Preferred Home Inspections Inc

In my 31 years in this industry in various capacities from mortgage lender to office broker/owner of a major franchise I have never seen this type behavior from an inspector... ever. The worst are the slanderous statements to my client against myself, and derogatory unsolicited general statements about the property.

DO NOT BE FOOLED!!!!!! This team may be very promising and seem "too good to be true" up front, because they are!!! They came and inspected the house and told us we were basically needing to tear off the entire façade of the house and start over and that it would cost over $50,000. Then after the inspection report came through and we called around to get bids, as soon as we told the bidders that PHI did the inspection, THEY REFUSED TO QUOTE OR WORK WITH US!! We're not talking one company, we're talking four or five different companies have been burned by repairing work that PHI inspected, and they refuse to work with you!! There is a lot more to the saga but in short, if you go with PHI as inspectors, sure they are the cheapest inspection up front, but then they try and get you by "highly suggesting" you use their side-guy to do the repairs, and they go WAY overboard and do way more than necessary and charge you an arm and a leg. Hope at least one person benefits from this message!!

Fernando and his team are true professionals. Would highly recommend them and use them again!

Travis was very professional. The Inspection was very thorough and report was delivered online ontime. I would recommend him.

They spoke as if they were experts in real estate and advised our buyer not to purchase the property, even though no mold or significant structural damage was found. Conclusions were drawn regarding real estate and investability and opinions were unsolicited. All comments were judgmental and focused on aesthetics, rather than factual discoveries. The written report was more informational in nature and not specific to the property being inspected. Multiple pictures presented in the report were not from the inspected property and therefore, misleading.

All the details are in reports from 21 to 35 pages. This is the second inspection they have done for me in a month - the previous one indicated that the house should not be bought - so we didn't buy it. One important reference for PHI is an active plumber with his own company - PHI kept him from a large mistake. My most recent inspection showed a good house of 12-13 years old, but well maintained and cared for. Most items identified involved aging of the house (like plastic window glazing that is losing its ability to keep moisture out - also a crack in one window of significance and a BB pit in another) and openings in the exterior that needed sealing to keep out the environment and rodents, Some items were original - the identification was poised to show how some maintenance would reduce risks and costs going forward. On the previous house, an unidentified water leak that put 6" of water standing in the back yard - cause undetermined, but a possible underwashing of the foundation - that plus a roof analysis that was at odds with the seller disclosure caused us to walk away. All these details are daunting - you begin to understand how complex the house's systems are, but still get some idea of what to do first - ask Wendy and Elissa if you are confused, even after the report is completed (usually the same or next day) Like the person who originally recommended PHI, I second that recommendation as the labor, the digging and the clarity of explanation by Wendy and Elissa are worth every cent - if it means moving on to another house, do it. You will never regret it.

It went very well. They were prompt. Generated a professional report. Used a drone with a GoPro to take pictures of the roof.

The work was performed extremely well. The inspector found a few issues that the builder missed. We were provided a thorough report after the work was done. While I didn't meet the inspector himself, the office staff I spoke to on the phone were extremely courteous.

Great and professional service was provided by Jamal. Jamal went over all the details of the maintenance he performed and the future maintenance I need to consider.

After I moved in, I planed to do some remodeling. One contractor suggested me to do a foundation check before I do remodeling. So I asked a foundation repair company to do a check up. The foundation company told me that the foundation is in very bad shape, need to repair ASAP. I called PHI and PHI told me that it was impossible. The foundation cannot move this much in a few months unless there was earthquake. PHI said this was foundation company's trick to get my money. Then I asked another foundation company to take a look. the second foundation company got the same conclusion which is the foundation need to be repaired. Both of them told me that PHI foundation testing was way off. To fix my foundation would be big project. Because more then 20 piles would need to be installed inside my house, all wood and tile floor in the first floor will be destroyed. The total cost would be huge plus all inconvenience. After I got report from the second foundation company, I asked PHI to explain. They did come to my house and admitted that the numbers in their inspection reports were off. But they refused to take responsibilities.

PHI team arrived ready to go to work. They divide and conquer the task. Explain all of the details. Very friendly and easy to work with.

I contacted Preferred Home Inspections through the number on this web site, 713-249-8581, the first time in late June. I briefly talked to someone at their office who interrupted the call to handle another customer. He did quote me prices for the inspections I was requesting which included pre-slab, pre-Drywall and Closing inspections on a new house. He told me to contact them again to schedule the inspection when the Builder gave me the date for the pouring of the concrete. On July 16th the Builder contacted me with the date for pouring concrete for the slab which would be July 24th. I called the Inspector on the 16th to schedule the pre-slab inspection for either the 22nd or 23rd. Apparently he was on his way out of town but told me to text the property address to him and he would send me his email address so I could provide any additional information I had. He said he would contact me Tuesday, 7/21, to confirm and arrange a time for the inspection. I texted the address to him and received back the email address for Preferred Home Inspections which was HOMEINSPECTOR@SWBELL.net. I sent an email to that address on the 16th including contact numbers for myself and the Builder as well as a copy of the Plat. I received no confirmation to the email. I received no call from Preferred Home Inspections on Tuesday the 22nd. I called them again the morning of the 23rd to see when they would be able to do the inspection. From the conversation it was obvious that he had forgotten about the job. He said he would check his schedule and call me back within two hours. He has never called back. Either to schedule an inspection or to let me know he can't make it.

