MILLER-HIER ENTERPRISES

Overall, I was not pleased with the job done by Miller-Hier enterprises. First off, I must say that I was in need of an inspection to be done with very short notice prior to the upcoming holiday period. I was referred to Miller-Hier from my real estate agent, who had good things to say about the company prior to me hiring. The inspection was done very quickly and I don't even think the inspector took an hour to complete inspection for a 3 BR/2BA condo. The inspector arrived early and started early, but was done so quickly I have to question what was truly inspected. I was presented with a "fill in" canned inspection report, which took him about 5 minutes to fill out. I will admit that the inspector found an issue that caused me to end up not purchasing the unit, however, there is more to the story. A roof leak was noticed by the inspector, but that is where the inspector stopped. Upon his leaving, I noticed water stains in the ceiling of the unit underneath the roof area of concern. I called the inspector and told him about this, and I have to admit I felt he ignored the situation. After some back and forth the inspector returned out to do a moisture test a few days later. Sure enough, the walls tested positive for moisture. While in the end the inspector made the situation right, I still feel he rushed through this way too fast and if it wasn't for my personal inspection, I would have ended up buying a unit that had potential water damage. I feel that Miller-Hier is professional and competent, but I have to say I was really disappointed in the time spent on this inspection and the fact that such an obvious item was missed. I can't recommend this company due to my experience, but from my understanding this is not a frequent occurrence and other people have been happy with the service. While I needed an inspection done quickly, I feel for the price I should have been given the appropriate time or the company should have turned down the business.

The inspection was very poorly performed. The fee was determined in advance and was over $400 per hour. No outside inspection was performed

All three times Steve showed up about 1/2 hour before the scheduled appointment time. He has been available for questions years after buying my places. Patient with questions. He costs more than other inspectors, but is well worth it.

The condominium I purchased in 2009 was my first experience in home ownership. Because of this, I was unfamiliar with some of the steps. As a result, I had the inspection only one week before closing. I did do a lot of reading regarding first-time home buying and knew some of the things to look for in an inspector. My first uncomfortable feeling was his refusal to provide an example of his reports, stating that his reports were copyrighted. Everything I read highlighted the importance of receiving a written report and to stay far away from "check-in-the-box" reports. I understand now why he would not provide a report; it was a simple check-in-the-box report. Steve arrived on time, but I was running a few minutes behind. He started the inspection without me, which I think is very unprofessional, and supposedly inspected the roof during that time. If I had been up there with him, I would have seen the obvious points of entry that likely led to the leaks I saw in my ceiling only weeks after moving in. His inspection was quick and did not seem very thorough. He flipped on light switches and turned on water faucets. This was not thorough; if it had been, he would have noticed that in both the bathroom and the kitchen sink, the hot and cold water lines were reversed. He did point out one code violation under the sink, an uncovered electric box, but did not remove any light switch covers. Had he done this, he would have found all the hanging wires left at most switches (a significant fire hazard and code violation). He did not catch the outlets that did not work, either.

Steve was very punctual, professional, and licensed expert in his field. He inspected the house, took pictures, wrote up the report, and suggested remedies. He also has been in contact we me and with my lawyers. He went above and beyond. He is helping me remedy the issues with the house before my roof meets the same fate as the Metrodome and collapses because of snow load. He is not inexpensive, but if you want the best you have to expect to pay. His reports could be more detailed especially for court cases, but so far so good.

Steve was prompt in returning my calls, and was willing to work within my very tight schedule. I appreciated his professionalism and his straightforward, no-nonsense style.

Steve Hier has performed over 20 inspections for me. (I am a real estate broker.) I have used others, but he is simply the best. A high integrity, no nonsense guy who HAS cost me money on several occasions by rejecting a unit for which my client had written a contract. But he has also made me money over time, as my clients always report satisfaction.

Steve was wonderful! He pointed out the good, the bad and the ugly and when necessary referred us to specialists so that we could more thoroughly assess potential problems. He did a great job of prioritizing issues and helping us assess which problems were really problems and which were things we could live with. We would never buy a house again without calling him first!

Steve Hier arrived early and went right to work inspecting the exterior. Immediately he named aloud to me the problems he saw. He explained everything in ways I could understand. He named solutions to problems as well. He gave a cost when asked. At the end of 1 1/2 hours he presented me with a complete detailed report. The summary page named: major repairs, safety hazards, and work that may "require repair or replacement within the next 5 years." I felt Steve was thorough, upfront and accurate in naming the problems. I'll use him again.

Steve is a solid and trustworthy inspector that worked as a general contractor prior to his home inspection career, which helps add to his credentials. He knows the ins and outs of how homes, multi units and new construction are built. His knowledge allows him to be very straight forward in regards to what is a current issue, what could be an issue down the road, was it built correctly, and so forth. He also has extensive knowledge on the use of split face block and the issues associated with it, which is currently a hot trend in Chicago. He tells it like it is, not as a scare tactic but as a means of making sure that you have all the information to make a decision with. He's respectful of the current owners, agents involved and clients. Another nice factor is his follow up on any issues. He'll contact vedors and suppliers of materials to gather additional information to pass along. Plus he's always available to answer any questions after the fact and quick to return the call.

Steve gave great service from first contact through to follow up calls to confirm my satisfaction with his work. The inspection was thorough, comprehensive and Steve demonstrated useful knowledge throughout the inspection and in follow up questions. I would definitely recommend Steve for similar work. His depth of knowledge was much more important than the thickness or glossiness of reports (his report is comprehensive and uses a check list approach with added free text). An all round excellent service.

I WAS EXTREMELY PLEASED WITH STEVE'S SERVICES. HE WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL, PROMPT, AND COURTEOUS. HE PREPARED A DETAILED WRITTEN REPORT IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING HIS INSPECTION, PATIENTLY ANSWERED ALL OF MY QUESTIONS, GAVE ME BALLPARK ESTIMATES ON THE COSTS OF REPAIRS HE RECOMMENDED, AND STRESSED THAT HE WAS AVAILABLE BY TELEPHONE TO ANSWER ANY FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS.

I HAVE HAD SEVERAL INSPECTIONS OF REAL ESTATE PERFORMED BY STEVE HIER. HE IS VERY PROFESSIONAL AND THOROUGH. HE DETECTS ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS THAT OTHER COMPANIES OFTEN OVERLOOK. HE SPENDS SEVERAL HOURS ON THE JOB AND PREPARES A WRITTEN REPORT OF EVERY SECTION OF THE BUILDING ON THE SPOT, PLUS A SUMMARY OF THE MAIN PROBLEMS. AFTER THE INSPECTION HE IS AVAILABLE ON THE PHONE FOR CLARIFICATIONS. ANOTHER THING I FIND IMPORTANT IS HIS POSITIVE AND EASY-GOING PERSONALITY. HE COMMUNICATES WELL WITH PEOPLE AND DOES NOT ANTAGONIZE THE SELLERS OR THEIR AGENTS. HE DOES NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT ANY DIFFICULTIES BUT CHEERFULLY GETS INTO CRAWL SPACES AND CLIMBS HARD TO ACCESS ROOFS. I RECOMMENDED HIM TO SOME FRIENDS AND EVERYBODY HAS BEEN PLEASED WITH HIS SERVICES.