Closed on my house this month and only with the help, knowledge, skill, and easy-to-understand communication that Tom has. I had not known how important it was until Tom that having someone who was actually in the business of construction is critical for a solid inspection. I bought an old house, that's 2 units...twice the work and old houses well they have their own thing. So to compare I had one prior two unit house that was oh about 1.5 times bigger than what Tom had inspected...the previous 'inspector' took about 2 hours and left without even notifying me, made me feel like I was in the way if I dared ask a question while they tap tap tap on an iPad for my report. This previous inspector also gave a report (after inspecting another house that day?) to me that night...it was auto filled. Auto generated. Not detailed or customized to give me the in-depth I'd hope. "Could be this or could be that or could be the other thing or that other thing". Tom may give a report a bit later but it's because he actually puts his details to it. Not an auto-filled cookie-cutter report that isn't necessarily useful. And Tom spent a kindly 4 hours on my inspection! Phew! I was at least exhausted I can't imagine him. Tom was there with me from outside, to the basements (which I know so well now thanks to him), to the kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, mudrooms, bedrooms, and attics. And all nooks in-between helping me really KNOW my house. Most inspections nowadays are from hands who only type on an iPad and keyboard who took courses on 'home inspection', but I'd rather someone who's swung a hammer...and then some. He's an expert in construction, the ins and outs, inspection reports, in full detail with excellent photos, amazing communication, easy to work with... Oh and I am a first-time homebuyer, he made me feel at ease! I wish I went with him on my first house inspection (that's another chapter in the past!) He's going to be in your 'recommendation' book if you're lucky to find him and I can't imagine his level of availability in the peak season. Thanks Tom!! read more

Thomas Herbst did an outstanding job with our home inspection. He was incredibly thorough, professional, and took the time to explain everything clearly. His attention to detail and comprehensive report gave us confidence in our home purchase and identified things we would have otherwise missed. I highly recommend Thomas to anyone looking for a knowledgeable, honest, and reliable home inspector!! read more

Purchasing a home and the mortgage required an inspection. Contacted Tom to perform the inspection - he answered promptly, set up the appointment easily. Day of the inspection, he showed up on time and really took the time to do a thorough job. Stopped and explained everything that was a concern. I really felt that he was looking out for my best interests. For the actual report, it was concise, factual and focused on the information I needed. My second home purchase in 20 years and not likely to need another inspection anytime soon, but if I did, Tom would be my very first phone call. read more

These are the defects that Tom overlooked in the inspection he made for me recently. He failed to point them out. A leaking radiator air vent upstairs. Ten doors upstairs that are too short on the height by 3/4" to 1 1/2". SUBSTANTIAL GAPS! Was there thick carpeting in place previously? Six Defective-cloudy Window thermal panes & some were severe-blatant that ANYONE could see. One was even cracked in the bathroom. There is no heat in the small bedroom upstairs. There is an electrical outlet that is sunk into the wall upstairs. The asphalt driveway has an outlandish or severe bump/hump in it. He would not inspect even one wall to confirm whether or not it was insulated. All he had to do was check the inside of an electrical outlet using a flashlight. Easy-quick. There is no ceiling light in the big living room. I had to be proactive in asking him to visually check to see if the roof ridgeline was bowed or not. Tom was not diligent or thorough. He didn't CARE. He was friendly though. read more

Contacted Tom about doing an inspection on a new house we are building. Spoke to him for the initial phone call and he answered all of our questions. Set up the inspection for a couple days later. He was punctual, professional, and definitely knew his stuff. Pointed out a lot of things that we needed to have addressed before construction proceeds. We are going to have him come back a few more times during the build to make sure everything is copacetic. Would not hesitate to recommend him or use him again. Plus, he's a really nice guy. read more

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Pleasure to work with. We had requested a home inspection as part of a inheritance so we were completely open to any and all recommendations. Tom was extremely detail oriented, very in depth and very upfront with his inspection. Being a part of the building trade made it very easy to evaluate just how knowledgeable and in depth his inspection was. If you are in the process of buying a home and want an honest, upfront and unbiased evaluation of the homes condition, I could not recommend anyone better than Tom. As a bonus, Tom was able to recommend several programs to evaluate and provide tax benefits for the many programs available for tax rebates based on enhancing a homes energy conservation. Cannot add too many superlatives. Tom was both upfront honest and supremely knowledgeable, something that was very refreshing in dealing with home inspectors from within the building industry. Thanks Nate read more

Thomas is exactly the professional inspector I was seeking. Polite, professional, thorough and approachable. He answered any and all questions as well as he asked detailed questions about the property. A report followed the next day, equally as thorough. Perhaps a pretty penny, but well worth it. read more

Tom is the best home inspector you can find. Extremely knowledgeable, and will teach you a bit too!

