Spec-Pro Home Inspections

Ian went over the home from top to bottom and pointed out to us all problem areas. He picked up on what turned out to be a major mold problem and many other issues. He placed testing canisters and returned in 2 days to collect them to send off for radon testing. He quickly provided a detailed report. He was prompt, thorough, professional and good at explaining things. We would use him again and would recommend him to others. UPDATE: Ian performed a total of 4 home inspections for us from October 2013-January 2014. Each time he was prompt and professional. He is very personable and works well with customers, homeowners and realtors. Don't hesitate to hire Ian.

It went excellent as always. I have used Ian several times for inspections and I find him very complete. Not only does he notice the big issues, but he watches for things that could become problems down the road. I highly recommend him for any inspections.

They were excellent to work with. I was impressed with how thorough, cooperative and patient with my tenants they were. I had no issues when working with them.

Ian did a great job, very good attention to detail, caught all the things I would have expected and more. Has good knowledge of what to look for, what causes some of the issues, and can give you a general ball park of what it will cost (we got quotes on some of the issues he found and he was very close). And he is able to realize where the limits of his expertise are and to recommend that you get a pro which to me is just as important. He also has a great personality and was great to work with. He may look a bit young but he's got the experience and knowledge and I wouldn't hesitate to use him again (let's hope we don't have to though) or recommend him to anyone.

This project started with an electric car charging station - a GE Voltec. When the electrical contractor inspected the house they raised concerns about my junction box - a Federal Pacific (Stab-lok). This took a great deal of work to sort out. I had to check with numerous sources to confirm their concerns about this box. Eventually I called Spec-Pro (Ian Robertson) and he was able to give me all the info I need. Details about FP Stab-lok are available on numerous web sites (which I view with a degree of skepticism). Bottom line is that Federal Pacific Box circuit breakers don't always pop with heavy loads. This leads to an electric fire. Spec-pro is well versed on the statistics of this issue, and I understand that Ian has given presentations to insurance professionals. Obviously, If you don't overload circuits this problem is mitigated. However if you put in an electric car charging station (which draws a lot of amps) this can be a very serious potential problem. Quite literally you are playing with fire! Regarding the Electric Car Charging Station - GE Voltec - it's basically great. It makes a big difference for an electric car (ours is a Chevy volt) compared to the slow 110 volt level. Now we go months without putting gas into the car, and the difference in electric bill appears to be relatively minor. Great report on MPGE and MPG cost is available at http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/2011/1225/Electric-cars-101-What-does-MPGe-mean-exactly. Currently our average is over 130 mpg. It would be much higher but we deliberately run in gas mode to make sure the gas is fresh and the engine is working properly. And, it is much easier to charge an electric car then refuel a gas powered car.

Ian was very detailed and engaging, he covered every aspect of a home inspection that was humanly possible and explained in detail the judgments he was making. He gave my wife and me an education and injected some humor and stories to keep it interesting. He is a very impressive professional and we would not hesitate to hire him again.

Outstaining experience. Professional, thoruough...and very adept at explaining issues in plain, everyday language. Highly recommend.

Ian from Spec - Pro arrived on time and wasted no time explaining what radon is. As he talked he selected the testing site and set up the testing station . The other technician also arrived on time. He took the test down and prepared it for shipment to the lab for analysis. The completed report arrived a few days later. Both reps were professional and seemed knowledgeable.

We have had Ian inspect multiple homes for us and he is amazing. He is very detail oriented and walks you through all the problems and concerns that he finds with a house. He has saved us a ton of money by finding problems that would be easily overlooked by another inspector. On one house he identified an issue with the chimney. Ultimately, we did not go through with the house because we received estimates north of 10k that the sellers didn't want to have done. In another house he found mold growing on the walls in the attic that was caused by an overall defect in the ventilation of the home. We were able to get the mold removed from the home and have the ventilation issues taken care of by the seller. I think the best part of the services provided by Ian is that he is always a call or email away if you have any questions about your inspection. For me i always come up with questions after the fact and he has always been very responsive in answer all of my questions. He provides a detailed report that includes photos of problems/defects with every inspection that you can use as a guide to repair your home. I would not have anyone else inspect a home for me, he has saved us thousands of dollars!!!!

