American Home Inspection Service

I think he did an excellent job (of course, something might turn up later), particularly with explaining (and showing) me and my real estate agent exactly what the problem was, and what needed to be done to fix it. He also did an excellent job of writing up the problems, so that these could be put into an addendum for the purchase contract for the house, asking the seller to make repairs. He also pointed out things like the splintering of the wood on the deck; things not absolutely fundamental to an inspection but still quite helpful. (Note: Home inspectors are not regulated in Virginia, and only loosely regulated in Maryland; that's why membership in a professional organization with high standards is so important. Danny is a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors, which has rigorous standards for membership).

Danny Patkus was great from the beginning, returning calls promptly. I arranged for a home inspection and radon test prior to closing on a house. He was early the day of the inspection. He found some serious problems even before seeing the interior. He saved me from buying a place that would likely need to be gutted, and quite generously didn't charge me for a full inspection. He was also very informative, answering all my questions. I won't hesitate to call Danny again.

Dan came early for the appointment so I wasn't there. He called and said he wouldn't be able to do it but gave me the name of another home inspector with far greater experience because he said he was like a professor and taught them everything. I was pretty impressed that he would pass up a chance to make money himself. He was forthright and I liked him a lot.

Warning: American Home Inspection Services in Virginia is not Danny and Mark. Call the Maryland number if you want Danny and Mark. I read so many good things about Danny that I was concerned when Mark was scheduled to do my inspection. But believe me when I say that every great comment about Danny applies to Mark as well. He was on time, courteous, efficient and competent. He picked up little problems that would be missed if one looked only at "The Big Picture", and he made great safety recommendations despite the fact that he wasn't selling anything.

Danny was great. We contacted him a month prior to using him for this inspection on another property. He spoke to us for about 30 minutes and provided info on water issues that our agent wasn't able to answer. We decided to pass on that house and used him for this house. He spent a long time reviewing problems with us and provided some general guidelines on repair costs. He found some damage from a previous fire to the home that was barely visible in basement. He wrote up the report at the site so we could use it for negotiations with the seller. He is very easy to work with. Unlike other inspectors we have used in the past, he was very upfront about problems without scaring us from purchasing the home. When he found the active leaking and water damage, he gave us a lot of information on what was needed so the mold/water/rotted wood would be permanently resolved. Overall, he was great.

Danny is a true professional. Spent 3.5 hours going over all aspects of the house. He was early and had already begun the inspection before we arrived. He was completely through and would sincerely take the time to answer our (many) questions. At several points he made it very clear that he was working for us, and not anyone else in the sale transaction. This guy is an old school home inspector who really knew the entire breath of the house. He didn't take any pictures and he provided us with a hand written report at the conclusion of the inspection. So if you want someone who is high-tech with emailed reports, this isn't your guy. If you want someone who has seen it all in 24+ years of experience, and who will take whatever time it takes to answer (and actually listen to your questions), this is your guy.

Danny returned my call quickly and a Home Inspection was scheduled quickly a few days after I had called. Danny and his partner showed up before the scheduled time. They were professional, passionate about what they do and all I can say is that they are Masters at their Craft. I would recommend Mr. Pattkus to anyone who is purchasing a house, thinking of purchasing a house our would just like to know what if anything is wrong with their house. They are like hawks that don't miss a thing, if there is something wrong with anything in the house they will find it and let you know. Not only will they find if they will make recommendations on how to fix the problem. I am so pleased with the service I got from this company and from Mr. Pattkus. I am also pleased with my membership to Angie's list and the service they provide. The money for the membership is well worth it, if I had not joined I would not have found this Treasure which is Mr. Danny Pattkus.

I called Danny to reevaluate a furnace pipe running outside our house. He had evaluated this several months ago in June. He had said our heater was shutting off due to condensation building up in the pipe and suggested we ask a plumber to install a stand pipe to the furnace, and do away with the outside pipe completely. We decided to hold off fixing it until the season got cool. When we recently called our plumber, he was stumped. He said that the pipe was actually an exhaust pipe, not the pipe that drains water. The plumber said that installing a stand pipe would not solve our heater issue. It was a long shot, but I called Danny and explained the situation. He was as pleasant as could be and I didn't even have to ask him for a second visit - he volunteered it. He came the very next morning and admitted his mistake. He suggested our HVAC installers must fix the exhaust pipe, which was improperly positioned. I was so pleased with how Danny handled this - very professionally.