Tom did a great job, thoroughly going over the house and explaining to me, along the way, the issues he found along with many important points I needed to know once we bought the house. He gave me a good list of questions to ask the owners. I feel good that I know a lot more about the house and what to address now and in the future. read more

So happy we had our inspection done by Clayton Home Inspection. Thomas was very throughout and knowledgeable.

Thomas is the BEST! I have been using quite a few home inspection services in diferent states we lived. However, Thomas is the best of all!!! He is very detailed, professional, patient and responsible. He explained every problem for me in a very scientific way that I got a deeper understanding about my house maintainence in different situation. What I want to emphasize is his professional attitude and knowledge! Highly recommendation! read more

Clayton Home Inspection did an excellent job on our home inspection in Grafton, MA. Tom was friendly, knowledgeable, and very easy to work with. He has a great eye and the ability to translate technical information for novice home buyers. His fee was very reasonable and he was very responsive. I would definitely use him again and recommend him for anyone else. read more

I had a very thorough and in depth home inspection. Thomas was very knowledgeable and able to not only provide a fantastic inspection but provided suggestions on how to remedy some issues. I appreciated his knowledge and help during the process. I would highly recommend to friends and family. read more

Very knowledgeable and went through everything with detail. Reasonable pricing. Inspected our home in scituate MA. Would recommend.

Tom did a great job of inspecting a house I made an offer on and uncovered a lot of potential red flags. He is very professional, punctual, and keeps safety in mind during this pandemic. I highly recommend using Clayton Home Inspection for your potential home purchase! read more

Tom was able to meet my schedule for a short quick closing wonderful detailed job. Left us feeling great in this purchase of our forever home. NOTHING is perfect however after Tom left we had a sense of relief that we picked the correct company for home inspection and moving forward on this purchase. Taking all is "recommendations" and doing them. read more

I couldn't recommend Clayton Home Inspections any higher. We are first time home buyers, and had Tom inspect our house the day after we purchased it, one to learn if there were any immediate repair needs, and two to just learn how the house works. He was incredibly thorough and did an amazing job clearly explaining everything to us in an easily digestible manner. He also did a great job prioritizing near term items versus down the line items. He is an extremely nice person as well, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with him. Tom came highly recommended to us, and I'm very glad he was the home inspector we chose. read more

I used Clayton Home Inspection for my VA pest inspection not once but twice thanks to an error on my lenders end. They we're kind enough to squeeze me in same day knowing that they had already been to my property. Amazing customer service and very professional and thorough during the inspection. Will 100% use this service on my next purchase. read more

I know Tom has gotten great reviews on Angie's List, but I thought I would provide my review from Angie's List to Yelp. First, everyone else spent about 2 minutes on the phone with me. Because I'm doing a private transaction and there's no MLS, Tom spent 10 minutes on the phone with me asking about all the details. After assessing my situation, he asked for $425, which I thought was reasonable given my prior quote experiences (625, 575, 425, and 350). Before the inspection, I received a very detailed email from Tom. Our meeting was at 10AM, and when I arrived at 9:58, he was already there. He had driven for an hour and half. He did a very thorough job. He had an iPad so that he can scribble things down. And when there are major issues, he would record himself so that he can write these down in the inspection report. He would explain all the faults. Every time there was something off, he'd explain to me and take a photo. Because I'm an Angie's List member, I printed out a coupon for free radon inspection. Basically, Tom will give you a kit and show you how to use it. All you have to do is wait for 48-72 hours, seal it, and mail it off. The pest inspection that came with the services was really him just visually inspecting whether there was any visible pests. He didn't have a tool kit for a test or anything. There isn't lead testing because there shouldn't be lead paint based on the age of the building when it was first built. For the home inspection report, I think we are supposed to receive a list of sheets with boxes that are checked. But on the side, Tom had written notes. Tom spent about 2.5 hours on the home inspection on a 1200 square feet condo, and we received our report one day after the inspection. So I would definitely recommend Tom. read more

I got Tom's contact information from a friend of mine, who highly recommanded him. The experience of us through the whole inspection process gave the same impression. Tom is very knowledgeable and pays attention to very details, a bunch of things we never notice until he pointed out to us, he also shared a lot of information in regarding to the heating system and appliance usage, very helpful in the long run. I will highly recommand Tom too, five star profession read more