Spec-Pro took their time to inspect the home we are purchasing. The inspection was detailed and thorough. All our questions were answered. The inspection was not rushed at all. Additionally, we received a very detailed report about the house and the inspection for our records.

Ian is a true professional. He arrived early to inspect the roof, and walked through the rest of the house with us. He gave us a lot of great suggestions on how to reduce energy costs and mitigate other issues that became apparent during the inspection. As first time homebuyers, we had a lot of questions. He welcomed all of them, and answered clearly in non-contractor lingo. He's very personable and it's obvious that he takes great pride in his work. I absolutely recommend him for your home inspection needs.

Ian is outstanding and the inspection is worth every penny spent. This was the second time I've had Ian do an inspection, the first was a year ago and the deal fell through as a result of unrelated issues not relevant to the inspection. Both inspections have been incredibly thorough, and mostly without incendent or "majors." The attention to detail is much appreciated, and Ian rightfully points out what I would consider regular homeowner maintenance items, including suggestions for how to mitigate. Despite the welcomed rigor, I didn't feel like anything he said was overstated or cause for unneeded panic. On the other hand, were there any majors I expect that Ian would have provided me He was extremely knowledable on all aspects that we covered. Over the past handful of years I've dealt with a handful of inspectors, either through buying or from selling our own home. As a reference point, two of the inspections that were done on my own home through other inspectors, which pointed out valid issues that were later mitigated, were in my opinion highly unprofessional and incomplete. Ian's report is clear, has pictures to show why he reached the conclusions that he did, and is available for follow up and further questions. In addition, in both cases that we used Ian, the report was completed the same day. I appreciated his service, and I wish I had more people to recommend him to.

During the 1st home inspection we put a contract on Ian found the roof was starting to leak (the previous owners had replaced half the roof 2 years prior) and found the furnace was not working properly the furnace would take 5 tries to light the pilot and after a minute the pilot would snuff out. It kept repeated this cycle. The heat was turned on and after 1 hour the temp did not increase more than 1 deg. Unfortunately the sellers were not interested in repairs so the deal fell through. We used Ian again on the 2nd home we put a contract on because we were pleased with his work. Fortunately for us the second home purchase went through. Ian was very helpful pointing our areas of concern and potential future problems (partial finished basement, sump pump life, leaking attic vents). I would definitely use Ian again.

The experience was just as impressive this time, and the results were better! Ian is friendly, professional, and exceptionally knowledgeable. He was very thorough and explained every detail about the house and it's upkeep. He arrived early and had taken a preliminary look at the exterior of the house before we arrived. It is a pleasure working with Ian and I highly recommend him. I almost wish we needed another home inspection!

Ian was very good communicating. I explained my questions and concerns and he recommended a follow up inspection. I am very glad he did because he discovered some very serious issues with the home (that we had bought after the initial inspection). You can tell that he cares most about the safety and health of the people who hire him and wants to give a 100% full and accurate report of the situation, which is what a home inspector should do.

Very detailed report with pictures provided in a very timely manner. With report in hand we were able to go back to seller and got adjustments on buying price which were 5 times the cost of the inspection. A very good investment.

Wow. All of the positive reviews on Angie's List are right on the money regarding Spec-Pro Home Inspections. Ian was absolutely fantastic to work with. Word has gotten out about how great he is because he was scheduling pretty far out when we called. Luckily, he had a slot available that was within the required timeframe for our inspection. Ian arrived early for the inspection, starting his work immediately. By the time we arrived for our scheduled appointment (also early), Ian had completed most of his work on the outside of the house. He already had his observations ready for us. From there we went through the house in great detail. Ian took the time to explain exactly what he was doing and repeatedly encouraged us to ask questions at any time. His professional demeanor and approach creates a very relaxed environment in which you can learn a great deal about the house. Ian maintained a positive attitude throughout the entire visit; it was very clear to us that he wanted to be 100% sure that we were satisfied. As promised, he promptly delivered a comprehensive report of the inspection, detailing everything we discussed and more. Very impressive! We cannot recommend him highly enough.

