Lane's perfection inspections

While I did not engage him to perform the home inspection and, therefore, had no say as to his contracted services, I do want to alert "buyers" as to the quality of his service as an affected "seller" who expects a balanced and professional assessment. This company did not provide, and caused not only be a disservice, because I had to perform remediation that did not necessarily have to be done (and some of the recommendations were totally off-the-wall), but to the buyer who could have gotten a better understanding of my home and the mechanics, not necessarily defects but what to be aware of in the future. The evidence of the latter remark is a result of additional questions from the buyer for questions that should have been answered by the provider. Of particular note were two "defects" that stand out and the reason for the rating: (1) He mis-diagnosed an issue with one of the windows, calling it a window sash issue when it was no such structural defect (a balance was not aligned. (2) He performed the radon test incorrectly. The specific instructions require that the monitor be set up at least 2 ft from the floor, ceiling, and wall. You would also expect that it be further away from a storage area. These parameters were not followed and produced a reading of 6.4 (EPA requires 4.0 or lower). I had a radon remediation done on the home and a re-test was done. The reading was 0.5! The half life of radon is 1-2 days, and the technician stated to me that I could expect a reading somewhere between 2 and 3. Having this a the lowest point suggests that the provider did indeed perform the testing incorrect, since there is no way that it could have attained that reading: I set the monitor up in the middle of the room, 4 ft from the floor and 4 ft from the ceiling. No boxes from storage (that could have soaked in radon for 10 years) were around the meter. I would think that any savvy buyer would want someone responsible and able to perform the testing in a prescribed manner. I did complain to the BBB but, of course, the provider is not listed with them (their web site boosts of "being one of Rhode Island's and south coastal Massachusetts most requested home inspectors, performing home and commercial inspections, as well as termite and radon inspections" leading one to believe that he would be recognized by the BBB.

We hired Lane because we had been advised that it's incredibly easy to become a licensed home inspector in Rhode Island, and we wanted someone who not only was well-reviewed but also had real home-maintenance experience prior to becoming an inspector. In fact, we turned down several inspector recommendations from our real-estate agent in order to hire Lane. His excellent reviews turned out to be justified. Lane worked quickly and efficiently but also comprehensively; he was communicative with us throughout the inspection, giving us his candid opinions on the quality of the house; he was friendly and easy to deal with. He made it very clear to us that the house was in very good shape but was also specific about things he felt needed to be remedied nonetheless. Just hours after the inspection, we received a large, detailed, easy-to-read report -- including many photos -- that spelled out his findings and gave specific recommendations about what needed to be done. We're confident we made the right decision to use Lane and wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to anyone who needs a home inspection in Rhode Island.

Lane was a pleasure to deal with. He was great about returning emails/phone calls. He handled a delay and reschedule (caused by the seller) without any fuss or drama. Most importantly, he was patient and helpful during the inspection. He answered all my questions and pointed out things I might have overlooked. I've been in the house a few weeks now and so far no unpleasant surprises.

Lane was prompt and professional. He was extremely thorough and detailed in both the inspection and his reports. We got his report back in less 24 hours from the time of our inspection. I found the report extremely helpful in negotiating repairs with the seller because it included photos of the concerns discovered in the inspections. I also appreciated his flexibility as he went to the home prior to the inspection (on a Sunday!) to install the Radon testing equipment so that the results would be available in time to meet our deadline. This is the third time my family has received inspections from Lane and he remains consistent! I wouldn't trust anyone else!

Hands down the most detailed, complete and understandable home inspection report we have ever seen. The report was presented in a logical easy to follow format ( ie no jumping around). What was especially useful were the numerous digital photographs incorporated into the report with super-imposed circles and arrows to explain precisely the issue. This detailed precision provided us with a complete understanding of potential future repairs. Excellent and immediate communication !! Lane also advised which specific professionals should be consulted for further evaluation on major findings ( ie certified asbestos inspector, certified chimney sweep, licensed electrician) and even advised us to confirm these professional tradespersons possessed RI licenses. In addition, Lane displayed outstanding patience and professionalism as we asked questions and clarifications during the review of the report.report. The home inspection report communicated the issues so throughly, that we were able to effortlessly explain to specific tradespeople exactly what issues required further detailed evaluations. Especially appreciated that Lane did not offer up recommendations on specific companies we should use for the additional detailed inspection/work. ( ie no... I have a buddy who.....). This arms length behavior conveyed his integrity and professionalism. We will definitely be using Lane on our followup inspection and on any future house inspections. We would highly recommend using Lane for any/every home inspection job !!

The inspection was at 9 a.m. I decided to show up a little early and was pleasantly surprised to find Lane already there looking at the Exterior. After a brief round of introductions he starting showing me some Issues with the home that he had already found, making sure to explain exactly what the issue was and recommended actions. The full inspection took a little bit longer than two hours, and all my questions were answered with thorough responses. Throughout the inspection Lane was courteous and professional, which as a first time homebuyer I appreciate.