I am so happy we chose Above Grade Home Inspections for our home inspection needs. They stand by their name and provide top-notch service and valuable advice when inspecting your home. Todd was excellent and went above and beyond. He provided a clear explanation of where everything was and what everything did. We would not have felt comfortable closing on our house if we did not have Above Grade Home Inspections on our side. Chuck made scheduling very easy and was very accommodating when planning our inspection. Our report turnaround time was speedy compared to other companies, which allowed us to have inspection report actions items fixed faster. I will be recommending Above Grade Home Inspections to all my friends and family. read more

As first time home buyers my wife and I are new to the buying process. This was the first inspection we have ever had and we couldn't ask for a better experience. Chuck walked us through the entire process and explained what he was looking for throughout his inspection. He schooled us in every room giving us the knowledge of what to look for in our search for a new home. During the inspection Chuck pointed out many things that could be worrisome in the future and eventually found something that was extreme enough to be a deal breaker. He explained to us how extensive a fix each issue would be so we can then decide if the issue was worth it to resolve. At the end of the day he saved us a huge headache and most likely thousands of dollars on issues that would eventually turn what we thought was a dream home into a money pit. Thanks for schooling us Chuck. We will definitely be reaching out to you again when we think we've found our dream home. read more

Guys who work/run this company are great. You want 4 things from a home inspector and these guys have them all, in flying colors: 1) Honesty 2) Knowledge 3) Competence 4) Fair Pricing I just had the worst almost home purchase ever. Almost every person involved was shady and underhanded, which is why Iucked out by having Chuck and Todd on my side. Todd did a great and thorough job inspecting the home. Because of the hoarder's clutter in the home, a dishonest seller and resentful tenants that would barely let us in, he wasn't able to inspect some aspects of the home, and Chuck volunteered to come back before closing if there was access and inspect the areas/things that were blocked on the original inspection (at no-charge). These are the most straightforward, on the level guys. Reasonable and on your side. The deal ended up going south, and the seller's agent/new buyers tried to pressure Chuck into giving them the inspection report and he immediately called to tell me, I would've never known, but he is so honest and legit--- he's that guy. This entire experience has been extraordinarily disheartening and if it wasn't for the great guys at above grade I would have 1) been doubly screwed over, and 2) lost all faith in humanity. Also, the phone support they provided me and going through the inspection report and talking through the process was beyond expectations. They are seriously great, we are still looking and without a doubt I'm going to be hiring them to inspect the next place. read more

TJ did an excellent job reviewing every detail in the house and explaining to me what was the significance and possible impact for each item. He called out what was an urgent matter versus something easily fixable that I didn't have to be concerned about. After I received the report, he also patiently answered all of my questions. I would highly recommend him!! Thank you, TJ!! read more

I had an home inspection during March 2020. During the inspection, the inspector not only pointed out areas of concern, but things that were in good working order. He answered all my quesy. He educated my partner and I about different codes for different years of construction. Because of his expertise, we did not proceed with the purchase of the home due to structural concerns.. The inspector also tried to save me money by not continuing with further testing because of the findings on the walk through..I am curruntly looking for a new property and will be using this company on the near future. read more

Chuck was exactly what you should be looking for in an inspector -- attentive, timely, communicative, honest and easy to work with. Can't speak highly enough about him, he was able to point out things in the house that highly influenced our decision and made us feel educated about the property in a way that we would have never been able to do on our own. He made us feel like we had someone who looked out for us and it was extremely appreciated. See the review from Chanel below, had the exact same experience! Do your own research when looking for an inspector and if you're in NY, you'll probably be calling up Chuck. read more

