Preferred Home Inspections Inc

Preferred Home Inspections is a family-owned business and we got three family members for one home inspection. All inspectors were friendly, professional, and knowledgeable. Each inspector had pre-set jobs to make the entire experience as efficient as possible. Each inspector was more than willing to let you tag along with them as they went through the house to ask questions, observe, etc. Anytime one of them noticed something of importance, they were sure to grab either my husband or myself to explain what they were looking at. We were quite impressed with the level of scrutiny with which they performed the inspection. Preferred Home Inspections utilizes infrared technology to examine inside walls and ceilings for water damage. We had lots of questions regarding our rooftop terrace, all of which were answered by the inspectors. In addition to this inspection company, we had our own independent repairmen come to the house to examine it as well. Preferred Home Inspections was happy to share information with them and collaborated in an easy manner. The entire process took about two hours. We received our completed report promptly the next day. It had detailed notes about everything we talked about as well as clear photos to supplement the notes. We are extremely pleased with the service we received from Preferred Home Inspections and would not hesitate to recommend them and use them again ourselves.

Since we were in Mexico at the time of the inspection, he worked with us via email and arranged to be let in with our realtor. He was punctual and thorough in his work. I feel very comfortable in recommending him to others.

Used them on two separate occasions while inspecting homes for purchase. They did a home/stucco/mold inspection on my first house, and then a home inspection + follow up check on my second. Very pleasant and professional family, accommodating as well. The reports look very professional, color pictures are included. I was very impressed specifically with the stucco inspection and the infrared testing, they know exactly where to probe for moisture. Well versed with electrical code standards if you have an older house. Slightly expensive, but worth it as they bring a lot of experience to the table.

Where do I begin? Fernando, Wendy and Elissa are professional, efficient, and exactly the kind of inspector you want to hire...unless you like to bury your head in the sand. They found many problems, some of which were code violations on my new construction home, and others were simple items that could easily be fixed. My builder decided to fight me "tooth and nail" when it came to correcting many of the items Fernando and his family found. I actually had them come back to do a re-inspection to make sure things were actually fixed properly. I think the builder was actually a little intimidated that there were three of them that showed up for the re-inspect! At one point the builder wanted to argue that something as simple as HVAC air filters were not dirty! They were full of drywall dust, and my builder wanted to argue they were clean! Fernando pulled them out in front of the builder and tapped it on the ground to show him all the dust that flew into the air....... so just know that they look at the minor details as well. He found a code violation in my attic and it was not properly insulated. I fought with the builder, and put enough heat on them that they raised a platform with two water heaters on it ( A pretty extensive job) in order to properly insulate the attic. This was a big deal, and my builder was swearing up and down it was properly insulated and built to "code", they could not however prove it to me. Fernando, Wendy and Elissa found many small problems that I required the builder to fix, improper capping of exterior window sills, improper boot jack installation on the roof, bent vent pipes in attic, improper HVAC performance, etc. The bottom line is that I wanted an inspector who would inspect my house as if he intended to purchase it......and that is EXACTLY what I got! I would give them my HIGHEST recommendation....but don't just take my word for it.......look at all their OTHER reviews on this site! Thanks Martinez family!

I am buying a house long distance so did all my contacts by email and phone, They were very responsive and friendly during the set up phase and were very clear in the scheduling. They inpected a 10 year old brick and siding home. 3 members of the family business showed up, and started going over the home with a fine tooth comb. They were proffesional and quick and were finished in about 2 hours. They wrote up a very legible and understandable report complete with pictures, web links, recommendations and observations. They were very considerate of the homeowner who was also present. I would definatly use them again. Even though its a little pricey I fell that I got my money's worth and that I will not be surprised by anything I find when I get there.

Fernando, Wendy & Elissa were very thorough and took the time to review/discuss areas of concern. Compared to other inspectors we have had in the past, they were prompt, detail-oriented and knoweledgeable. 3 person team spent 3.5 hours inspecting our 9 YO, 2000SQFT home, and gave us the inspection report right away. Would use their services again and recommend to anyone needing a good home inspection .

They were very thorough! Fernando and his family did the work for us. They were busy the whole time and inspected everything. Their daughter did a mold inspection and got us the report with in a week. We were very pleased with their explanations of everything. They logged all the information into their computer and then walked us through everything. Overall it was a great experience. I would highly recommend.

speedy, efficient, and thorough. The team pointed out several important flaws that made me uncomfortable enough to continue with the contract, and so I canceled during the option period. They were honest, practical, and professional.

