Inspections by Bob

We decided to use Inspections by Bob due to the overwhelming positive reviews from Angies' list and we were happy we did. From the first phone call to the inspection, Bob proved to be a wonderful person and great inspector. He was very diligent in his inspection and made many great points and excellent recommendations. He even put up with 3 of us (husband, wife, and realtor) asking numerous questions and pointing out tons of items along the way. I found the information very valuable and his style very comforting in what is normally a stressful process. He is very knowledgeable and kind. We highly recommend Bob!

We chose Bob based on the other reviews from Angie's List and I was very happy that we did! Bob was very thorough and offered a lot of additional value-added information (ex. explaining how the septic system works). Also, since he had lived locally, he was able to give us information on the area. As far as his inspection, he really took his time examining every inch of the home while pointing out his findings to us and explaining future projects that we may need to add to our to-do list as well as those things that were larger issues. I feel very confident with Bob's service and really appreciated him sharing his knowledge with us. He comes highly recommended.

Bob was already there when I arrived, and had done a walk-around of the exterior. He was well prepared & thorough. He noted a lot of things during the inspection, took the time to explain each item he noticed during the inspection, did a comprehensive review at the end, and left us with a binder documenting everything. He followed-up with an e-mail including several photos he took during the inspection. I found Bob to be very knowledgeable and thorough, yet realistic, considering the home in question was built in 1860. This isn't my first home purchase, and I'm fairly handy/knowledgeable about a lot of things around the house, from carpentry to electrical and plumbing, and I'd say he was by far the best home inspector I've ever had.

Bob did "pre-drywall inspection" for me in Feb. I was extremely satisfied. So I invited him back for the final inspection before house closing. He performed in great detail, and be able to found defects on the wall that I would not be able to spot even looking at the same spot. The good news is that the builder corrected all the defects he picked out. For example, just before the inspection, there was a water leaking at the lower right corner of a basement window, after a heavy rain. The builder told me it was due to a little leak at the concrete-wood interface of the window frame on that spot. So, a simple seal in that corner would fix the issue. However, Bob told the construction manager that the issue might not be so simple. It could reflect a much larger leakage issue around the entire window. He suggested the builder to use a garden water hose to spray around all the basement windows and assess the magnitude of the issue. The results completely surprised the building manager. Almost all of the basement window has water leakage issue. It was not just a construction operation quality issue, it was a design issue from the builder; under the design, it would be very difficult to 100% eliminate water leakage around the wood-concrete interface of the frame. So, all the basement windows were removed and re-built with a slight design modification. So far, I have not seen any water leakage around any of the 5 basement windows after moving in for about 3 months. Bob also left me with a little surprise after the inspection. A week after the house closing, I noticed a tool box sitting on top of my refrigerator, and with a note in the box from Bob: "Enjoy your new house". It turned out that the tool box is one of the most useful things in the 1st two months of my moving into the new house.

Bob did a complete and very thorough home inspection for us on a home that we were thinking of purchasing. From the first time we called Inspections by Bob until the end of the inspection, everything was handled very professionally. The inspection took a few hours to complete and at the end we were provided with a very well organized binder about the property and everything that was checked. Areas of concern were photographed and the photos were printed on the spot and included in the binder. Bob explained everything to us in detail as we went through the inspection and then reviewed everything again at the end of the inspection as we went through the binder. Bob was very kind to allow my parents to tag along and ask questions during the inspection as we are first time home buyers. We did not end up purchasing this house (not because of anything found during the inspection), but we would definitely use Bob again if we are looking to buy in this area in the future. We would definitely recommend Bob's services.

Standard Townhome Inspection. As advertised- thorough and professional.

They gave us 10% off for being Angie's List members. They did not do a roof inspection; they said we would have to buy the roof inspection. They gave us a report before the guy went home. He made a whole book for us. He wasn't that bad. He told the boss stuff about the house, including the make and what we should watch for. But then, he didn't really give us guidance for things that needed to be done; but he did explain a lot to us. He showed us little problems with the house that we should look for in the future, which was nice. Overall, I think they did the job pretty well.

