APEX Inspections INC

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I found Apex through Angie's and was completely satisfied with my choice. Howard was prompt, professional, knowledgeable and very thorough throughout the process. I would have no problem recommending them for anyone needing an inspection.

Our realtor connected us with Apex Inspections and we were able to get a Saturday morning appointment right away (within a week after our offer was accepted). My husband and I were very impressed with Howie-- he was knowledgeable, thorough and professional throughout the whole process. Three hours into the inspection, Howie discovered many serious problems (structural issues, termite damage, corroded plumbing pipes) that were not disclosed by the seller, and made us question the quality of the contractor who had renovated the home several years before. Howie was the one who suggested that we stop the inspection, and he would only charge us for a partial inspection (even though he was scheduled to do the full) while we negotiate with the seller on the sales price and maybe get a structural engineer to come in and give an estimate on repairs before we go any further. At this point, it is possible that the sale of the house is going to fall through because of what turned up in the home inspection-- my husband and I are relieved that we had Howie guide us through the home inspection and save us from potentially spending a lot of money on repairs. We will continue to look for a home to purchase and will definitely be hiring Apex Inspections for any future inspections. We also would recommend the company to anyone looking for a home inspection.

I was totally dissatisfied with them. He only did half of the inspection and was supposed to come back, but never did. I was totally disgusted with them because I had to go get an extension to have another inspector out there. It caused me a lot of headaches. He said I had to have a structural engineer because he saw some problems, but he never checked any of the utilities to see if they were any good or not. He did not finish the job so I called the state about him and they told me his license expired in April of this year. So he did not even have a license in New Jersey. I would never use him again.

Patrick was thorough, and walked us through each system of the unit, highlighting areas of concern, and areas where the conversion work of high quality. He pointed out a design flaw in the master bathroom that ultimately led to our backing out of the deal. He was also available for discussion and to provide suggestions for ways to resolve the problem.

The inspection went very well. Howie was very detailed and very thorough. It was a long process, but I learned a lot about the house and it was very much worth it. I had a great experience with Apex. The only issue really was that the report took awhile. Howie had a sick family member, which I completely understand, however it took multiple e-mails/phone calls and I was on a tight turnaround time with my agreement of sale. The delay in getting the report was slightly problematic and caused some stress, but again, I was informed that he had a sick family member. Otherwise, everything went perfectly and I would recommend using this company.

He is wonderful. Price was reasonable; he was a bit late in responding to my realtor. He was very thorough especially for the amount of issues in the house. He was also very available The one thing he did wrong, he said he would email me the report the next business day but it took a bit longer to get. Although it didn’t surprise me because there was a lot of stuff to type out. He saved me from having to invest into this terrible house my realtor was pushing me to purchase. I will definitely use him again when I found another home.

Inspector was courteous, knowledgeable and meticulous. Took 4 hours to complete inspection- physically got on roof and entered tight attic spaces. Identified a number of issues small and large. Took time to explain issues and educate us on dos and don'ts of caring for our new home. Report was well written with photos and descriptions. Scheduling was easy and quick.

Patrick was beyond thorough in his evaluation of the home I am in the process of purchasing. His detailed report, which caught knob-and-tube wiring, cracked pipes, a heater needing servicing, several leaking faucets, necessary stucco work, and a necessary roof patch, saved me a lot of money, allowing me to ask the sellers for quite a bit of assistance. He explained every issue very clearly, showed me how to prepare my heating system for use each year, and assured me that he would be available to answer any questions I have in the future. I would not hesitate to recommend Apex to any of my friends, and I would definitely use them again if I need another inspection. I appreciate how much time and energy Patrick spent checking every part of my new (old) house.