Fernando was quick to respond to my phone call and was able to come over and check the water spots in the ceiling before coming over a couple days later to investigate properly. They were thorough and quick. I am grateful that they found the cause of the leak. I did find them a little steep in pricing. I will highly reccommend PHI Home Inspectors to anyone who needs their home checked and who understands that a little more money spend on home inspection is much better than to save and later regret.

I saw some water staining in my ceiling and decided to hire a home inspector to investigate and to perform a pre-emptive inspection of the entire house. After consulting Angie’s List, I decided on hiring Preferred Home Inspection, INC base on the fact that the only grade they have ever received was an A as of this writing. Our original appointment was scheduled for 2:30 PM. Fernando called and asked if they could come at 1:30 PM. I said “No problem”. They were punctual. I found the three inspectors, Fernando, his wife Wendy and their daughter Elissa to be extremely friendly, competent, and knowledgeable. I actually had a lot of fun during the inspection. How many people can say that about a home inspection? Happily the water stains were only cosmetic and the ceiling was dry as determined by the Delmhosrt BD2100 and likely resulted from driven rain during Ike. Our entire roof was replaced after Ike. However, they did find severe deficiencies in our roof which was attributed to poor installation by a bad roofer. Although the roof was not leaky, it was not properly ventilated and very poorly installed. The bad roofers also did not reattach the furnace or hot water vent which subjected us to potential carbon monoxide exposure.They also found several other less severe deficiencies around the house, all of which were documented in a thorough, lengthy report (with many photographs) which we received by email the next day. They recommend a roofer that they personally trust and that they have used in the past to fix our deficiencies. I will be meeting with that roofer today. I highly recommend Preferred Home Inspection and would not hesitate to hire them again.

Thorough, Honest, Punctual, Informative, Wealth of Knowledge, Experience, Friendly, Upstanding! Fernando, Wendy, and Elissa are top notch inspectors but more importantly they are honest and thorough. During the option period on a home we were considering in Oak Forest they combed through the entire home and pointed out many problems with the condition of the home. If you are familiar with the area most homes were built in the 50's and although this home looked like it would just need some cosmetic updating this family team uncovered serious issues with the roof, ducting, electrical panel, plumbing, and moisture issues in the attic. After the contract for the first home fell through due to the seller not willing to negotiate the price to accomidate for all of the issues found during the inspection we continued our search and again called in this family team of three licensed inspectors to thoroughly inspect the second home. Consistency is the word, although this home was in much better shape they sill took the time to inspect everything thoroughly and while they still found some issues that needed to be addressed they were smaller issues we were comfortable with addressing. They remembered us although months had passed since the first inspection and we had not been in communication since then. Their price is a tad bit higher than most but in our opinion their services are worth it. You get three inspectors on inspection day and before they leave the will present you with a completed report and explain the entire report and the findings to you encouraging questions from you as they go. It did not feel like they were rushing or reading a script (each inspection spanned at least 3 hours from start to finish), they were very present and passionate about the buyer truly understanfing what all the issues in the report mean. We would definetly recommend Fernando, Wendy, and Elissa and will also use them again for any future inspections. You should use them for a new house, you should use them for an old house, you should use them for a tree house, you should just use them and sleep well at night.

The team was a few minutes late, but they called to inform me they were on the way. They had encouraged me to be present for the whole inspection process, so I followed Fernando and Elyssa around while Wendy typed furiously on the computer. This was my first home inspection, but in speaking to friends and family about the process, they indicated the PHI team was much more thorough than the average inspector. Inspection went well and was done with streamlined efficiency. I am still amazed that they were able to inspect the entire property, top to bottom, in two hours. At the end of the inspection, I sat down with the team as Wendy went through the hefty report, item by item. It was very educational, and I left the inspection confident that I understood what my husband and I were getting into with the home in question. Thankfully, the mold assessment came back well within normal limits, so I cannot speak to PHI's mold remediation abilities. Home buying is stressful, and tensions are high--especially during the inspection process. The PHI team was knowlegdeable and professional, as one would expect, but what I appreciated most was their attitude. They are doing something they enjoy, and it shows. Their upbeat attitude made the inspection process much easier...and actually somewhat enjoyable. As far as the cost of inspection goes, I am a firm believer that you get what you pay for. PHI offers a premium technical and service experience, and it is well worth the money. I highly recommend them.

Our inspectors Fernando and Elissa did very good job. They are very knowledgeable and dedicated to their job. Although it's a pre-drywall inspection Fernando did give a lot of concerns about our stucco outside wall. We really appreciate that. They are also very good communicators and do care about you. we are very satisfied with their service and fully recommend.

