Yellow Hat Inspections

We had three houses inspected during our home buying process. Yellow Hat did a wonderfully thorough job on each inspection, finding many issues we otherwise would have overlooked as first-time buyers. Their reports were comprehensive and offered pictures so we could show sellers exactly where the problems were. I opted for the deal with the foundation evaluation and sewer cam inspection; while this cost extra, it led us to what was ultimately the best house (and helped us negotiate with our seller to drop the price when we proved that there was sewer repair needed). Cannot thank Yellow Hat enough!

The inspector was very thorough, friendly and informative. I think the cost of the service was pretty reasonable. He was on time. Yes, I would use Yellow Hat Inspections again.

They did an excellent inspection! They found some problems that had to be fixed by the homeowner before we bought the house. It saved us thousands of dollars.

They were I time and answers all my questions including subsequent phone calls.

Yellow Hat really came through for us. Prompt, courteous and helpful. I told Donna we wanted the inspection done the upcoming weekend, preferably on Sunday, and within a couple of hours, she had made all of the arrangements. She took care of okaying the time with the sellers' side and even scheduling the termite inspection on a different date. We met both John and Mark at the home inspection and found them to be friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. They walked us around the house to point out areas of greatest concern and made recommendations on what we could do to follow up. We received the report by email a few hours after the inspection. After reviewing the report, we called a couple of times with questions, and each time Mark was very helpful in explaining the findings and making suggestions as to how we might address the issues identified. We would not hesitate to recommend this company.

Joseph came out and explained what he was going to be doing, an approximate time frame (it took longer than he anticipated but only because he was thorough), and the order in which he would go through. He was extremely pleasant, quick to answer any questions that I had, made sure i understood the implications of what he was seeing and very, very thorough in looking at the property. When he was leaving he explained that he would go home and complete the report and then i would receive an email with a secure link the next day so i could access. Sure enough 18 hours after he left i had an extremely detailed report showing all the findings we had discussed. The service was wonderful. I would highly recommend and will be using again when i look to purchase a new home.

They were able to accommodate me and arrange for an inspection on very short notice before my walk through on my new home with the builder. As for the inspection, John did a very good job and was very friendly. He answered all the questions I had and let me follow him around while he inspected. He was able to find that our builder did not put insulation above our living room using his infrared camera.

Excellent. I would definitely recommend this company if you want an honest and thorough inspection.

It went well. They were thorough and wrote a good reports.

It went well and I was happy with the service provided and the things that he taught me given that it was my first home purchase. I would recommend this inspector to anyone in doubt of the quality of the home they are considering to buy. They guy is thorough and very detailed. He is also knowledgeable of his stuff. Though he is pricey, but I vouch for him, you will get your money's worth.

This inspection was a little pricier than some of the others, but it was well worth the money. He found an issue with the sewer drain that had a root growing through it. We were able to get the seller to fix the issue before purchasing, which saved us $2,500 down the road. Our realtor said he had not seen an inspector with so many tools before, and the inspection was more thorough than most. We would definitely use him again!

Mark was very detailed and encouraged me to visit at the home after he completed the inspection so he could go over his findings while walking through the house. He was very thorough and goes above and beyond most inspections using foundation level meters, infrared for insulation or electrical issues, and sewer camera to verify the lines are all in tact and clean.

Inspection showed significant structural concerns that resulted in deciding not to move forward with the purchase.

I'm not planing on selling my house, but I did want to know about any potential problems that I should be planning to address. The inspector was profession and thorough. He explained the issue, the implication and made recommendations about repairs. I felt this was well worth the money and would certainly recommend them to other homeowners.

Mark did a fantastic job! We found his inspection very thorough and insightful. He found variance in the A/C system which prompted us to have an HVAC specialist check out the system. The units had failing internals ($3-$5K) in repairs (each) needed. He also discovered the water heater had inoperable temperature relief valves and no sediment trap so was basically a ticking time bomb to fail and leak water into the walls etc. His thermograph images of where heat was escaping was very useful as was his suggestions on where to caulk on the home around windows and vents etc. to prevent moisture from getting in. We purchased the home and prior to move in have installed a new water heater etc, and have followed his recommendations on additional repairs ( mostly just maintenance that had been delayed by previous owners- nothing major). I would recommend him highly to anyone looking to get either a buyer's inspection or a seller looking to see what items they may wish to fix prior to putting their home on the market. I'd also recommend having him come out if your energy bills are high to see where modifications can be made to make your home more energy efficient.

Excellent report and review by Mark.

Excellent !! Mark is a very good inspector. He answered in detail and in a very professional way all my questions using solid concepts and comparisons that in my opinion reflect wide experience in the home inspection process both in the UK and in the US. He addressed in a very well and organized manner each area of the house and summarized at the end of the inspection the key and most relevant points. He submitted the report the same day of the inspection in the afternoon and performed a web conference with me early in the evening to answer additional questions. Highly recommended!!