Overall I was very satisfied with Bob's performance. He was very thorough and appeared to be interested in doing a good job. My wife and I are first time buyers and Bob was very willing to take a little extra time on the phone to walk me through the process. Also, he did a little extra research on the property and permits before even showing up to perform the inspection. On site (on time) for both inspections he was very professional and quite willing to allow me to follow around and ask questions as the inspection went on. On the first property he spotted some faulty structural repairs that tipped me off to get a contractor in before making any decisions and ultimately back out of a house. His pricing may be a little high compared to other inspectors, but given the amount of amount of knowledge and thoroughnesshe brought to the table I would still call it good value.

Bob was great! The inspection was thorough, and afterwards Bob patiently answered all of our questions and provided explanations when we didn't understand (which was frequently). The inspection report included pictures and helpful resources. Bob followed up after a few weeks to make sure things were going smoothly.

After thoroughly researching the home inspection process, I decided to pursue a different inspector than the one recommended by my realtor (I wanted an inspector who was looking out for my interests and not the interests of the realtor). I researched several providers and decided on Inspections by Bob due to his extensive experience in the industry, certifications, independence from realtors, and the fact that they carry E&O insurance. I called Bob on very short notice, but was able to schedule the inspection. Bob arrived early and was extremely thorough in his approach, explaining everything to me along the way and answering all of my questions. Bob documented everything thoroughly, with pictures, and didn't limit his focus to big items that needed seller remediation, but also provided notes on items to service, items to watch over time, proactive steps I could take to mitigate issues in the future, etc. Ultimately, I was very pleased with the inspection and have an excellent reference guide for the future. In addition, Bob does not disappear once the inspection is over. Since the inspection, I've reached out numerous times for advice or service referalls and Bob has been prompt and responsive. The quality of the inspection and piece of mind I received about the home buying process was outstanding. I would recommned that any home buyer use Inspections by Bob, but especially first time home buyers, who can really benefit from the addiitonal guidance and hands-on tips that Bob provides for maintaining your home after the purchase.

First of all Bob is very good at what he does! He arrived early, and started to do an inspection on the exterior of the home. When my wife and I arrived he quickly showed us the issues that he had already found with the house. The home inspection process was new to us since this was the first house we were looking to buy, ultimately Bob did a great job of explaining what was wrong with the home. Bob was good enough to relate the issues in a manner that we could both understand, which was a nice thing since neither of us are professional electricians or plumbers. At the end of the process Bob gave us a binder with all the information that he recorded on the home including what was in good condition, and what needed repair. Ultimately we didn't buy the home, but the next home inspection we will definitely be scheduling with Bob!

Bob & his wife arrived a few minutes early and, with the listing agent's approval, looked at the exterior of the property before ringing the bell. They went through introductions & paperwork explaining the service and what they would do. Before arriving they had done their research and knew what permits had been issued on the property and that one permit had failed final inspection, been extended and was still 'open'. They invited - even encouraged - me to join them and ask any questions as they went through the home. Starting in the attic they looked at the overall construction & condition then went searching for signs of infiltration by creatures. (They noted traps had been set so they looked carefully for where creatures might gain access.) Along the way they noted interior signs of damage that corresponded to repairs they had seen done from their outside inspection. I was truly impressed at how thorough they were and how knowledgeable each one was. Some of the inspection (like the exterior & attic) they did together and some they did separately to get the job done in a 'reasonable' amount of time. Bob inspected the furnaces, water heater, and electrical panels while his wife inspected the bathrooms and kitchen. When they 'finished' they went through what looked like a cross-check - each asking the other if they covered various items. The approx. 5 hours they spent (10 man/woman hours) uncovered numerous issues of work that needed to be done, a few very serious safety issues, and several instances where work appeared to have been done without permits and required inspections -- and was not done "to code". It also turned up numerous maintenance issues that needed to be dealt with, water management issues, potential issues that a civil engineer would need to evaluate, and some construction points (not criticisms) that a homeowner would want to know about their home. Overall, Inspections by Bob was significantly more thorough and helpful than any other home inspector I've ever used!

Bob and his wife Wilmod are great! Such personal service. We were out of town buyers and he accommodated us on short notice on a Sunday for a small additional charge. No one else we called was able to provide weekend service, so we really lucked out by cold calling IBB. Bob really takes his time during the inspections, is very knowledgable, and is able to explain home systems in laymens terms. He inspected our house that had septic, oil, and well (non of which we had ever had before) and he took the time to educate us about the systems. He also brought our attention to the potential risk in a 27 year old buried oil tank, enabling us to negotiate for the sellers to remove it. The cost of that alone was about $1500, more than paying for his inspection fee! The inspection lasted about 3 hours for a 3800 SF house and we received a very user-friendly report in a binder that will be helpful for future reference. After the inspection, we needed an electronic copy for the real estate transaction and Wilmod provided it to me within minutes.

