Tiger Home Inspection Inc

This was my second home inspection using Tiger Home Inspections. The first house fell through, which is why we needed another one. The home is a 1400 Sq ft garrison, with 4 bedrooms and a finished basement. I was very happy with the price as other inspectors on angies list average cost was over 600. The first time I called they were able to have an inspector out to me within 2 days. This time they were booked up most of the week but worked over the phone with me to try and work their schedule around to fit one in, again in short notice. They were unable to, so I checked some other places on angieslist and everyone i called was booked but made no attempt to fit me in. I called Tiger Home inspections back and was able to get an appointment by the end of the week. The first inspection was done by Phil, I requested he do the inspection again because I was very impressed with his professionalism and the inspections process in general. He started with the outside and went over everything on his own and then took us around to show us what he had seen and let us know what could be a concern, what looked in good shape. Afterwards he would put down all the notes on his computer for the report he was giving us. Meanwhile we were able to ask other questions and were given answers or clarification if some was needed. This process was repeated on all floors on the inside as well. The listing agent was at the inspection for other reasons and we were able to get some more information about some of the claims made in the listing. Phil was great about letting us know other information we'd want to get such as the location of the drainage for the subpump and french drain, things we could do for preventative damage, new home owner advice, which was very much appreciated. The inspection took 3 hours, which was about the same time as the last and by the end of the night i had the detailed report emailed to me via PDF file as requested.

My real estate agent recommended Tiger Home Inspection and told me to request Eric Blatz. I was somewhat reluctant, given the mixed reviews here on Angie's List, but I trust my agent and I'm happy that I hired Tiger Home Inspection. Eric did a great job. He was on time, very professional and took the time to explain things to me in detail. I would hire him again.

Someone recommended them and they were great. She was upfront and efficient. She explained everything in detail and the report was very detailed. It was a pleasant experience and the price was reasonable. I didn’t look around for other prices but I thought that for what she did, it was fine.

We're in the process of purchasing our first home. I used tiger home inspection even though the ratings in Angies list were not that great. My realtor suggested the company and specially gave me names of two employees. I was happy to go with Tiger because I was able to get one of the men my realtor suggested. This gave me piece of mind as well because Tiger let me pick the person I wanted. John was our inspector and he did what I believe was all that was needed, I guess since we have not moved in yet I do not know if what he rated was correct but he was great at the time of the inspection... Answered my questions and even showed me things I wouldn't have asked about. My only complaint at this point is that I was told I could ask questions about the report, I have sent questions but never heard back. That was disappointing. The price seemed to be the average, we got the radon test ($80 of the,$475 charge). Was told it was a good idea to get it... But no one seems to think its really needed that I've talked to total personal choice. The quick two day version was the best for the price, my realtor was able to go back and get the test to return via mail 48 hours after it was left. I'd suggest making sure to ask for the printed version of the inspection. If I didn't ask it wouldn't of been a definite thing. It was no extra charge either. I'd use the company again especially now that I know how they write up their reports, which its 70% of the home inspection because there seems to be so much more in the report them what is discussed in person.

Very good overall experience. Our inspector was early, and ready to go when we got there. He was familiar with our area, and spent a lot of time going over the house with us. He was personable and seemed to really know a little bit of everything about every system in the house.

Marty Blatz is whom I would first recommend to use if your using Tiger...(I see from some other reviews that some of the inspectors with this company clearly had had some challenges) However, I have used them for 2 different inspections and I actually got 2 good inspectors...In both cases I had a basic home inspection done...none of the extra tests some people require...I am not buying a million dollar home so for my purposes they were just fine. Marty Blatz my inspector showed up early, was polite, professional and easy to talk to and understand....he got right to work, crawled under the dirt crawl space (This was something not all inspectors can or would do) Tested electrical , fired up all the appliances, furnace, checked plumbing, attic, pretty much top to bottom...he gave me lots of information and pointed out some of the challenges that I put on my to-do priority list with my new house. (like some rot between the house and front stairs he discovered) Marty also mentioned the incentive programs the government is offering for things like insulation (Mass.gov) and maintenance programs from the gas company he knew about...this was just good info...nothing to do with actual inspection, but much appreciated. The girls in the office are responsive and friendly, helping you make the appointment etc...