PHI did an extremely thorough job inspecting my potential house. They used infrared cameras to inspect for hidden water damage, used wood moisture testing equipment, and found numerous leaks that would have cost me plenty after the sale. They took many digital photos which were downloaded onto their laptop during the inspection so that the report could be turned around quickly and while their comments were fresh in their mind. All commentary was recorded on a handheld device for accuracy. Their many years of experience was evident in the commentary as I walked the house with them. Being a first-time home buyer, PHI gave me the confidence that no stone would go unturned. They even checked for hollow spots under the tile in the kitchen! I would recommend PHI to anyone and am using them for my second possible house purchase very soon.

Fernando and his wife and daughter all who work together as a team arrived at the set time and my husband followed him as he did the outside, inspection. He answered and but my husbands mind at ease about all of the questions he had. From foundation questions to Sheetrock hairline crack questions. Wendy did a mold inspection and overall it was a great experience. We purchased the home feeling extremely good about it. Without Fernando's expertise I feel I would have not felt as confident in purchasing the home.

This is the second time I have used PHI. The first time, in late January, the team managed to save me untold thousands of dollars by convincing me to walk (run) away from a fixer-upper that turned out to be completely unable to be even insured. The three-member team (husband/wife/daughter) swarmed over the latest property, each with specific duties and procedures. I was given detailed observations at every step of the way, and we were able to discuss methods and strategies relating to specific issues. At the end of the session, we went through the report step-by-step, making notations as we went; when we were done, I was able to immediately get a copy of the report from their laptop via USB drive. They take many MANY photos and use them at key points in their report, for use by repair technicians. Wendy, Fernando and Elissa are very personable as well. They do not mind questions (they encourage them) and they will take you by the hand to show you specific concerns up-close. They are patient and willing to give explanations in layman's terms for as long as it takes to get things done. I recommend these folks 100%, and have used them twice in the last sixty days.

An inspector came out to make several inspections on a town home project.

PHI found many alarming issues with this 15 year old home including wet, rotted wood under the stucco, too few support beams above garage (not enough to support the 2nd story kitchen that was sagging), along with rafter beams that should not have been used (vertical-only studs were used as rafters). It was interesting that the prior owner had just spent $7000 on structural pier work a few months earlier which never addressed the sagging kitchen issue. The owner would have saved that expense if he had the Martinez family perform the first inspection.

They were extremely thorough. They were also very professional.

We are pleased with their service and they did everything they said they would do. They are honest because they could have told us we had a big problem and we would not have known any difference; but the issues were relatively minor so they did not. I will use them again in the future.

PHI arrived on time at the home, and were extremely friendly and professional. I was immediately impressed with how they didn't waste any time, and worked together among themselves to be as efficient and as thorough as possible. I especially appreciated how they had two people (who each gave me a copy of their inspection license for my records when the arrived) dictating via digital recorders to a third person who was there writing the report. This meant I had a near completed report upon their completion! They only needed another 30 minutes after our appointment to finish it up and had it e-mailed to me right away. I will certainly recommend them to everybody else! They found a couple issues in the house, and provided a lot of documentation that discussed their methodologies and equipment.

I found PHI on Angie's List, and they had a great rating so I called them. They reacted immediately to my request, and did a thorough home inpsection. The report they sent the same day was detailed and explained everything. They were available by phone and email to discuss any questions I had about the report. They agreed to go back twice after the original inspection to address other issues and were very easy to work with. I was able to pay on-line, and could contact all of my business with them efficiently from 250 miles away.

The three-member team was very professional and I was extremely pleased with their work. Due to grade issues, it would be difficult for anyone to get under my house to inspect the pier and beam foundation, but Fernando was up for the challenge and did what I imagine few other home inspectors would even consider. And rather than tell me the issues in general terms, Fernando explained what he saw in specific terms and took pictures (which were included in the report), so I had evidence to take back to the seller. As Fernando and his team explained, they tell you how it is. If you are truly in love with a house, they have no problem breaking your heart by pointing out problems that lead you to walking from the sale. Of course, everyone else (your agent, the seller, etc.) will downplay issues, but not this team. For that, they are worth the more expensive fee for the inspection. I will recommend them everyone purchasing (or selling) a house, and I will be sure to use them whenever I need an inspection in the future.

Very well. They were punctual and professional.

Fernando, Wendy, and Elissa performed a home inspection on the house we were planning to purchase. They were really professional and personable. They are willing to share their knowledge and experience with first time home buyers.As the result, they saved us from purchasing a problematic house. We will use them again for sure!