Tom does a spectacular job at home inspections. As thorough as you can get. Friendly, patient, and probably as good at his job as anybody at their's. I would highly recommend Tom for any type of home inspection. Whether it is a garden condo or a 2000 square food cape. I have had him inspect both for me. Most homebuyers do not have a lot of experience in homebuying. How many homes in our lifetime do we buy? 1 to 3? Once you get used to it, you are on your last. Tom will find things, you didn't even consider looking for. And he will make you laugh, during a stressful process. read more

Tom did our home inspection back in 2013 (This review is long over due). We were buying a new build and didn't think there would be much to inspect but he spent 4+ hours inspecting and actually found some items that needed to be corrected! We were so pleased with Tom and highly recommend him! read more

Awesome experience! Tom is a true professional and he takes his time to ensure that a full inspection takes place, starting with the basement where decades of secrets can hide. Home inspections are so important and I think that the wrong inspector can cost you a lot of money and headaches down the road. Tom completed two inspections for us during our house search, one in Holliston and the other in Dedham, and we were surprised with all the detail that went into each! You can tell that he takes a lot of pride in his work. We never felt like he was in a rush or there to pass the time. We highly recommend this company! read more

You would only want to recommend Thomas to other buyers once he completes home inspection for you! I got his name and contact info from a friend who lives in Acton. He is said to be highly recommended in the Acton community. So I called him. He spent 15min on the phone asking about detailed info of the house, and even checked for its pictures online, to give an estimate and get an idea of the inspection. Price was very reasonable. The home inspection day he called me saying he got stuck in the traffic and might be a little late, but when I got there on time, he was already there ahead of time, starting to walk around the house. He checked carefully for all safety issue, design issue, maintainess issue, electricity, heating, roof, water, pipes, sidewalks, insects, leakage, blockage, moister, basement, attic, vacuum...... He knows everything about home inspection. He answers all your questions, explains to you until you understand. He not only put everything he checked for in the ipad onsite, but also left words immediately in ipad so he wouldn't forget. He categoried the risks that he found so you focus better. Since I'm first time home buyer, I worry about everything and all issues look equally terrible to me. He would summarize for me and suggested a few key points that I need to focus on and do some research on. He spent over 3 hours on the 1600sf house (include finished basement). And he finished the awesome report at midnight that same day! It's amazing how carefully/effectively/efficiently he does things. You can simply trust him! read more

I am not sure why I may be the first to write a review on these guys! We had such a thorough inspection on a house we are closing on in 2 days. 2 men came out like a swat team. Checked almost everything (who can do this 100%?) Both Realtors wanted to use the company in the future. Tom is such a nice guy and it was so really reassuring to have them check with such detail. I would use them again but I hope never to move again! They found a leak and we had a contractor come in to find how bad it was. Tom and his crew are AMAZING. I got his name from a contractor friend who he has helped often so I am not the only one who believes in their work. Do not use another company. These guys will take care of you. read more

I am a first time home buyer and had no experience with inspectors. Tom was suggested to my husband and I and we are so happy we chose him. As a person, his general personality fit in with us. Easy to talk to and very witty. Professionally, he is extremely meticulous and knowledgeable. He made sure we understood everything he was saying about the home. There were some issues on this house that previous buyers were negligent about and Tom was sure to teach us the ins and outs of how things could have been handled more properly and could save tons in the future. I would ABSOLUTELY recommend him and would 100% use him again! read more

My experience with Clayton Home Inspection was great. I arrived at the property ten minutes earlier then the scheduled inspection. The inspector (Tom Herbst) was already there examining the outside of the property. Within minutes he pointed out a few imperfections he'd noticed Around the exterior of the house. As we entered the property he went right to work documenting every detail via a digital log, and digital camera, whilst verbalizing everything he encountered, to be sure I understood what I was looking at, before moving on. By the end of the inspection not only was I satisfied with the job done, I was also impressed. My only gripe is that I didn't know of Clayton Home Inspection and Tom Herbst years ago while buying my first home. read more

We are on the market for a new house and Thomas was an inspector that my real estate agent recommended. I'm an appliance repair man with some strong background in construction and house repairs. I was 100% sure that I knew everything and I thought there was nothing wrong with the house. Thomas proved me wrong, he is so detail oriented and knowledgeable. Issues he pointed out I never even noticed or thought to look at. He spend over four and a half hours going through every minor and major detail of the house and It was a pure pleasure dealing with him. I highly recommend and advise that you hire him to protect your money and investment. Thank you very much Thomas read more

Tom inspected our new home after we bought it. (Concord is a horribly competitive market.) And did not tell us what we wanted to hear - he told us the truth about all the work we will need to do. But he did it in a kind, respectful way, making it easier to swallow. The inspection was thorough and the report is easy for us to follow to get the repairs done, making it clear, which are urgent and which can wait. read more