I couldn't have been more pleased with my experience with Howie. He arrived at the home and immediately went to work. We had a brief introduction about the inspection process (this was my first time). Howie went over what he planned to do and what my role could (or not) be during the process. I obviously chose to follow him around as I wanted to learn as much as possible about the home I am buying. He cautioned me that he "tends to talk a lot" and if I already knew something he was explaining, just to cut him off. I really appreciated hearing everything he had to say, which ranged from not only little simple tips for improving situations in the home, but descriptions of the construction of the home and why they did what they did. Howie has a great deal of experience in the field, and his knowledge of home building is extremely helpful in his home inspections. He is extremely energized and makes efficient use of his time. We started the inspection on the roof, where Howie proceeded to climb all over the roof. He took many pictures throughout his inspection, which appeared on the report. A few of these were taken on the roof of exposed nails. I appreciated that when Howie found something wrong, he simply explained to me what needed to be done and how involved the process would be. When he was done scurrying all over the roof, we checked out the attic. He explained to me why temperature gradients were more important than max function of the heating and ventilation systems and proceeded to use his laser temp gauge to measure. We discussed air filters and where your money is best spent. He discussed the construction of the roof, including the quality of the wood used and the specific building technique that was employed in my home. After checking out the attic, I had to spend some time interacting with my mold inspector. Howie assured me that he would interrupt us only if he found something glaringly wrong, otherwise he would go through his list when I was available again. By the time I got back to him, he was in the process of checking out bathrooms. He was extremely aggressive in checking the drainage in the bathroom sinks and tub, saying that if they can handle it when he maxes them out, they won't leak during regular use (makes sense!). He was careful enough to have the realtor sit next to the bathtub while it filled to the top (he wasn't about to risk letting the tub overflow while running around and looking at other rooms). We continued to look at the bedrooms and things progressed quickly. We went to the basement and went over all of the fixtures and equipment. The presence of some moisture on the basement walls was concerning and we discussed internal and external fixes to the problem. (He also very carefully searched for the source during his outside inspection). The inspection was filled with helpful tips, from changing the hoses on the washer/dryer, to where it is most useful to install CO detectors. I really appreciated that at the end of the day, Howie said that his job didn't end with the inspection, and if I ever had any questions about the home in the future that he would gladly answer them. Howie had my report completed by the next day and it was very thorough and well put together, with excellent detail and pictures included. Again, I couldn't be happier with the whole experience. Howie was a whirlwind of knowledge and activity and I really enjoyed following him around as he did his job so well.

It was fantastic. He explained more than I'll ever comprehend. But with a pdf report with photographs and recommended repairs / ballpark repair costs, it's hard to feel like I missed a thing.

Howie was able to accommodate an inspection the same week we requested it. When we arrived, Howie was already there (very punctual). He began the inspection by asking our level of house knowledge, then told me how he was going to explain each part of the inspection. He was very informative. Howie pointed out all the parts that needed to be addressed, but added some of his own commentary on how to perform the fixes at a low cost. I would certainly use Howie again.

They were thorough, professional and educational, especially for first time home buyers in learning the home buying process. I recommend them, they were good.

They did a home inspection. It is a one-bedroom condo. I spent $285. My experience with them was pretty much the same as whatever everyone was saying. They are very thorough. They gave good advice. They were very knowledgeable and were willing to share information on what was going on behind the walls. They were a little late. I will use this company in the future.

Howard was highly recommended by our realtor. We were buying a short sale, and the house hadn't been lived in for about 3 years. The first problem with the inspection was that Howard refused to go on our roof due to the height, claiming it was impossible to get to it with a 40 foot ladder and refusing to procure the proper sized ladder. About a week later, I got an estimate for a radon remediation system from the company that did the HVAC work for the house, and the owner of the company told me that the roof was accessible with a 40 foot ladder, and that his crew had in fact used a 40 foot ladder to access our roof. After hearing that, we told our realtor that unless Howard was going to go on the roof, we wanted a portion of our money back to hire a roofer to inspect the roof. At that point, he went on the roof and provided us with a vague report of the roof, to the point that we doubted he even went up there. Fast forward to December, and we see water coming down our garage wall. There had been evidence of a leak in the area where water was coming in, but we were told by Howard that the leak was an old leak, and it was dry. We hired a company to come out and try and figure out the problem, and we were told by multiple roofers that there was a gap between our house and the house next door-when our house was built, the "party wall" wasn't sealed properly, and it was actually possible to look down and see the lugs of the house. We also found out that the vent stacks were unsealed and exposed, causing water issues in a bathroom (where we actually found water damage on our walk-through, but that Howard had missed) because of water getting into the vents. As it turned out, the leak wasn't dry, and there was tons of mold where the leak was-something Howard missed in telling us the leak was dry. On a less serious note, he also missed some easy things (like the water damage in the bathroom)-he told us the water faucet in our garage was damaged, turns out it was just turned off (he just didn't know to, or care to, look for the water line). He also walked into our garage and remarked how large it was, yet after closing, our standard sized car didn't fit into the garage, and we had to buy a new car. Thousands of dollars later, we wish we'd used another home inspector.

We called Apex Inspections to perform a home inspection, termite inspection and radon gas test. We promptly received an email confirmation of the scheduled inspection and a sample report. Howard arrived promptly as scheduled, and got right to work. As advertised, Howard spent approximately 3 hours with us inspecting the entire property. He was very professional and highly informative. We liked the fact that Howard told us what absolutely needed to be fixed, what could be fixed, or approximate time until repairs needed, and what was in good working order. He also took the time to explain how the mechanical systems in the house should be operated to receive the most efficient results. He welcomed any and all questions, and explained the required maintenance of certain systems, based on everyday use. We received his very detailed report within 48 hours of the inspection. We very highly recommend him to anyone who is interested in a detailed and thorough home inspection.