From the time they arrived, I knew something was different. This company was on time and, although dressed professionally, they were dressed to work: no sharply-creased khaki's or white sports shirts for these three, instead knee pads for crawling along surfaces, state of the art tools, lots of cold water to keep hydrated on this hot, humid day and an enthusiasm for their job. Wendy, Fernando and Elissa Martinez worked closely together and kept me in the loop about what they were doing, why they were doing it and the results. They were patient with my questions and took the time to give me complete answers. When I received their report, I was truly impressed. Unlike others I've received, this one was clear and concise with pictures through-out. They listed parameters for their work and showed where the results landed. They made recommendations for further inspections to be done and gave reasons why. They listed codes, but noted when things in house were "grandfathered." They made recommendations if they thought things should be brought up to code and told why. Because of the results of this inspection report, I doubt we'll be purchasing this house. When we find another house we're interested in, you can bet we'll be calling on PHI to perform the home inspection.

They are professional and trustable, the price just a little bit expensive, but worth it. I strongly recommend this home inspection for you.

This is a mixed review because I believe Fernando and Wendy are competent and good at what they do. I was disappointed in how our relationship ended. We purchased a house with a significant amount of stucco in it. In 2014, there was a fair amount of rain during the building process and there was water retention in the walls. So, we paid a much higher than average price for home inspections as they inspected during two stages - near the middle and after construction - believe $970 for two inspections. Based on Fernando's inspection, we were able to have the builder seal the windows. Some of our disappointments include the fact that there were items we noticed after closing that we would have expected Fernando to catch like switch caps that did not fully cover the hole for the switches or the ceiling fan base not fully covering the hole. Our two biggest disappointments were that before closing, Fernando did not catch the fact that stucco on the outside was different colors - not obvious but more than subtle. Second, and the largest issue dealt with Fernando's wall probe readings showing too much moisture content in the walls. You can imagine this would be a huge concern for us buying a new house with stucco. So, after much discussion with the builder, they agreed to seal the windows. However, based on our discussion with the builder, Fernando was to meet a builder's representative so that the builder would cut a hole in our wall (after closing) so that Fernando could look at the OSB with the builder representative. We figured Fernando was neutral and if there was an issue, the builder would cover it under warranty. We also paid an extra $250 for Fernando to come out. So, I texted Fernando on the day of at the time he was to meet the builder's representative and he told me that no one was there about 15 minutes in. He did another probe reading and the moisture content was less - not great but okay. I texted the builder's representative and told him how no one showed up. They sent someone out within 10 minutes. By the time they got there, he had left. So, I called Fernando and asked why he left. His response was that I did not pay him to wait around all afternoon. Well, I figured $250 would get me more than 1/2 hour at most. I was wrong. At that point I was upset and we got disconnected. He told me afterwards that I could get the report if I paid the $250. Now, we would have paid him regardless because he spent time. But, I don't believe that was a professional response. Also, he knew the sole reason that we requested was to have him there when the builder was there so that we could have a neutral third party there at the time. Also, it was only after this time that Fernando noticed the stucco was not the correct color. In the end, the result is that when we hire another inspector to perform our inspection before our year warranty is up, we will just use someone else. His cost was higher than others. Also, in terms of responsiveness, they were very good about coming out on short notice on the initial inspection. I think they came within 2 days - great. On the second inspection, we scheduled that about a month before the date we needed to inspect prior to closing. However, Fernando needed to reschedule, which worked out because our builder was behind schedule. The third time they came out, it took over a week, which is why we had to schedule the meeting with the builder to look inside the walls after our closing.

The inspector was very thorough, timely and was able to do a report fairly quickly, He figured all the issues with the house and notified us on a timely manner which helped us with negotiating the repairs and got more than $4000 in repairs, he saved us from big trouble.

Excellent. Not only are the Martinez family punctual, friendly & courteous, they also conducted themselves as professionals and educated me on multiple items to be aware of when buying/improving a home (this home inspection team knows what they are doing). After seeing the results of this very comprehensive home inspection, I consider this a very well spent investment in my home. I had a 3rd party inspector during my home build process (slab, pre-drywall & final) and we did not catch many of the things PHI did during this inspection. You may pay a little more for PHI but, having used a competitor, I can tell you they are worth every penny. I have already recommended PHI to my local family/friends, and I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for an honest, comprehensive home inspection team that will help you with purchasing (or improving) your single largest investment.