Terrible!! Avoid this company!! I used Tiger Home Inspection in late 2008. I thought the inspector was reasonable. Well, we are in the process of selling our home now, and after having two sales fall through due to many house issues, my opinion of the man has swung 180. The other inspectors easily found major structural problems in the roof, mold in the basement crawlspace (deep into the space - my guy never went in), improper grading, unsafe basement stairs, etc. Tiger never commented negatively on any of these issues (I checked since I still have his report). DO NOT USE THEM!! I REGRET MY CHOICE EVERY DAY

Horrible! We didn't know the full scope of how horrible is was until recently when we had work done n the house.The inspector said he arrived one hour ahead of the scheduled inspection and looked at the roof. Who knows if he did? No issues YET on that front.He noticed some small stains on the basement floor which indicated sewer issues. We had the sellers replace several feet of it. NOW, we have to replace the entire sewer lines. Several inspections on rough plumbing brought many problems. The basement sink was not connected properly and neither was the gas dryer hookup, both having to be totally removed. Code is for two outside spigits for our size house; we have only one. There is a maze of spaghetti pipes for water in the basement that also is being removed. The home inspector was rude and impatient when we asked questions. He spent most of his time making small talk with the two real estate agents.His "inspection" was hand written and no one could read it. We had to call him at home and he went over the inspection over the phone. No printed copy. A total waste of money.Angie's List, where were you when I needed you? The service was performed before my Angie's List days.We are still having rennovations so no doubt, there will be other surprises that were not observed by our Tiger Home Inspection guy.

My wife and I had found a house we were interested

It was an excellent experience! They were easy contact and to make the appointment. Their website is also very informative. Their person showed up on time and was very professional. He knew what he was doing. We got our written report right there on that day; we didn't have to wait for it to come in the mail. I would highly recommend them! They are just great.

John arrived early for our condo inspection and did a thorough walkthrough with me. I thought he did a great job. He was clear in what potential issues might come up without putting the fear of god into me. The issues found were very minor but duly noted and pointed out.. He was also pleasant and had done other condos in my building before so he had a history in Somerville. Overall it went great! Really nice to get the report right there on the spot too since we were in a big hurry to close a deal. Also as were were in a big hurry we got an extremely fast response by Tiger to get the inspection. They had a cancellation for the day after I called so I had a complete report in my hand the next day after I started calling places!

I would not recommend using tiger home inspection -- it is totally useless. Out inspector was Walter Almeida Our inspector showed up and the first thing he said to me was, I will not provide any estimate of cost to fix. Then why did we hire you? Then he proceeded to examine a water faucet and said there is no water. And later he found that the water valve was shut off, but he refused to turn it on to examine because "it might break it." But I thought the point of a home inspection was to check for things like this! Then he just looked through each of the rooms and pointed out the obvious -- every time he is met with a question from he all he said was "i cannot tell you how the condition." At the end of the inspection, he said "OK, now for the best part of the inspection, the part where you give me the check." A terrible experience and save yourself the money!

I would not use them again in the future.

The inspector walked around the house and performed several tests. We were provided with a report afterwards. He found a few issues. There were several oversights * The overlooked obvious issues in the wiring of our house. They reported outlets were grounded that were not even though they tested them. * There was very obvious ancient wiring throughout the basement that was overlooked. This oversight is now costing us thousands of dollars. As one comment already said: you might as well skip the inspection if you're going to use these people.

It all started with calling the Tiger office and speaking with Donna. She was very helpful and polite. The appointment was scheduled relatively quickly and at a time convenient for me. Jared Piotrowski, Staff Inspector, came to my home to do the inspection and radon testing prior to buying the home. Jared arrived on time. He was very professional. His feedback was clear and easily understood. He was not overly pessimistic and not too optimisitc. He was very objective. If you use Tiger Home Inspection, especially in Northern Mass (Middlesex County) or Southern NH, I highly recommend Jared. As far as the radon inspection, there was not much to it other than them putting down two canisters and me having to send those in to a lab. Those test came back negative.

The whole experience was great. The man was very thorough, professional, and explained things in laymens terms so we knew what he was talking about and provided excellent advice about what we needed and didn't need done.

This was a regular home inspection. He spend little time describing the issues onsite but mentioned a few items later in the written report with no access to him any more to ask further questions. He just gave us a 9 page boiler plate report with 2/3 of it marked as "Not Inspected, not readily accessible or not present. No rating."

Part of my kitchen is sitting over a crawlspace and the guy would not go into the crawl space. I regret that I didn't force him to go in there the day he was here. I don't know why he didn't want to. It could have been because of the cold or because the piece of plywood that was over the small bulkhead area to get in there had too many screws. I think he just didn't want to go in there. There was a lot going on and I was very distracted. Normally I would give somebody a hard time about something like that. There could have been mold in there too. The piece of plywood had termites and I found that out when the contactor was here a month ago. I would have known that if the inspector had taken the plywood piece off. I had made an offer on a house in Canton before this house which fell through because of termites and serious water problems and everything else. The guy who came from Tiger to do that inspection was excellent. It really varies with the inspector that you get and how thorough they are. I got the impression the guy that came out here knew a lot about plumbing and I had the impression that he was an out-of-work plumber who was doing work until the economy improved. The other guy was an older guy who has been doing this for a very long time and he was excellent. He checked everything. There was a tiny space under the porch of the other house and he was trying all different ways to get under that porch. He wanted to see what was under there. I can't picture the guy who inspected the house that I bought doing the same thing. Overall he was pretty good. However, you have to be careful. You definitely have to be there for the inspection and you have to follow them around and make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing. I don't know how much people usually charge. This company was recommended by my real estate agent, but the price seemed reasonable. Both instances they were at the house before I even got there.

You might as well not be at the inspection if you use these clowns. Read their report only - do not listen to anything the inspector from Tiger speaks while he is in your prospective home. The words spoke are empty vapor. We had Tiger out to walk through our home. He walked around the house and when we walked outside he looked at the roof. I specifically asked the Tiger Inspector how long we had remaining on the roof had before we would have to replace it. He told me that there were TWO layers on the roof but he said we would NOT have to replace the roof for three to five years. While no one is perfect I expected at least a year or two. We closed on our home Jan 31st and I have had my home owner's insurance canceled by two separate companies. Three to five years has turned into three months, I had a roofing specialist out and go figure the roof has THREE layers, which is illegal in MA. The Tiger inspector gave me incorrect information which if he had identified the correct roofing info at inspection we would have had a stronger negotiation position. This bit of info would have helped alot before we settled on the home but OOPS Tiger missed it. In addition there is a three season porch off the side of our home which my insurance company has informed me is a high risk due to the current foundation. Tiger didn't say anything about this issue so I am now stuck paying an increased premium. Oops again - Thanks Tiger. The written inspection report presented a different story which Cara from Tiger Home Inspection hid behind when we spoke. I made the mistake of not reading every detail in the 26 page form report but I also made an even bigger mistake in trusting what the Tiger inspector said, I did pay him to help me but I think Tiger is more interested in getting their fee. If you choose to use Tiger, Buyer Beware and feel free to skip the actual inspection. Update - Tiger's representative "vehemently" denies stating that there were three to five years were remaining on my old roof. We disagree on this major point. My wife and I distinctly remember the Tiger inspector saying that he estimated that we had three to five years remaining on our old roof. We were debating on buying the home and the roof was a concern. When the Tiger inspector said three to five years before we would have to replace it that was one less concern. This inspector probably does 40 or so inspections per month yet he has an exact memory about an inspection from over five months ago. My wife and I have been to one home inspection in our lives, wanna bet who remembers what? Like I said in my initial report - do not bother showing up for the inspection from Tiger just read every detail within their report. Nothing the Tiger inspector says is worth your time.

