DAYSTAR INSPECTIONS

Awsome

I had some reservations to begin with when another Angie's List review said he was a bit out of date. I chose him over another company reviewed on Angie's List because his price was a little lower. He also boasted that his Trec number was lower than most, proving that he has been doing this a while. My main complaint about his inspection relates to the foundation. Below is an excerpt from his report. "The floor at the sunroom slopes down to the north approx. 2" per 16 ft. The floor at the north side of the sw b/r slopes down to the north approx. 2 1/2" per 16 ft. The floor at the upper hallway slopes down to the south approx. 2 1/2" per 16 ft. The floor at the east side of the master b/r & master bath slopes down to the west approx. 2" per 16 ft. The floor at the south side of the garage slopes down to the south approx. 3" per 16 ft." Based on this report I had a foundation repair company (one that gets high scores on Angie's List) inspect the property to give me an estimate to correct all of the sloping indicated in the report. They found NONE. Nothing to repair. "How could this experienced inspector who told me he has an engineering degree be so wrong?" I wondered. So I decided to pay for a structural engineer to inspect the property, figuring he would give me a straight answer. He confirmed that there was nothing to fix. The foundation is in good shape for a home of its age. When I told him that the inspector had found all kinds of sloping, he took out a measuring gadget and told me that the garage (which the inspector said sloped 3" per 16 feet to the south - that would be toward the house, which is why I was so concerned) does not slope. He said it was flat except for one area on the north side of the garage that was poured a quarter of an inch lower - an imperfection when the house was built. He also measured the ceiling, which he said would show movement more than the floor, and it was also level. The upstairs hallway, which Mr. Wyatt said sloped 2.5" per 16', at most sloped 3/10" according the structural engineer's measurements. When I confronted Mr. Wyatt with this information, he told me that I must have misunderstood, that he did not tell me that the house needed foundation correction, only that it might have. I could walk into any house in Houston and say it "might" need foundation work. What I was looking for when I hired the inspector was someone who could make a statement with more authority. I cannot trust any of the information that Mr Wyatt supplied in his reports. Plus, whether an electrical socket works is hardly as significant as if a property is going to require foundation repair. I definitely would NOT hire him again. He did not offer to refund any of his fee. It would have been an appropriate gesture to offer a refund equal to what it cost me to hire the structural engineer. If he has been inspecting houses as long as he says, he should be able to more accurately assess the foundation. My impression is that he gives the same report on every house that he inspects because he doesn't really know how to accurately assess the foundation, and if he tells you that something is wrong when it's not, versus the other way around, he won't get sued. He would say he's being cautious. I say he's a bad inspector.

Al Wyatt was great.

When I first called Daystar, Al, the owner was in the middle of an inpsection and promised to call me back. A couple hours later, he called as promised and we set up our appointment for the next week. Al was right on time and quickly got to work inspecting our home. He made comments along the way and gave us a walkthrough when he was finished. Other than portions of his report that were not specific (e.g. "Misc power outlets are loose"), I was pleased with his work. He found several things that needed to be fixed before our new home warranty expired. His price was much lower than all the other home inspectors that I called and he also gave us a discount for finding him on Angie's List.

It was okay. I wasn't thrilled. He is a nice older gentlemen but I don't think that he is up to date on all of the building codes. However it was easy to make an appointment with him. There was a lot of things in the report that were unnecessary. The downside is that he doesn't do roofs which is important in a home inspection.

They came on time, worked the whole time they were here. I got the report when the service provider said I would.

He was friendly, professional, meticulous, thorough, prompt in writing his report and gave me a very good price, doing both a home inspection and a WDI inspection for what many would've charged for just the home inspection. He's got a lot of experience and used it to my benefit in the inspection. It would be hard to imagine a better performance.

They did a very thorough job. He was quick. He was there one day and we got the quote two days later.

Mr. Wyatt was punctual and very reasonable in his prices. He also does termite inspections if needed. He is always very professional when contacted, and has no problems answering all questions. After his thorough inspection of my home, I was a little worried because the report was so long, but Mr. Wyatt went through the list with me, pointed out the easily fixed items, and the time frame within which I should have them taken care of. He is an all around helpful person, and an asset to his profession. I would not hesitate to use him on any other properties I purchase.