bowing of a ceiling in a bedroom in our current home, as well as the fact that the AC and heater did not work in the ENTIRE second floor of the home. Needless to say, this time we decided to research our own home inspector instead of just taking what our realtor recommended. We were not disappointed. Gerald had great customer service skills, got us set up with an appointment very quickly, and spent a good long time checking everything little thing on our soon-to-be home. He was very professional (even bringing his own assistant to help), and really knew his stuff! It felt really good to have someone working directly for us and really looking out for us! I will be recommending him to anyone who needs an awesome home inspection!

Gerald and his brother were very professional and pleasant. They took hours going over the home in great detail. I was very thankful for this. Gerald suggested a pool, HVAC, and sewer specialist. I took his advice and am very glad I did. All in all my real estate agent and I were very impressed with their care and straight forward approach. We will use this team again! Thank you Angie's List for your wonderful service. Really takes a lot of the anxiety out of hiring a service company.

Super pro and efficient all around. Gave us a thorough and detailed inspection and left us comfortable with the rest of the process.