If you ask your realtor for an inspector, they won't give you Chuck from Above Grade. Not because he is bad, but because he is so good, he will find issues, whether they are a $20 fix or $20,000. If you use Chuck, don't hesitate to walk around with him during the inspection. He will point out the good and the bad and give you actionable advice and estimates on how to fix any issues he finds. He has seen so much, he can tell you how old the boiler, heater, roof is just by looking at it. He will also point out and show you how the features in the house work, like how to remove the window for cleaning (it was totally different than any window I had cleaned before in several places I l have lived). He also has all the necessary tools like a moisture detector, infrared, etc. For a first time home buyer like me, the process can be overwhelming. But since Chuck treats the inspection like his family would live there, I have peace of mind that knowing that as long as the issues he finds are taken care of, my family will be safe. I have used Chuck twice now, (first deal didn't go through) hopefully I won't need his services again for a while, but if I do, I will not hesitate to call him again. read more

TJ was amazing! We needed a home inspection and our realtor immediately called them and requested TJ. Because this is our first home we wanted to be there for the inspection. He was extremely thorough and took the time to explain everything he saw during his inspection. We were then given a 58 page report the next day with further details of the inspection. Would absolutely recommend! read more

Let me tell you how great Chuck was with our home inspection. He pointed out so many things that we had no idea about when we initially did the home walk through. Thanks to chuck's help we fell more in love with the house and made us feel secure to lock down contract with the house. Thank you Chuck for all your help, we highly recommend him, hes very thorough with the house inspection read more

Chuck was fantastic - he arrived early, moved quickly, and was very thorough. He took the time to answer all my questions both during and after the inspection. We are buying an older home "as is" from a for-sale-by-owner seller, and Chuck's detailed report helped us to negotiate our offer down after the inspection in order to account for several of the needed repairs he uncovered. I would definitely hire Chuck again and recommend him to anyone looking for an efficient and fair inspection! read more

Chuck is amazing and we consider ourselves truly lucky to have found him. After being pressured by our realtor to use his recommended home inspector, I did my research and decided to call Chuck based on his glowing reviews here and on Angies List. After my first conversation with Chuck I felt 1000 times more at ease moving forward with the entire process of purchasing my first home. He's one of the few people I have spoken to who have gone out of his way to explain things to me fully and empower me by sharing his knowledge and making recommendations. His full report complete with HD pics was given to us within 24 hours of our initial inspection and was detailed and thorough. I hope we are able to finalize the purchase of this house but if not I will definitely be calling Chuck to inspect the next one and recommending him to my friends and family! read more

I'm a first time homebuyer...and as of this post am still looking for a house. I had Chuck conduct an inspection on what we thought was our dream house earlier this week. I really dodged a bullet. From the get-go I could tell Chuck had my families safety and well being as his #1 priority. Chuck was professional, personable and extremely knowledgeable. I will be calling him again to inspect our future home! read more

My husband and I had the pleasure of meeting Chuck Sweed on a recent home inspection he did for us on a Monroe home we intended to buy. Let me first say, it was evident he was clearly looking out for us as buyers of the home. We have purchased and sold many homes, but we had never had nor seen a home inspection this thorough! Chuck was extremely knowledgeable about all things home related. He was very thorough, comprehensive and clearly explained the things he found to us as we walked through the home. He took great pictures showing the areas of issue, like in the crawl spaces, which weren't easily accessible. He didn't take any short cuts. He produced a 24 page report of his findings. We would highly recommend him and would have him as our home inspector from this point forward. Mary and Steve Marsh read more

Trustworthy and Thorough As first-time homebuyers, my husband and I were unsure of exactly what to expect from a home inspection. But the minute we met Chuck we knew we were in good hands. Chuck spent several hours during our morning inspection explaining everything to us as we went through the property. He explained the whole home inspection process as we went through, making sure we knew what he was checking and why it was important. He gave us detailed information on-site and later emailed us an amazingly thorough and detailed report. During his inspection, he went above and beyond to answer all our questions and explain how everything works. We really appreciated his advice and knowledge as first-time homeowners since we are both new to electric, plumbing and heating systems. He was honest and explained to us the positives as well as the potential issues that could arise in the future and made us comfortable in knowing what we were getting into with the purchase of our house-the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between. In a double anxious moment (as first-time homebuyers in the new COVID 19 world), his friendly and personable nature was an extra bonus! We highly recommend Chuck and Above Grade Home Inspections to anyone looking for a trustworthy, thorough, knowledgeable and professional inspection. - Julie and Jose read more

You will not find a more qualified, honest and expert inspector. Chuck is brilliant at breaking down a homes issues and offered well thought advice. If you are buying a home and want a honest look at every aspect of your home and give you a full report, Chuck is your man. read more

Amazing! Not enough good things I can say about Chuck. He's personable, honest and thorough! Will ONLY EVER recommend him for home inspections. You will not regret using him!!! read more

I have used Chuck for every possible inspection that I have in my Realtor© business. He was and still is the one guy I trust implicitly. It's very important to me to feel confident in the home I'm helping a client invest in. With Chuck, I have peace of mind. That wasn't always the case with many of the other inspectors, believe me! read more

I chose Above grade based on the reviews. I was expecting a 5 star service. The inspector arrived late. They made the house seem like it was a lot better then it clearly was. I was at least expecting a detailed report I could use to get the owners to repair or credit some of the work that was needed. It took 5 days to get report, there was apparently problems with some of the pictures and it took a lot longer then the one day I was told it would take. The pictures that were corrupted were the most important ones I needed. Luckily I took my own pictures and had to put my own report together. The inspector was there for 2 1/2 hours then rushed out. Me and my realtor finished our inspection. For the $550 I just don't feel like I got the value I was hoping for. Maybe it was just a single bad day for them because the inspector was a nice guy. He has all the newest and flashy tools but those don't really give you a better inspection. For people who have little to no experience with houses you could definitely be misled by this inspection process. read more

So nice to work with someone that's good at their job and enjoys it at the same time. Buying a home can be overwhelming, especially the first time so it really helps to have good people around you. As much as he may joke around Chuck is no- nonsense when it comes to his job. I love the house that he inspected but he will definitely tell you the good and the bad which is what you need from a good inspector. He even threw the home owner out which sealed the deal. Hire him read more

Todd just conducted our home inspection and he spent an hour on the phone going through the report with us. He entertained all of our questions, big and small. He understood that we were first time home buyers and there was a big learning curve :) He and chuck also provided some local recommendations for other experts in the area. These guys were really helpful and professional. I would def use again and recommend to friends! read more

Chuck is awesome!!!!! I have to agree with every review below. He not only inspected our potential home he also gave us a how to dummy guide on homes. It was a pleasure working with him and would recommend him with no hesitation. He's funny, personable and super friendly. I texted him to ask him some silly sidebar questions after the inspection and Chuck called me back in 2 minutes. Even my realtor wanted his business card. You have got to try him for yourself. Thank you Chuck a million times over . He doesn't want to do my fireplace is my only negative review lol!!! Just being funny . read more

Above Grade sent out their guy Todd. Their boss is Chuck Sweed. Todd was nice and thorough in the home inspection. Above Grade does radon testing by default with their home inspections and they pass that test's cost on to their customer. However, for the home that I am in the process of purchasing, when my realtor checked in with the seller's agent it was discovered that Above Grade failed to come back and collect the test, and asked the seller's to seal and send in the radon tests. When I received the result of the radon test it turns out that one of the two canisters wasn't sealed properly and couldn't be properly tested. The sellers, nor buyers, of a property are the ones who are supposed to seal and send in the radon tests, mainly because radon testing has a certification attached to it, but more so because the inspectors are paid to do it. The responsibility of sealing and sending in the radon tests rests purely with the home inspector, who was hired to do these tests. In my view, they failed to complete the job that they were paid for and left the job about 70% done, at most. Edit: I was mistaken when they pass on the cost of the radon test. They do not charge for the radon test. However, I firmly believe that they are responsible for picking up the radon test, making sure it is properly sealed and sent off for analysis. read more

Had 2 homes inspected by Chuck. He was referred through our realtor. Very thorough, and goes out of his way to explain potential issues in laymans terms. The first house he inspected, we were very interested in purchasing, but Chuck found some potentially disastrous problems and was very straightforward about the causes and what these problems would cost us in the future. He didn't sugarcoat it, and saved us from buying a real money pit of a house. The second house he inspected for us, he was again very thorough and knowledgeable, and we are currently in the process of having the sellers fix some of the problems he identified. This is a local, veteran-owned business, and I highly recommend it. read more

our home purchase experience was one of the most stressful processes we've ever been through, and it seemed like every person involved in the process was pressuring us to make a decision, move fast, and get through it fast, rather than really caring about us and making sure we made the right decision. Chuck was the exception -- he was completely honest about everything and genuinely wanted to see us happy in our new home. And not only was he fair and honest, but very knowledgeable too, educating us on just about every part of the home and the home inspection process -- the transparency makes it much more comfortable than just a plain report. it seemed like almost everyone else in the process just wants you to close the deal, but chuck told us what we would need to fix (but not necessarily how much it will cost). read more

After the home in Wurtsboro fell through I searched for an inspector on Angie's List with a lot of recommendations and someone who would take pictures and provide an electronic report. Chuck Sweed of Above Grade had both. Inspectors are out all day in the field so I figured it would be after hours before I got a response back. After sending an email where I provided my cell phone I received a txt from him during a break in a class he was teaching. He was straight up honest that he was quite booked up and would not be able to perform an inspection with three days notice. I was okay with that and told him that I had read that in the other Angie's List reviews. The owner of the home I'm considering needed to get some work done so I was able to arrange for the inspection with 7-10 days notice. Now what makes this particular inspection very unusual is that this is a passively built home with a 12V and 110V systems. It has a gravity fed water system, radiant heat floors and no septic; it has a grey water system and an incinerator toilet. It has a bank of 10 batteries that somehow run the water pump. Chuck didn't want to do the inspection because he said these systems are not part of a regular inspection. I said that's okay as most inspectors are going to tell me the same thing but since I already have a pretty good feeling about you I think you'll do a pretty good job. He did an excellent job. The propane tank ran out so we couldn't test the radiant heat and the water stopped running indicating possibly a problem with a well pump or a missing well pump. These two things plus a few others we're clearly written up with pictures and I had a report within a day of the inspection. Chuck pointed out that the wood stove had not been installed correctly and he doubted it had been Permitted. He was spot on. The owner agreed to fix all including getting the permits through the town. I used Chuck to reinspect the property. Because of Chuck's inspection all the re-work was done and done well since the Seller knew it had to pass Chuck's re- inspection. Update: The house fell through because the bank declined to offer a mortgage on a rather unique green home. I have found another home and will use Chuck for this more traditional property. read more

It was an absolute pleasure having Chuck do our first home inspection. He is extremely professional, knowledgeable, thorough and precise. I am sure I asked this man 37388489 questions and he was able to answer all of them with no hesitation. I believe it is so important that a home inspector is able to explain and take his time with an inspection, and he did just that. As first time home buyers I learned soooooo much from Chuck. My husband and I received a very detailed report afterwards. This home inspection actually calmed my nerves. We know exactly what we need to work on. Thanks Chuck! Will recommend to everyone I know. read more

First time home-buyer. I was very happy that Chuck went above and beyond what was needed, always quick to respond to questions or concerns. During the inspection he was extremely thorough and was happy to explain everything we needed to know while also explaining why his recommendations were important for the safety and the upkeep of the home. Chuck is also very knowledgeable about the history of home construction and he wasn't afraid to be frank at times (which was much appreciated). I highly recommend Chuck and the fact that his business is veteran-owned is a plus! read more

I've worked with Chuck on three houses in the Poughkeepsie area over the past 10 months and he's never steered me wrong. He's super accommodating to my travel schedule and he keeps his word. His reports are thorough and worth every penny. I'm so impressed with Chuck that I cannot recommend him highly enough - I would not consider using anyone else to inspect property of interest in the area. read more

I found lots of problems that were overlooked during the inspection while small points that did not matter at all were emphasized in the report. My home is 100 years old so I expected some issues - however, extensive problems with the water system, plumbing, furnace and roof were not brought to light in the report. Meanwhile, everything appeared very thorough since so much attention was given to small details. I should have gotten a second opinion and paid less for my home. read more

"So you looked at this house, probably in the dark, or just before and now as we are walking around you are seeing a bunch of things you never saw before. Not only that, I am showing you stuff that you never thought to even look for. Yeah, I know the look on your face, I have seen it a hundred times. Now hold this ladder for me while I climb up to the roof." So began the three and a half hour tour of my prospective house with Chuck as my guide. I have read the reviews for Above Grade Home Inspections and Chuck Sweed and they all agree Chuck is great, he is very knowledgable, he found some stuff, he saved me money ... And I agree with all of this. But let me tell you why Chuck is not just good, Chuck rocks. Chuck not only inspected my prospective house, he took me on a guided tour of every nook, crawlspace, and system. He showed me every flaw an potential problem and explained the upside and downside to every fix or repair. He also knew almost all of the people and companies that had done work on the house and was able to tell me what to look for in their work, good and bad. The most surprising thing about Chuck's work is how he read the house like a gypsy reading tea leaves. Here is an example: We were walking down the hallway to check out the master bedroom on suite, Chuck saw that there was a slight water stain on the wall in the hallway. He stopped, looked at me and said, "Ya see that, there is no insulation in this section of the house, and it is not vented properly. What is happening is that moisture is condensing on the roofing nails and dripping water on the attic floor. I can already tell you that the best way to handle that is to get someone to spray the attic ceiling with spray foam insulation ... and tell them not to trim it and make it look pretty... leave it all a mess. It will be thicker and hold more heat." A few minutes later when we crawled up into the attic, it was just as he said and I could see the rusty nails where the condensation had collected on them. This is just ONE of maybe fifteen things he showed me about the house. Chuck left no stone unturned and showed me what exactly I was getting into. I was curious and interested, and I learned a tremendous amount about how to spot problems and the proper way to deal with them. If you hire him, and I sincerely think you should, you will not be disappointed. We decided to buy the house. We have a closing date in late March. Chuck not only gave a great inspection, but introduced me to my new home. There is some work to do, but in the end I am confident that there will be no surprises. Thanks Chuck, you rock. read more

Chuck is a great inspector. If you want your inspection done right call him. He is very thorough. As he does the inspection he explains things and shows you what is going on with the house. He cares about the people he is doing the inspection for. My wife and I have used Chuck twice and he has found things that most people wouldn't even notice. He really cares about his job. My wife and I would never use another inspector. You want the job done right call Chuck at Above Grade Home Inspections. He showed up on time for the inspection. He had the report done and emailed to us right away. I can't say enough how thankful we are that we used Chuck for our inspection. read more

Chuck Sweed arrived on time, took his time, was very thorough and performed his job with integrity. He was open and responsive to questions as he worked. It's clear within minutes of meeting Chuck that he is someone who knows what he is doing. I enter all such transactions with a big dose of doubt, but right from the start I felt confident that Chuck was the right person for the job. Now that the job is done, I'm happy to still feel the same. I recommend Chuck without reservation. read more

Chuck, or Professor Chuck as I like to call him, is the best inspector around. He is incredibly thorough and protective of his clients. He helped us avoid a major issue on a house we were looking to purchase. You may not want to hear all of the bad things, but he won't let you down- I feel 100% safe and sure of whatever home we purchase because of him. Plus you always learn something new with Chuck, and he is funny to boot! read more

Chuck is a great home inspector who really takes his time in evaluating the intricacies of home construction. I used him on 2 homes. He saved us from a money pit disaster by pointing out faults that were not apparent to me, and also made me feel assured after inspecting the 2nd home. He has a quick turnaround on his report, which I appreciate. Very knowledgeable - I highly recommend Above Grade. read more

In the last month Chuck has conducted two (partial) home inspections for us. Chuck quickly identified some big issues with both homes, which is why we didn't complete the full inspection. He was kind enough to let us end the inspection early and work out a very fair price. He is extremely knowledgeable, very thorough, always on time and funny on top of it all. We highly recommend Chuck and will be using him again. read more