Howard Shanker arrived on time and ready to work. He started by speaker to my wife and I with great respect and profesionalism. He took great care to explain his methods and procedures. Howard is the best he truely knows his business. Howard found everything that he could like a great detective. He went up on the roof,down in the basement,flipped every switch and checked every pipe. Howard lead me through every nook and cranny of this property. Let me know what to look for in the near future and what to look for sooner and later. Howard is the "MAN", after the inspection I FELT like I could conduct an inspection minus the roof walk;) Needless to say I would hire Howard again and again,a true profesional and even more of a GENTALMAN. Enough said.

Howard was extremely professional and knowledgeable - he explained the process and even told me what inspections were really needed. He also made helpful suggestions about potential remodelling options - a true professional. Highly recommended!

Both Patrick and Howard arrived prior to the inspection start time and did some prelim review of the front exterior. Since it had snowed, they changed up their normal routine (outside > inside) so as to not track snow/water into the house which I thought was very considerate of the current homeowner. We started inside in the basement where they did a very thorough review. Prior to starting the inspection, they gave me an idea of the process and encouraged me to follow along and ask questions. They noted everything and took pictures as well. They explained as much or as little as I asked and really provided an education service along with the inspection. They were personable and also knowledgeable. They pointed out the good and the bad and put things in perspective which was helpful. They checked every outlet, every window, turned all the water on in each room to check pressure, ran all the fixed appliances. All the standard things you would expect. In one bedroom there was a purple outline on the carpet under the bed. I was wondering what it might be from when Howard says "looks like there was a waterbed there". Sure enough downstairs in one of the bedrooms we found a purple painted waterbed..... The report was very timely and written very well with the pictures and arrows to point out the problem areas as well as an estimate range to correct. The report included other helpful bits on maintenance. The Radon detection was set a couple of days prior and the results were available before the inspection began so we didn't need to wait on anything. The Termite inspection was done at the time of the Home Inspection. Great guys, great inspection

Very professional and very precise. We had to perform a rapid inspection and Howie was very responsive completing everything, including the report in one day.

Second inspection I have had done by Apex. Patrick is thorough and more than willing to take the time to explain everything to you as he is going through the inspection.

Howard Shanker was wonderful! He took the time not only to tell us what could be improved on, but also how we could do those things. He even talked himself out of the job! He spent a good hour walking around the house and looking at things, and he was very attentive to our needs and gave us excellent advice and direction.

Howie inspected a home I am purchasing in Mt. Airy and I cannot sing his praises enough. He is thorough, exceptionally smart, funny, personable, conscientious, and he went above-and-beyond, giving me far more information about how to properly maintain my Mt. Airy home than I ever imagined an inspector would bother with. He is candid about which defects are essential to address right away versus those that are less pressing, though all material defects are listed with estimate ranges for remediation in his report. He sends the inspection report, complete with digital color images, quickly via an emailed PDF, but will gladly give you a hard copy too if you prefer it. He is a great guy and I recommend him wholeheartedly.

Howie has glowing references. I knew his reputation, but not the name of his company, so had to do research. It was well worth it. I'm a first time home buyer purchasing an AS IS home (vacant for 1 year and in need of much work). During his walk-thru, my mother, sister and I (& the agent), all followed him bombarding him w/ questions (mine rather simple, my sisters much more complex). He was exceedingly patient, thorough & enthusiastic, obviously had a wealth of information to share. He spent a total of 5.5 hours with me that day. Ultimately, we chose to talk thru the main issues of the house, rather than do a traditional inspection, given the sale was "as is." I was quoted $375 for the inspection, but in the end, he suggested a fee of $300.00. He concluded by saying, "Call me if you have ANY questions. The only time this relationship stops, is when you stop calling me." I can only hope my other vendors will be this good. I cannot recommend him highly enough!

Howard was extremely detailed, knowledgeable, and helpful to us. Not only in doing a thorough inspection of both houses, but also educating us about the systems and issues that would affect our home over time. He spent more than 3 hours doing each original inspection and fully documented his work with a detailed report including photos of all problem issues. His report made the process of negotiating with our seller much simpler. I would recommend him highly he is not only experienced in this field, but dedicated to his craft and to helping people have good home buying experiences. He gets my highest recommendation.