Bob did a great job! Being first time home owners he provided a wealth of information regarding the maintenance of the home and its equipment. He provided an in depth explanation of how our heat pump, oil furnace/tank, septic system functioned and answered any questions that we had. We received a binder and photos with his analysis. He saved us $2000 in our negotiations because of his inspection of our deck. The seller was also satisfied with his services and had him perform a water test for this home.

BoB is Great!! The inspection was supposed to start at 2:00 PM and I was arrived at 1:55PM. Bob was already there and started checking the house exterior status. During the inspection, he was very thorough, checking everything one by one, and always double-checked if nothing was missing after he finished one section. Also, he was very knowledgeable, professionally, and kindly explained to us everything - which part was having a problem, why it was and what I should do for fixing the problem, what will be the "plan B".... in detail. It was really wonderful experience to work with him. I would definitely hire him again, and recommend him to my friends and families!!

Wow, Bob is awesome. We made an appointment with him (easy to do online) based on the reviews on Angie's List -- best decision we've made so far! He caught so many issues inside the house, from big to small, and all of them things we'll need to take care of. He was incredibly thorough, professional, and very personable. What I really liked about him was that he explained everything in detail: What each problem was, why it was a problem, what would need to be done to fix it, and how much (roughly) it might cost to fix. And of course, the detailed binder with information about everything inside the house has been super handy to refer back to as we plan to move in and get things tidied. He was also super responsive even after the inspection, answering our questions by email and providing additional information on what supplies might be needed to fix it up. Thanks to his incredibly detailed report, we got a pretty nice credit from the seller on closing that we can put to making the house our home. I could not recommend Inspections by Bob more highly!

sounded Bob arrived ahead of time and began inspecting the house exterior. He inspected on his own for quite a while (well over an hour, and perhaps even more). He then walked the present owner and me around the house commenting about the things he found and what should be addressed. He also gave the homeowner an opportunity to discuss how the issue may have already been addressed and suggest effective ways to mitigate otherwise. Bob inquired about who the new occupants of the house were and made recommendations based on the kids ages. At the end Bob provided a nice binder that organized everything he found (including printed color photos) as well as a nice summary for the seller, buyer, and agent on the spot. All and all, I'm very glad I used Angie's List to find Bob, as I probably would have thought that the name on it's own didn't instill confidence (sorry Bob). I should also mention that I spoke with Bob on the phone beforehand which also let me know he was going to be very knowledgeable and thorough.

The inspection went well and pointed out many issues that I had missed. I was a little surprised that Bob fills out an inspection form with comments and gives a copy with pictures he prints all on site. I personally would have liked a little more formal of a report, but it did the job and was thorough. We planned to do a radon inspection, but he recommended not doing so because of the larger issues that ended up helping us decide to walk away and saved some $$.

The inspection went well. This was the second inspection Bob did for us in the last month. We were very pleased with his first inspection and contacted him again. We signed his agreement online and he was early for the appointment. This worked out well as we had the opportunity to walk the outside of the property and he explained his observations and took pictures. Bob then did the inside inspection which was very thorough. Following the inspection he provides us with a comprehensive binder, explains each category and pictures with notations explaining what the repairs should be. The entire inspection lasts about 3 hours.

We are new homebuyers and per Angie's List reviews we had high expectations for Bob's quality of work and inspection abilities. Bob did his homework on our house and knew about all upgrades and electrical work done beforehand which was good. He focused mainly on the little things (outlets working, knobs on sinks working) and visually scanned for the larger things. Our 3-level home inspection was done in 1.25 hours, and this included a brief walk around outside. After our inspection, Bob informed us of the things to expect with our 1950s house. Bob emailed us a week afterward telling us of a power connection line issue he noticed when he looked in depth at our pictures, quite helpful. No issues with our radon test. Yet, Bob missed a huge and aged water leak in the downstairs bathroom that was flagged by our FHA appraiser. It was readily visible to our FHA appraiser, and should have been caught. We are working with Bob to go through a reinspection of our house to mitigate our fears--he is very helpful and responsive with this issue.