There are cheaper inspections, but there is saying, "be penny wise and pound foolish". For this house purchase price of $200,000, the cost of Yellow Hat inspection was .03% of the cost of the house. It seems silly to skimp on the home inspection which could save you thousands down the road. This house looked absolutely perfect, move-in ready, remodeled in the interior, to include new kitchen appliances. We expected a few issues because its an older home, but we were totally unprepared for Mark's findings. That paint was just lipstick on a pig. Just a partial list of the issues found by Mark: Collapsed sewer line requiring replacement, maybe $30K Domed foundation needing repair, minimum of $5K Potential for carbon monoxide poisoning (which I have lived through once already), minimum of $1500 Aluminum wiring and breaker box repair, which I cannot even estimate as this is an issue most electricians want to avoid Possible loss of life due to brand new shiny ceramic cooktop incorrectly wired which heated to 200F and WILL burn this house down if not repaired, Priceless In addition to a very thorough inspection report which provides industry standards, and where the house compares to industry standard, there is a follow up online video discussion where Mark reviews the report and explains each item step by step. We are still looking for a house. When we find a house, we WILL retain Yellow Hat again.

He was very detailed and the reports are detailed as well.

Prompt. Professional. Patient. Took the time to explain everything to the layman. Was delightful. Was knowledgeable. As a woman there by herself with strangers, I was pleasantly surprised with their professionalism. Felt safe and enjoyed learning. He was from the area and was willing to share other competent businesses. I was given options on items that came under scrutiny in the inspection. It was a positive experience. It was never negative unless he found something terribly unsafe. I was given priorities of what to address before moving in. I walked away feeling educatd and with a plan. Thank you.

I wasn't there for most of the inspection but was impressed with the thoroughness of his work via his findings. For example, he found installation issues with the roof and sewer lines issues that I had overlooked in my own inspection. His report was detailed, easy to understand and included a video of his sewer line inspection (a first for me). Several days after receiving the report, and after I had made payment, Mark followed up via a phone call to make sure I understood all his findings and helped create a short list of repairs to make prior to renting or selling the property.

The inspection went VERY well. Mark was diligent and focused in what he was doing but did explain things as he went along if I asked. He is a true professional and knows his company will be judged by the level of quality of his final product. In other words - the customer must know they have a superior product. I had to laugh as he had a helper along and I realized this was probably planned after I told him I would meet him at the property I was planning to buy. Although I did observe Mark for awhile, his helper did his best to keep me from slowing him down and answered my questions as Mark did what needed to be done. By the way, he was busy a solid 3 and a half hours. I want to make a distinction of what sets Yellow Hat Inspections apart from all other services - Mark makes sure the customer has a thorough understanding of what condition the total property is in. His report is the longest and most extensive I have ever seen or heard of. To be honest, about 70 percent of it is an explanation of how a proper system should be and what is used as reference. This is not in his words but seems to be in easy to understand language based on common sense, physics and building codes. My caution is that the list isn't what must be fixed but rather a list of what isnt "as it should be". Out of this list, the customer must decide what is simply things to consider or things that must be addressed on a level of risk. That said, his services are beneficial to not only new home buyers, but current home owners as well. Mark has and uses tools and equipment that are not so common in expectations - an infrared camera, humidity proximity detectors, a sewer camera on a 200 foot lanyard, and an electric mapping tool to detect variations in levelness of the site pad. My realtor was a little bothered by how extensive the tests were and even recommend getting a sewer pressure test instead of the camera. This would not have found the sewer problem that Mark found using his camera. That was the test that allowed me to opt out of a contract and a potential $30,000 unseen sewer problem. Bottom line - you can not do better than to hire Yellow Hat Inspections!!!

I was satisfied with their service.

Amazing!! He does such a thorough and professional job and is happy to answer questions regarding findings. We actually used him to inspect our first house option too and turns out it was a demo! What a mess that place was! Thank goodness we were still in option period and pulled out of that one. But we found a keeper and used his report on the second home to negotiate repairs... not sure if the seller was upset or impressed by the thoroughness but we were so thankful for all of the information we had about the home. His process included inspection of the water pipes using a camera to check condition of them under the house & to the main source, also uses a camera to evaluate foundation condition of piers and beams, measured levelness (or lack thereof) throughout the home, condition of roof & attic in terms of support/structural improvements needed, insulation condition, water heater & furnace condition, evidence of water leaks, exterior condition of windows, chimneys, roof, gutters and grading around foundation. Also goes through and checks to see if outlets are working and/or grounded, that windows can open, that the inside of the chimney is in good condition, that all appliances work and general condition of wiring and electrical panel. And that's the tip of the iceberg... I could keep going but just know that you will receive a 50 page report with pictures of the situation being described along with a diagram of what it should look like! The attention to detail he provides in unparalleled and you will feel so much better knowing you hired someone who won't miss a thing!

This is one of the most comprehensive reports I've seen! I highly recommend using "Yellow Hat Inspections" for anyone purchasing a new house or an existing one. Before closing on my house, I was able to discuss the items one by one with my builder and get them addressed upfront. Talk about peace of mind knowing the house is built as it should be! "Yellow Hat Inspections" was very responsive to emails and phone calls. They delivered my comprehensive report which was 26 pages long on the same day as the inspection. Despite having requested the inspection in relatively short notice, they made it happen it happen. I won't make the mistake of ever buying another house without using "Yellow Hat Inspections" in the future. Best money I've spent!