HOUSE DOCTOR HOME INSPECTION INC

The inspector showed up on time. I wanted an inspector because this was my first house and I didn't know much about houses yet. He wandered around and kept saying that he was afraid to touch anything or turn anything on (which was the whole purpose for hiring him). In the end he left and said that the chimney should be repaired, which isn't even used for anything. Over the next few months I found dozens of problems with the house, things that people that know about houses should have noticed very easily. Total waste of money.

unknown

He was on time, very professional and put together a nice neat binder of all the things he found that should be addressed. At the time I was very pleased but a few weeks later when I had a leak in one of my pipes and called a plumber to check it out, I was informed that I had galvanized steel pipes and that water should not be running through them. He said they are gas pipes and that I should have been informed of this by my home inspector since those pipes corrode from the inside out and contaminate the water with metal! This is something that falls under the scope of work that the inspector performs. When I called Don, he asked me to put the plumber on the phone where he argued with him for a few minutes and then said its not his responsibility. When I said I planned to sue him, he said I could write an email and get my money back which I did and he did comply and send the refund check. I wouldnt use them and he is NOT detail oriented. He does catch major issues that are obvious but does not make suggestions as to how to better your home or make it safer.

House Doctor Home Inspection performed the most competent, thorough professional home inspection of any I have received over the course of more than six moves. They respond quickly, catch and document every detail, explain everything they see as they perform the inspection, thoroughly and patiently answer all nervous buyer questions, print out a detailed report at the site, provide cell phone contact for any followup questions, and respond to those questions immediately. They are certified by the American Society of Home Inspectors. Rates are excellent. You can't do better! Check out their superb website.

It went very well. I tagged along with Don as he went through the house. He explained what he was doing and why. He explained any issues that the house had and what options I might have in fixing them.

He was punctual and we ended up having to wait for the Realtors. The owners were home, which I didn't really like, though it gave me my first chance to talk to them. Well, I followed him around taking note of little things he noticed and suggestions for upkeep, which was helpful. We checked the crawlspace for termites, and some issues were discussed. PROBLEMS WITH THE PLUMBING THERE WAS NOT MENTIONED. He detected a leak in the gas to the heating unit which was immediately addressed by the owners. Since the heating unit was in the attic, issues with the roof should have been noticed then, but wasn't until I noticed it after the sale. As mentioned, he inspected the roof and assured me that it was in good condition, except for some moss and lichen. After the sale I went up and looked at the roof up close and was horrified. It was very bad and needed to be cleaned off pronto. Some of the stuff was already getting underneath the shingles and could cause problems very shortly. I will probably have to replace the roof in short order. Besides that a close inspection from the inside shows old split wood and replaced woodwork from the last time it was shingled. Very bad! A leak was noticed in the crawlspace and I called a plumber who got a big kick out of the 3 stooges plumbing down there, he even took pictures to show others! He and 2 other plumbers told me this DEFINITELY should have been noticed by the inspector! Drainage and piping were not up to code and done amateurishly. It cost me $900 to fix that alone. The problem in RI is there is no standards for Home Inspectors, no licensing or the like or an agency that keeps track. The other issue is that inspectors work for the Realtors even though your paying for it! They want the Realtors to recommend them for future jobs, so they will not jeopardize a sale by being too much on the side of the buyer!