Yellow Hat Inspections

Mr. Elliott is amazingly detail oriented, which really comes in handy in his line of work. He is very personable, takes the time to explain every aspect of the inspection and anything you have questions about, and also provides a very detailed report along with photos he's personally taken of the house for you. This is our first home so it was extremely comforting to have a friendly, knowledgable, and dedicated individual complete this inspection for us. We feel very secure with our decision hiring Mark Elliott, and feel even more please with the house we will be moving into. I would recommend Mark to anyone needing an inspection, and would urge anyone thinking about going to someone else (just to save some money) that you will be making a grave mistake. Your money is VERY well spent with Mr. Elliott's services - every single penny of it.

Excellent customer service, same day report, very thorough!

it went well, he is professional and collected information

My husband and I were in the process of purchasing our first home. Needless to say, when you purchase a home the process can be very overwhelming so finding a competent home inspector was our top priority. After an extensive search, we found Yellow Hat Inspections on Angie's List and were impressed with the company's reviews. The inspector, Mark Elliott, arrived at the location and immediately got to work. Although the home was brand new, Mr. Elliott discovered several defects in the home's construction. Defects included "lifted" roof shingles, unsecured roof structure braces in the attic, water penetration points, missing weather seals, non-locking window latches, cracked window caulking, and unprotected conductor cables in the attic (a fire hazard). One of the major hidden defects (water penetration in the wall between the garage and master bedroom) was detected with the usage of Mr. Elliott's high-tech infrared device. Mr. Elliott also tested the foundation level, sprinkler system and examined the home's water service pipes using a fiber-optic camera-scope. The latter tests were optional services, but my husband and I requested them as part of the inspection. After Mr. Elliott's extremely thorough inspection, we were given a detailed report with colored digital photos and recommendations. We forwarded the list of recommendations to the builder and had them repair all the defects. On top of everything, Mr. Elliott gave us a discount after learning that we were Angie's List customers! All we can say is, "WOW!" Hiring Yellow Hat Inspections was the BEST decision we made in our home-buying process!

Mark did a pretty thorough inspection. He checked the sewer with the camera, measured the foundation, and infrared the house. His inspection was very detailed. He also explained to us in detail what he found after the inspection. He found the electricity had a big voltage drop. We notified the seller who hired an electrician to further verify it and it turned out that Mark's measurement was off too much. That was the only glitch. Overall we are satisfied with his work.

it was a typical home inspection I had opted for a bit more thorough one as this house needed foundation work and our foundation guy had advised we check for leaks under the house and sure enough with the sewer cam he found a busted pipe going under the house that explained why the foundation was so bad. for that reason among a multitude of others we decided not to buy the house. so mark was extremely helpful in coming to this decision and next time we find a house we want I plan to use them again.

Yellow Hat may very well have saved my life! I fell in love with a house not far from one of my daughters in a neighborhood that was lovely. The house had been freshly painted inside and was just a perfect size for me, a retiree. I put a bid in above asking price & got the option. Checking Angie?s List I select Yellow Hat because it had great ratings and the list of items to be checked seemed above and beyond what others said. Mark Elliot showed up as promised and when I arrived later he walked me through what he had already found. Despite access to the sewer line not available as requested, he could determine from the ridge/bulge running through the foundation above the line that there was a problem. While the AC performed well, when the furnace was turned on a smell of sewage filled a bathroom because the line was not vented properly. This would be an easy fix; however, there were other dangers to be found, to quote, ?The swimming pool drain line does not have an anti-siphon connection and could allow for raw sewerage to be drawn into the pool." UGH! "The microwave oven is mounted too close to the gas range and results in the bottom of the microwave reaching a temperature of over 292 degrees. This is a very dangerous installation and could result in a house fire or serious injury to someone or both." The vent over the stove was coming loose, not securely attached. Perhaps the scariest findings concern electrical power to and within the house. There was evidence of an electrical fire in the circuit breaker box & insufficient power was coming into the house. In addition, copper wires were attached to the old aluminum ones with incorrect connectors. Because of this hot spots existed behind the breaker box and walls, visible with an infrared camera. See Photo* [I'll send by email as can't insert] Finding this Mark Elliott checked many if not all of the electrical outlets in the house; he found many not grounded or incorrectly grounded. The list goes on, suffice it to say this is the finding that gave nightmares. Even reducing the price of the home $30,000 would not suffice to correct all the problems. Practically every wall would have had to be opened to correct the wiring, then resealed and repainted. The sewer line under the house would need to be replaced. I declined to pick up the option and insisted that the report be given to the current owner. The house was taken off the market, hopefully to have all the dangers removed. After that close call as soon as I found another house & put in an option I called Yellow Hat immediately. The second house has some flaws, none serious, and Mark Elliot?s report forms a nice project list, complete with photos with the flaw circled, many of which I can do myself, i.e. caulking around outside light fixtures. And I can sleep soundly in a house that is safe!