The whole process was seamless from start to finish. The receptionist was courteous and efficient in setting up the appointment over the phone and calling to confirm the day before. The inspector, Tony D'Agati, was punctual, knowledgeable, friendly, and patient in explaining and answering questions. He went out of his way to teach us about what to look for and was extremely detailed. He left no stone unturned and crawled into small areas from the attic to the basement. Tony took time to review his detailed, hand-written report with us at the conclusion of the inspection. We felt confident that we were purchasing a quality home.

Jay Mercier was the inspector. He got to the house 30 minutes before scheduled inspection to walk around and noted things so when we got there he was ready to start talking. He clearly pointed out what he could see and what he could not see on items remote such as the roof. He meticulously went room to room and spent the most time in the unfinished basement where looking for issues with the boiler, previous termites, possible water issues (minor), and again emphasizing what is unknown because of the drop ceiling, etc. He also was aware of things needed to be done by the seller because of local recent ordinances, etc.- involving the oil tank feed lines. He made us aware of things such as the possibility that some plumbing may have been done by non professionals (or the homeowner) but did not make too big a deal of these items He wrote a very thorough report- he noticed everything but put things in perspective- as many things could/should be fixed after (and if) you buy the house. He spent a lot of time explaining everything he wrote down which was good. His report is handwritten with a carbon copy requiring him to press hard and sometimes it was a little difficult to write which was a good thing- because he wrote a lot! I recommend him strongly as he takes great interest and pride in his work. This is the third inspector I have used and by far the best. He was not trying to either make or brake the deal. He was just giving us as much information as possible and certainly did not skimp on time spent, details delivered, and information to us verbally to understand what he wrote.

Kevin O'Neill was our inspector and was extremely thorough and detailed. He was also very patient with explaining things to us and understanding when we had to feel our newborn baby.

Tiger Home Inspection provides individual inspectors for Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. Mr. Marty Blatz was assigned to our request for a home inspection. He arrived an hour early and ran an outside of the home inspection BEFORE we arrived. Marty walked around and pointed out all areas of his inspection, even some I had no idea would be looked at. Information was given to us even before we asked our questions. He was completely informed and up to date. On the inside, when the real estate agent arrived, was completely and fully explored. Every window - electric - waste- - heating - and wall plug was looked at or testing. All the time in the world was taken to complete the inspection. A full report was given to us along with an additional copy for our agent. We had requested a machine radon test be done. Tiger's usual cost for inspection is $385.00 and well worth it. The machine reading should be completed in another day for an additional cost of $195.00. This is higher than the 'kit' cost, but much quicker and more accurate. All in all, Tiger Home Inspection services - phone agent, and service personnel - are all very qualified and professional. Well worth it and would use again and recommend them to our family and friends when they need this service.

Do not use this service. Management is unprofessional and does not stand behind their work. $500 that would have been better spent at the track. While the initial inspector that came out was very profiessional, he missed several significant structural issues which should have been evident to any trained professional. Instead of informing us of the issues, he provided us with meaningless paper that essentially served as a CYA and passed the buck to bring in a contractor. Should have just saved the money from the inspection and spent it on an actual trained professional contractor who knew what he was doing and would stand behind their work. After alerting the company to the mistake / missed structural issue we were treated extremely rudely and essentially told "it's not our problem" we gave you enough information that you should have known. Thanks for nothing. Look around and find another service. This company does not believe in integrity or customer service. Hopefully this is not a common experience and is limited to one awful experience, but I think not.

Eric Blatz performed the inspection and was extremely helpful, patient, efficient and professional. We are first-time homebuyers and our Real Estate agent highly recommended John Tambascio from Tiger but it turned out that John was unavailable on the day we needed him. I was hesitant to schedule with another inspector but the secretary at the office was very understanding and suggested Eric, offering that "he had just won a company-wide award for being one of the top inspectors". We were very pleased with our experience. We have yet to move in to our new condo but at this stage in the process, the details of the inspection have been extremely valuable in our negotiations and our planning for future improvements.