They were excellent. I used them a year ago when I built my home also. They arrived on time and did an excellent job. I would use them again and I recommend them to anybody who needs a good, thorough home inspection. I trust them. They're very honest and very thorough. It's a family business, a man, a wife and a daughter and they come out together and go through your house. They were here for several hours. I know they did a thorough job. I asked the builder's salesman if I should use the same company again and he said absolutely, because they did a real good job for me when I got it done last year. I found them myself, through Angie's List. He found a lot of things that the builder had to correct, in the first inspection. So for the builder's salesman to say, "You need to use him again," I think that said a lot.

We had Elissa for mold inspection. She was very detail. She also was very patient with our questions. She spent a lot of time going over each area and tests. She did not mind us following her around and asking her questions. She pointed to the problem when she saw it and explain the severity of it. We would definitely use this company again in the future.

If I could give this guy (Fernando) a medal or a trophy, I would. He saved us a million bucks' worth of misery. We had put a contract in on a house and were scheduled to close the following week. We had already done home inspection, roof inspection, termite inspection, and were toying around with getting a stucco inspection but had almost decided not to do it since the house had already passed all the other inspections. But literally at the last minute we decided we'd go ahead and get the stucco inspection. And I am so happy we did. Fernando knows his stuff and is so very professional. I was there when he, Wendy, and his daughter came to do the inspection and he explained everything to me every step of the way, even letting me put the probe in so I could feel what he was feeling with the probe -- total mush where studs should be. As it turned out, just about the whole house had wood rot underneath the stucco. We got the report the next day, complete with color photographs and a very detailed report. I would use him again in a heartbeat.

This is the second time we've used PHI. As I had explained in my first review, they saved us from making a bad home purchase by uncovering numerous issues the Seller ultimately refused to repair. After several months of searching for another home (this tine being a new build), Fernando was the first person we called after going under contract. I had a few concerns about the build but as a layperson, we moved forward anyway because we knew that if there were real issues, PHI would find them. They did. And if it hadn't been for their expertise, these problems would have cost us $20k+ when they got worse. Now it's up to the builder to make the necessary repairs and that is what we're waiting on. The builder had stringent contractual guidelines in the contract regarding inspectors and how they perform and minimum liability/WC coverage. It was effortless because PHI met every guideline and always site code relative to any discovered deficiency. I cannot stress enough, spend the money on the best. It is such a small investment compared to the protection they provide to you as their customer.

I want to start by saying I would highly recommend Preferred Home Inspections (PHI). Here is some background on our experience: My wife and I found an older home, built in 1969, that we absolutely loved. While we noticed a few things needed to be done around the home, it was apparent the owner had put some work into it prior to putting it on the market. My wife and I put the home under contract. Since the home was older, I wanted to have as thorough of an inspection I could get. PHI provided it! They found numerous undisclosed issues with the house. The issues they found included: foundation, grating, electrical, severe mold, air conditioning, and more. The report they offered us was detailed. Further, they called and explained everything to me in layman's terms. Ultimately we backed out of purchasing the home. I believe PHI saved us so much time and money. They are not the cheapest in Houston, but you definitely get what you pay for with PHI. Again, I would highly recommend PHI.

They were very professional and very well informed. They did a thorough job and I received my report in a timely manner. They were also very friendly. Overall they were very good.

Fernando and his team inspected our house from the initial structural pre-sheet rock inspection through to close. His team, his services, his experience and his great attitude are a pleasure to work with. There were numerous issues with our house, all that Fernando picked up to keep our investment safe. They are a great team who explains everything they're doing, why they're doing it and how it impacts the home in the long run. When he finds an issue, he is just as thorough. I have learned an incredible amount of the building industry from working with them and know a lot about my house now. They take their time to find everything and explain everything they find. Their reports are thorough and sent in a very timely manner. It has been an absolute pleasure to deal with Fernando, Wendy and Elyssa. If you are about the make the biggest investment of your life, like we just did, they're the best team to have in your corner. Thank you for all your hard work Fernando, Wendy and Elyssa!

This is a family run- three members team. They did an excellent job of inspecting the property that we are about to purchase, and found all the issue the property was having, very detail and my husband were impressed with their service. Fernando inspected the electrical wire and structure of the property, the wife inspected the AC and duct work of the property, and the daughter inspected the plumbing of the property. They worked together and informed us a thorough detail of areas that need to pay attention more. We couldn't be happier. My husband is a picky guy, and if he is impressed, their jobs are well done. They were very good to inform you if they are about to be late, overall we highly recommend their services to any of our friends or family and we will surely call them again.