I called Ian because I found great reviews for him here on Angie's List. I already had an inspector do my work, but I needed to ask someone some very specific questions and get a straight answer. Ian was great. He took my call, and spent at least 15-20 minutes on the phone with me. The questions I had were about mold remediation in my attic. As tricky as this process is, Ian had all the bases covered. He was professional and did not recommend or demonize any vendors. He did tell me what questions I should ask, and commented about his general experiences with some of the vendors that I had gotten quotes from. He helped me understand the benefits of mold remediation, especially the importance of proper cleaning BEFORE encapsulation. He also helped me see the benefits of replacing my insulation, which is something that none of the vendors had suggested. He discussed the differences in cleaning and encapsulation products, suggesting that a clear encapsulation product may be better long term, and that it would allow me to see the work that had been done (that the mold had been removed and not just painted over). He also explained the proper methods of ventalation (we have soffits and ridge vents). Lastly, he informed me that there are no actual NY State mold licensing requirements, but that there are some national certifications that I should ask about. The information has helped me to feel confidant in my decision making process in choosing a vendor wisely. Ian also told me without any hesitation "If this were my house, this is what I would do". Excellent response. Honest.

Ian arrived before our scheduled appointment and had already inspected most of the outside of the Home. He took me through his findings once I arrived and from that point I followed Ian through the rest of the Inspection. Ian was very thorough and explained all his findings very succinctly. He also talked about what needs to be fixed, what would be the approximate cost of fixing and the time it will take a contractor to complete the job. He also talked about how to take care of various items around the House with proper maintenance to avoid costly repairs down the road. Ian was fun to work with and I gained a lot of knowledge about how to care for the home I was about to buy. i will certainly hire Ian again if the opportunity arises.

Ian (Spec-Pro) inspected a 165(ish) year old home we are purchasing. We knew that the home was old, however Ian gave us the confidence we needed to proceed with the deal in an informed and intelligent fashion. This was our second experience with a home inspector, the last being in 2009, and we could not have been more impressed. Ian arrived early, was extremely professional (he even brought indoor and outdoor shoes), and immediately made us comfortable with what was going to happen over the next few hours. Ian's attention to detail was unparalleled. Our last inspector did a good job (on our last home), but this went the extra mile. Ian was prepared with a variety of materials and instruments, and his inspection was very thorough - almost to the point where we were thinking "ok we get it!" - but in the long run of course wanted it that way. He answered all of our questions, and we felt confident in his knowledge of old homes. His report was emailed the same day as the inspection, and was incredible. It was 50-some pages, in color, with different color codes reflecting the severity of issues he found. Even things we thought were addressed really quickly during the actual inspection appeared with comprehensive analysis and recommendations. After reviewing the report, we jokingly said that we were going to get it laminated as our "to-do" list for the next 20 years.

Ian was very informative, we were very pleased with the experience. We arrived 15 minutes early only to find he was already there and inspecting. He walked us through the house and explained everything he saw. He answered any and all concerns we had. A few hours after the inspection we had a detailed report, complete with pictures, and severity of issues emailed to us. Very impressed, and would definitely recommend for future use. THANKS!

Ian does a very thorough job and his report is amazingly detailed. He was very knowledgable and explained things in terms that were easy to understand. I would definately recommend him to anyone looking for a quality home inspector

He was on time and performed the inspection while answering all of our questions and concerns. We received the full report later that evening. Very fast turnaround. Very thorough report. I highly recommend Spec-Pro for home inspection services.

The inspection went great. Ian was early and we were able to get started after reviewing his paperwork. His review was very detailed, showing /explaining the defects and answering my questions when asked. He showed me what caused a problem and how it affected the structure - from the basement to the roof. He described the differences in severity of items with possible solutions of small items, and recommendations to see a problem specialist for larger items. After the inspection, he completed the report and sent it to me via email the same day. His knowledge about homes and appreciation of them made this a true learning experience and i would recommend Ian to anyone.

Ian is very polite, friendly and professional. He is very detailed and he explains to me what is going on and that's why his inspection takes 2 hours while some other inspectors may only take 1 hour to do the inspection. I will recommend him to people who want to do their home inspections.