Excellent from start to finish. He set up the appointment in two days. Mr. Patkus arrived on time. He is personable, friendly, and extremely knowledgeable in his field. This inspection took 3 hours. - I followed Mr. Patkus through the property and he took time to explain to me how the systems work. Mr. Patkus documented everything and provided me with a report right away in the site. There was a problem with the wood under the roof of the house that was changed two years ago. He tactfully and thoroughly explained it to the real state agent and me and prescribed what repairs would be required. I can offer the highest recommendation for Mr. Patkus. You will enjoy working with him.

I could never believe anyone could be this good. He set up the appointment in two days. He was prompt, knowledgeable and professional.

Danny showed up on time, thoroughly inspected my townhouse, and talked me through everything he did. He identified things that I would have totally missed on the walk-through with the building construction company. Danny inspected appliance connections, electrical wiring, plumbing, heating, a/c, ventilation, windows, doors, and floors. He was very pleasant to work with and very educating. His report was a very useful asset to have during the walk-through. Danny helped me to be totally prepared.

He did a very good job. He was here for almost three hours and went up into the attic and told me what I needed. He was thorough, professional, very nice and polite. I have told several of my friends about him.

Danny was great, he was pleasant and my 3 year old was instantly enchanted. He set to work in the basement looking at systems, then moved up the house from there. He asked did we have any concerns and I explained the one area we were worried about. He spent extra time and effort investigating the issue and provided us with a satisfactory answer. It was a fabulous investment of less than $300. He gave us a detailed report from which we can plan home improvements and system upgrades.

Great! Dan was very responsive and did a great job inspecting my house. He found several things I need to address but nothing was major so I feel really good about starting my remodeling work.

We are getting our home ready to sell. We wanted a home inspection to identify any major problems, and to give us guidance for setting our project priorities. Danny came out to the house right on time. He briefed me on what the inspection would cover. He let me accompany him throughout the inspection, and was always ready to answer any questions that I had. He inspected foundations, the attic, roof, electrical systems, heating and cooling, plumbing, and trimwork. He was thorough and efficient. He gave me the lowdown on what needs fixing, and helped me prioritize the projects. I am very pleased with his inspection and would not hesitate to use his service again.

Excellent from start to finish. Mr. Patkus arrived on time. He is personable, friendly, and extremely knowledgeable in his field. He immediately was able to put both myself and the property owners (sellers) at ease. This inspection took 3 hours - and in my experience was the most thorough and complete I have ever participated in. I followed Mr. Patkus through the property and he took time to explain to me how the systems work - as well as many of the structural details of the building. Mr. Patkus documented everything and provided reports to both myself and the sellers. There were two items that fell into the area of safety - which he tactfully and thoroughly explained to the sellers and prescribed what repairs would be required. I can offer the highest recommendation for Mr. Patkus. I would consider myself a fairly knowledgeable residential construction individual - and I found Mr. Patkus to be a through and through professional. You will enjoy working with him.

I can't imagine a better experience than the one I had. He arrived promptly, was extremely well informed on all aspects of a home inspection, and was able to communicate information to me in a very clear and understandable manner. He found fewer problems than he had thought he would and so charged me less than the estimate because he finished the job faster than anticipated.

I chose American Home Inspection because it received so many positive reviews on Angie's List. Let me add one more! This was the best $200 I've ever spent. Danny Patkus was extremely thorough, knowledgeable and very personable. He arrived right on time (which I greatly appreciate!) and checked every nook and cranny of my unit. He pointed out the easy fixes as well as a couple of squirrelly ones and explained to me why these needed to be addressed and pointed out a few things I could take care of on my own. He also offered some helpful advice on keeping things in good condition. I am so glad I decided to extend this to a full inspection. Even though there were a couple pieces of not great news (which I was expecting), it was an excellent experience. Danny was like having a big brother or trusted friend working with you. I would highly recommend American Home Inspection and will absolutely use them again.