Mark was extremely helpful and seemed very knowledgeable. We knew there were issues with this house that we had made an offer on. We could see a number of settling cracks and some water damage (that the home owner had assured us had been fixed). Mark did a very thorough inspection including taking foundation elevation measurements, a sewer line video inspection and use of the IR camera. His video showed that there was extensive sewer line damage and he recommended a second opinion but he thought it would probably need to be totally replaced both under the house and down to the street. We got that second opinion and they said it would need to be done in the next 5 years but that signs of damage were already present. His Foundation elevation measurements showed that the house probably had not settled but in fact was being lifted from the damp ground under the house caused by the plumbing leaks. He also spotted an electrical panel that had been recalled due to a fire hazard. Also, that water damage that the home owner had said was fixed, well Mark used a moisture meter to prove that it had been wet pretty recently, which to me indicates that it hadn't really been fixed. We decided to walk away from this house before it became a money pit. Admittedly the $699 fee is 75% more than most other inspections we compared him to beforehand, but I feel it was money well spent for all the extra tests that he performed. Hands down, I will be using him t do my next home inspection as well.

On time, good inspection report, uses quite a bit of high tech tools as part of his standard package.

Mark completed both jobs within the scheduled time frame. The first home had significant grading/foundation issues that would have taken too much time and money to resolve. The structural damage to the house was also significant. The seller had tried to cover up the structural problems by spraying a texture on the walls and repainting. Mark was able to see though this. The second home had a sewer line break and plumbing leak that I would not have caught without Mark's help. When the seller did not beleive that a sewer line break was present, Mark offered to post the video on youtube well after business hours to facilitate my negotiations. Getting a good home inspection is vital for anyone purchasing a home in the DFW area.

This inspector did a first rate job. He found numerous issues that might have been missed by another inspector. He discovered that the house had so many issues that I decided not to buy the house. He gave a tour of the most important issues in the wrap up. He responded to follow up questions quickly. He used modern technology to inspect the house and provide the report. The report was thorough. The service was easy to purchase. The inspector also setup a termite inspection with a third party, simplifying the process. The only negative comments are mostly for the home inspection industry in general. They need technology so the sewer can be inspected even if the pipes have 90 degree turns. The reports generated should be formatted to make them easier to read by the average person. And, inspectors need the ability to note whether or not building code issues are due to recent changes in the code, from when a house was built.

The report came the very next day. If I had any questions, they responded very promptly. Whenever I do my next inspection, I will use Yellow Hat. They have great follow up and called me twice after the work just to see if I had questions. It saved me potentially thousands of dollars on my home. He showed me the sewer line on the video. He is always available to answer questions I have and very professional. He was very knowledgable. They were very pleasant and organized.

The report was sent to us in less than 24 hours and was very easy to read. He explained every item he inspected quite clearly. He had pictures of each item so that we could actually see the needed repairs. We even saw down the sewer pipes. We felt like we would spend upwards of $60K to do the repairs. Needless to say we did not purchase that house. Mark saved us a lot of heartache. I truly think he is the finest inspector I've every used. Mark is a man of integrity and I would certainly use him again. He kept us from making a HUGE MISTAKE.

This was a new construction inspection. A little pricey, but Mark and his team did a great job and were so great to work with. Not only was the inspection really good, but the team also called a couple of times afterwards to make sure I didn't have any questions. I would highly recommend these guys.

Mark Elliott did a home inspection for me and saved me from a "money pit!" The homeowners/sellers had paid a plumber to replace "most of the pipes under the house." Unfortunately, he replaced every other one, so that they alternated PVC and Cast Iron. No problems with the sewage were obvious, but the camera that Mark put in the pipes made them obvious. There were major leaks. And that was causing the foundation to rise in the middle and fall on the corners. Not to mention wiring problems, and A/C problems. All told, it would have taken over $30k to fix the issues. Needless to say, we didn't buy the house.