I am working with a national builder to build a new single family house. I need to find an expert to perform "pre-drywall inspection". There are hundreds of home inspectors in this area and I feel difficult to differentiate them. I then started from Angie's List, and identified Bob, based on the rating and # of people reviewed. Bob spent 4 hours on my house, under freezing temperature. I suggested to turn the HVAC on to keep us warm. He told me don't do this, otherwise all the construction dusts would be sucked into the AC system, and significantly shorten their life. He immediately spot a hidden structural issue within the 1st 5 minutes: the hangers holding the beam were not properly nailed, only 60% of the nail holes were used. It was amazing to me how quick he can find such issue, since these hangers were already partially covered by the thermal insulation material. It turned out that the builder has been building their houses in this way for a while. So, the constructing manager does not accept Bob's view. After completing the inspection, Bob took an extra mile to contact the manufacturer of the hanger to confirm the proper use of their products, and had the local rep. of that manufacturer contact the builder to urge them make corrective action. Bob was also very patient to explain to me what is considered minimal acceptable, and what is considered excellent. He even requested the builder to cover the air return of the AC system to prevent construction debris falling into them, and cover the bath tubs to prevent them being scratched. In fact he quickly found one scratch already been made on the brand new master bath tub. It appears to me that the construction manager of the national builder does not even care about these details. I can quickly tell Bob and the builder are at very different levels when it comes to the sense of quality of a house. Henry

The inspection went very well. Bob was there early and started to walk around the house with us pointing out issues . He explained everything he was looking for and was able to answer all our questions. He was thorough and detailed. Bob went back over some areas to double check when he was writing his notes. At the end of the inspection he gave us a synopsis while he was writing his report and taped off areas to be addressed. We were given a detailed binder with a list of items that need to be addressed by closing and items that could wait. unfortunately Bobs printer for photos was not working due to cold however he emailed us the pictures within one hour of leaving the inspection. We highly recommend Bob for home inspections

This was my first house purchase, so I don't have a point of comparison, but I think Bob did a great job. He pointed out the vermiculite insulation in the attic, which became a significant negotiating point with the sellers (they paid to have it remediated). He also pointed out several smaller issues.

We thought Bob did a great and thorough job. He seemed extremely knowledgeable and very detail-orientated. He also just had a lot of helpful advice that we, as first-time home buyers, found incredibly helpful because we just don't know that much about houses. The first awesome thing about Bob was that he was able to do our inspection within a day or two of my phone call. As part of our competitive offer on the house we wanted, we'd given ourselves a very short window to do the inspection so this was incredibly helpful. Bob was on time and he took his time in our inspection and letting us ask all the questions we wanted. He had a big binder with a per-formatted checklist that he went through. He also took pictures, printing them out at the house and he gave those plus the binder to us that very day after the inspection. One thing I've heard some inspectors do that would have been helpful: a more thorough write up of the issues he found - rather than just the check-marks and brief notes Bob took and gave us. He explained everything as he went in great detail, but not all of it stayed in my head. However, this is a small quibble because the other great thing about Bob is he is very accessible by email and answered several followup questions we had. He found several issues - big and small - with the house that we hadn't noticed and ended up saving us thousands. These included an out-of-code electrical box and entrance cable (this alone was several thousand to fix as well as a major safety hazard), broken electrical sockets and an incorrectly connected dishwasher. He noticed that the furnance was so dusty it was unlikely it had been serviced in recent years and recommended we ask for that to be done (we did). One thing he didn't find that we just paid for: A clogged bathroom pipe, even though he did run all the taps. Still, not the kind of issue we would have quibbled over in the negotiation anyway. He even crawled up in our attic! All in all, we feel like Bob was a great find who saved us a lot of money and heartache and would heartily recommend him to anyone.

Bob was early for the appointment at the property, and had already started noting issues with the exterior of the home and land. He began inspecting the interior of the home at 9:00 a.m., and completed everything (including radon testing) just after 2:00 p.m. Bob was extremely thorough and very professional. He made sure we understood some key problems that exist with the home we are hoping to purchase, and explained in full detail everything he checked for and issues that he found. He is by far the BEST of the best home inspector I have every hired, and I plan to hire his services again if purchasing another house.