I am a condominium owner who bought in the peak of the market in Rockville in 2005 and, as such, I waived the inspection of the unit. I knew that there were many things wrong with the unit, but did not know how to categorize, prioritize and organize each project. I used Angie's list to find Danny and cannot say enough positive accolades about my experience with his services. He answered every question I had, was concise and straight-forward with his recommendations and was pleasant in his demeanor and professionalism. I now have the peace of mind that I can confidently approach my home improvement projects with the appropriate urgency and necessity. I definitely recommend him for your home inspection.

Danny returned our call apologizing for the delay in getting back to us. It took him a couple of days only because he couldn't make out the last digits of my phone number on the voice mail I left; however, his apology was sincere and he even left his home number where he could be reached over the Memorial Day weekend. Danny arrived right on time on the appointment date and got to working immediately. He seemed to leave no stone unturned, checking things from the inside and out - even other rooms to see if there were problems elsewhere. My husband and I found him to be friendly, thorough, and competent. He explained things very clearly and made us feel confident and comfortable. Even our 2 children (3 years old and 18 months old) found him quite personable. We would undoubtedly hire him again in the future.

I was able to contact the inspector the first day. He had an opening on the following day - unfortunately, I had to cancel as our power was still out following some severe storms in the area. The inspector was extremely gracious and offered to reschedule, even though he was already in the area when I called. Arrived right on time at the rescheduled date and performed a quick inspection of the areas that I had mentioned I wanted to have looked at. Provided me with names of contacts for remediation of issues.

I left a message with American Home Inspection Service, and received a call back from Danny the next morning. We were able to schedule an inspection within three days (important due to timing of our contingency expirations). Danny was early, pleasant, and completely thorough in his inspection of our house. He checked every outlet, all faucets and drains, woodwork, masonry, the furnace and chimney flue, and was completely honest with us about what he could not reach to check. Although he couldn't reach our upper roof, he did climb out of windows and review the side roof, resulting in our adding several notes to our inspection contingency that the sellers paid to resolve. Danny was remarkably thorough, surprising even my agent in his willingness to check things out (she has told me that she will also be referring him in the future). Definitely worth every penny, and I will use his services again.

Our home was inspected by Danny, who had agreed to fit us into his schedule even though we had called him for an appointment only the day before. He arrived early and spent 2 hours on the inspection. Whenever he discovered a problem area (whether we knew about it or not), he flagged it with blue tape for the contractors to address at a later time. Danny started the job in the basement and ended with a look at the roof and the carport. He took a lot of notes, provided a detailed report on his findings at the end of the inspection, and even prioritized what he called "items of concern." Danny was honest, pleasant to work with, obviously knowledgeable and competent, and charged a fair price for his expertise. We have raved about him to family and friends (some of whom work in real estate), and would highly recommend him to anybody looking for a home inspector.

Danny was great, as thorough and professional as reported by other users on Angie's List. He arrived 15 minutes early and was more gracious than he needed to be when our real estate agent arrived more than 30 minutes late to let us into the house (on a very cold day). I very much appreciated how Danny handled an annoying remark from my Realtor too. My Realtor directed him to "go easy" on the inspection since the seller took a low bid from us and gave back $5,000 for closing costs. Danny turned to me and said, "You're my client. I inspect the home, what you do with that inspection is up to you." The inspection was thorough as far as I could tell. He explained everything patiently. My husband and I feel like we know what needs to be fixed immediately and what big items we should budget for in the next few years.

Danny arrived on time, beating me there actually. He got right to work. He started in the basement and pretty much worked his way up including the attic and getting on the roof. He is very patient, very thorough, and takes his time. Though my agent wanted to hurry him along, Danny made it quite clear who he was working for...me! Danny uncovered all sorts of problems w/the home. He encouraged me to ask questions. He took copious notes and gave me a great report when it was all done. Danny is simply a great guy and quite friendly. He is very personable; great bedside manner. And get this: I forgot my checkbook, and he said no problem, just mail it whenever! In summary, Danny Patkus is a great at what he does. I am completely satisfied. And to think my Realtor recommended an inspector costing $110 more! Puh-lease! Just to get a fancy binder to put the report in? My only suggestion to Danny is to use a digital camera. I had one, but not all customers will.