When it comes to buying a house not all home inspectors are equal. I chose Mark because of his educational and engineering background, and of course the Angieslist recommendations. From an exhaustive search Mark was the only inspector I could find that digitally plotted the level of the foundation, used thermal imaging to identify water and plumbing leaks, electrical hot spots, missing insulation etc etc, and a high tech gas meter instead of the soapy water used by many inspectors. Yes, he is pricier than an average inspector --- but honestly you get what you pay for. If you have any suspicions that the home you are about to buy is hiding a deep dark secret- DO NOT HESITATE-- HIRE YELLOW HAT INSPECTIONS! I was able to make an appointment with Yellow Hat Inspections the night before. He arrived on time and was very professional. Mark conducted a full house, pool and termite inspection. After his inspection he walked me through and pointed out areas of concern. I received my 70 page report the following day. It was clear and easy to read. I forwarded a copy of my report to my realtor and he said it was the best and most detailed report he had ever seen, then asked for Yellow Hat Inspection's phone number. (Yeah - he's that good). I will be using and recommending this company in the future.

Mark did actually 2 different properties. The first property was in such disrepair behind the walls that we decided not to purchase it. He saved us literally thousands and thousands of dollars on a rehab property. On the property we are actually going to purchase, Mark arrived early and was courteous and very friendly as well as knowledgeable. He did all of the tests that he advertises and they were very helpful for us. I didn't even know that you can use thermo technology, but with it he is able to rule out a large number of potential home repair issues. His report detailed all of his findings as well as photos of areas of concern. I received the report, quickly glanced through it and was able to ask him a couple of questions and he quickly replied to the messages. I would HIGHLY recommend Yellow Hat Inspections. Don't skimp on your most expensive purchase of your life. Let him protect your financial future investment.

I really enjoyed his services. He was able to meet up with me on the times I wanted him to. He gave so much detail on my home inspection. My realtor was even impressed with all of his information. He really saved me from getting really bad homes. It was definitely worth the money.

MARK IS VERY THOROUGH AND PROFESSIONAL

The inspection on the first home was extremely thorough and detailed, enough so that I sought additional specific inspections for the major call-outs, including foundation, plumbing and termite inspections. Thanks to the information gleaned from the initial inspection, I ultimately concluded that the home would not be a sound investment. Because of the attention to detail and professionalism, I used the same service provider to inspect a second house I was considering, When the inspection could not be thoroughly completed during his first visit, a second visit was scheduled as soon as possible. Even though there were several important call-outs on the report, because of the inspector's thoroughness and integrity, and frankness when taking time to have additional discussions with us to fully review the problems, I made the decision to purchase this second home. The inspector was very willing to explain what he saw, to personally narrate his video of the inspection, and to talk at length to me and other family members about our concerns with both houses. His follow-up to the inspections to offer additional help, and to offer a link to different communication hook-up packages, made my dealings with this inspector "above and beyond" all the way!

Mark Elliott was wonderful and his wife was also very courteous and helpful. He was very thorough and showed us all the diagnostics on his equipment. He told us about things we would never have thought to ask about. I would definitely call him again for service.

We were happy with Mark's service.

I think he did a really great job addressing the foundation issues. He had graphs mapping out under ground water flower. He really did cover the foundation part well. He also recommend having another contractor come out and double check the foundation. The part of the inspection that was not so positive was the pool inspection. We spent extra for the pool inspection and didn't feel like we received exactly what we paid for at the time. After inspecting the pool he suggested that we completely replace every component of the pool. He also suggested that we have someone inspect the pool as well. After our second inspection and meeting with the Seller we received a much lower second opinion/estimate. In the end, we only needed some minor tune ups to fix the pool. We ended up hiring another pool, plumber, and general inspector to perform additional evaluations. Again, he is a very nice person, gave us a lot of details but some of the information he provided was not accurate. In turn, we had to pay for other inspectors to come out and were forced to pay more for the service we thought we had already paid for.

He was outstanding and he was punctual. He was thorough and was great in going over every issue in the house. I would definitely use him again.

They were on-time, informative and gave me confidence on my purchase.