Home Inspections by Dan Howard D/B/A Envirospect

Dan found a few minor things such as there was was a minor issue with one of the eaves and the sellers took care of this. I was worried as my closing date was moved back and he performed a very thorough mold inspection and was able to get in there and perform a thorough inspection to get the mold sent in for testing. It turned out it was a safe situation. He came back and reinspected a year later and the levels are within normal range. While his prices seem to be a little bit high, I feel he bent over backwards to help me out.

It was a very bad snow day...the roads were horrible...but Dan still came, from far away, too! I felt so bad that he had to sit in traffic in the bad weather, but he didn't seem to mind. This is my first time home purchase, and I wanted to do everything right. I checked Angie's List against the realtor's list of home inspectors and liked how thorough Dan's services were represented on his website. Dan did a great job checking everything, and giving us valuable info and pointers along the way for all the devices and structures he was checking over. We learned a lot. The house didn't have very many issues that needed addressed, but the few that did, we were able to get corrected by the seller. Some were issues that I never would have thought to be obvious, so his expertise and eye for detail were much appreciated! Since there was so much snow and ice, he wasn't able to get on the roof, but he did his best in checking everything from the ground. One of the things I liked best is that he took down the serial numbers of all the major home appliances, like the fridge, dishwasher, stove, HVAC units, water heater, etc., and plugs them into a database later on that supplies monthly updates on any recall or safety info that might pop up with that particular unit. It's a great bonus that us first time homebuyers love. Overall, I was extremely please with Dan's professionalism, friendliness, and thoroughness. Easy to tell he loves his job. I would recommend his services to anyone.

I think his service was excellent. He went out of his way to even give me suggestions afterward. He reviewed the quote that I got for the work at no additional charge. I think his level of expertise is very high. He knows exactly what he is looking at and knows what needs to be done.

Provider arrived on time and performed a thorough inspection with a documented follow up report in writing within 24 hours. Very professional.

My daughter and son-in-law hired this company to do the home inspection for a house they were purchasing. Although he seemed to give a thorough inspection of the house, there were major plumbing issues that showed up once they moved in. Mr Howard was contacted and came out to look at the issue again, and didn't think there was an issue . A contractor and a plumber looked at the problems and both agreed that there was a major issue in the bathroom that needed immediate attention. If Mr. Howard had done a thorough inspection and addressed this issue it most likely would have resulted in them NOT buying this house, as extensive repairs are needed in the bathroom!

There's a saying: You get what you pay for. My cousin purchased his house a few years back and paid $150 for his inspector to come in, say "yep" and walk out. My cousin now has major leak issues that he must deal with on a repetitive basis instead of the previous homeowner making those repairs. Dan Howard is not one of those inspectors. He's not the cheapest inspector and there's a reason for that. He's thorough. VERY THOROUGH. Dan not only carefully inspected just about every inch of the house but explained to me along the way the operations of the furnace, the air conditioner, and the chimney to the house. He was able to answer all of my questions in detail. Kind and professional through the entire inspection which took about 3 hours. At the end, he gave me a binder with all kind of great information for home owners including a book on how to maintain areas of the home. Even for things that were not broken or a major issue, like the insulation in the attic, he was able to give suggestions on how to minimize the heat loss due to the old insulation. With my first contact with Dan, he was able to respond to any of my queries in 24 hours or less. Even with the busy schedule he keeps, he still was able to provide exceptional customer service. He was early to the inspection and when he said that he would have my inspection report to me in 48 hours, he had it in my inbox in that time frame. This guy is exceptional. If you need a home inspector - look no further than Dan Howard.

Other inspectors in my area didn't offer Radon and Mold. Instead of having to hire two inspectors to get all the tests I wanted, I was able to get everything in one stop. Dan was very thorough, explained everything in detail and was extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of the inspection. He pointed out issues that could have snuck up on us in the future and cost us thousands. He pointed out local regulation violations as well as state violations so that we knew what was priority in fixing. He was open, honest and offered tips on replacing/repairing certain items. He tested the septic and pointed out that after 60 gallons of water he was seeing the dye. He explained that normally a good septic system wouldn't see dye until after 300 gallons. He tore apart the spring house in order to look at all areas of the water running through it. He pointed out areas of concern and what to watch for in the future, but explained that it won't be an issue. He pointed out that the roof needed replaced and explained in detail what to look for as far as the shingles curling. He also pointed out that the OSB under the roof was in perfect condition. He cautioned us that some contractor may tell us we need to replace the board as well and showed my husband in detail that this was not the case, we only needed to put new shingles up. He pointed out leaks in the propane lines, water lines, and minor electrical issues that needed repaired. He explained what the code was and why everything needed repaired or replaced. He also added what level of priority was and that some things could wait and others could not. He was very thorough and complete. My husband was very impressed and said he was very pleasant to work with.

Although Dan brought us bad news, his report was extremely thorough. The report included detailed mold analysis, and he provided pictures of mold and wood rot (floor joists and sill plates). Most importantly, Dan's report included a treatment plan ("priority work") that has become the basis for how we should correct our problem (create an outside access panel, mold spraying by a mold remediator, structurally repair floor joists, install ventilation system, insulate the floor, etc.). Envirospect's report/treatment plan has become a how-to guide for our general contractor who has been selected to coordinate all aspects of our project. I've never met Dan before, but I can report honestly that he is a gentleman who is extremely knowledgeable about his work. I have no qualms whatsoever in recommending Envirospect.

Dan and his assistant (Jim) were wonderful to work with. They were both very knowledgeable and performed an very thorough inspection. They took the time to explain everything they were doing in great detail. They were at the house for about 3.5 - 4 hours. I had the printed report in my hands before they left the house. They did an excellent job of categorizing any potential issues as Health and Safety, economic, preventative maintenance, etc. This helped me to easily understand the impact of any items needing repair. They answered every question that I asked. I would without a doubt use them again and strongly recommend them to anybody looking for a terrific home inspector.

We are first time home buyers and Dan Howard was referred to us by a friend. Dan was simply stated - amazing. Dan & his assistant arrived precisely on time at 9am. After introductions, they began the home inspection. Dan & Jim were patient with our many questions & provided in-depth explanations of the work they were performing, as well as how things work (i.e. he explained how a furnace technically works). Dan & Jim were extremely thorough. They didn't complete the inspection until 2pm that day and returned 2 days later to pick up the radon test & conducted the mold testing at that time (we decided after the inspection, we'd like to have this done). One example of their professionalism & thoroughness is that the property we had inspected had been vacant for 3 years. Dan asked us the length of vacancy because approx 300 gallons of water are needed to do a thorough septic dye test. It took 3 hours to run through 300 gallons of water. My understanding is that most inspectors don't take the time to do this. The result was the septic system didn't pass the inspection. This was HUGE - because it allowed us to negotiate w/ the seller to get this fixed. New septic systems can run up to $25000. As long as Dan Howard has a company, my family will use him for our home inspections. Amazing. If I could give an A++, i would.

The most important thing to know about Dan is that he is very passionate about his work and doesn't appear to pull any punches when it comes down to telling you what you have and what it means. He has trained many of the local area inspectors with regard to Mold. He was patient with us as first time buyers and first time basement owners. He identified our problem and outlined his recommendations in an organized and efficient way. We appreciate that he was candid and that he taught us what to look for.

DAN WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL AND COURTEOUS. HE DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF DISCOVERING SOME PROBLEMS THAT WE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT. HE DID A THOROUGH JOB AND WAS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE.