It's been a year since I used Enlighten for my home inspection and after $30,000 worth of repairs that keep pilling up, I finally decided that I needed to warn people and write a public review. I trusted Enlighten as a first time home buyer and they missed extremely expensive and costly repairs. First, there was clear evidence of a mice infestation with poop and rat poison everywhere in places I know Enlighten checked and we quickly realized this after moving in and needing to call an exterminator. Our dryer was broken and didn't actually dry and our washing machine was so full of mold if you truly looked that we had to replace both in the first month. Our subfloor has very prominent soft spots and may have water damage but the only way to confirm is to rip up all our beautiful flooring and pay thousands. Our water heater's expansion tank is 12 years expired, 30 lbs full of sediment and in an extremely dangerous free hanging position on pvc pipe. Our dishwasher had been pouring steam into the wood cabinets and leaking through the wood floors for years that the wood is breaking apart and extremely water damaged in the kitchen. Light switches were sparking and plugs aren't secure to the wall. Our bathroom shower head is leaking behind the plate and into the wall - we noticed because if you turn on the shower you can see water pushing through the plate. This is just some of the items they've missed and the $30,000 doesn't even include all of the fixes for all of this! The items they did point out they grossly underestimated the going rate of repairs so items we were told could be a quick $50 fix from a handy man, no one would do for less than $250, IF THAT. I feel like I've officially bought into a massive money pit thanks to Enlighten. I negotiated hard with the sellers for inspection rights to ensure I didn't end up in this predicament given how expensive homes are in the DMV and here I am, where all my additional funds are going to fixing up this place. I knew being a homeowner would come with maintenance costs but these are costly repairs that could have been easily avoided if Enlighten cared to actually inspect. DO NOT USE THEM. read more

These folks were amazing. Enlighten did our home inspection for our first home in DC and they were not only professional and communicative but extremely gracious with explaining every detail to us. Zach was a standout guy who was patient and down-to-earth. He essentially showed us how to use our new appliances as he checked everything lol. He even gave us tips on some common issues to look out for and some ways to mitigate those issues ahead of time. Of course, sometimes the advice was to call a licensed professional within that specialty re: things like the chimney's working condition. All in all, we had a super smooth experience with them and would definitely recommend Enlighten to anyone who needs a fair and thorough home inspection. read more

Homeowners beware! We are first-time homebuyers who were completely led astray by this company. We hired Enlighten Home Inspection at the suggestion of our agent. While they were hired to do a "consultation," they continuously sent us emails that said "Inspection Date," "Inspection Time," "Inspection Location." You can understand where a buyer might get the idea that they were getting an inspection. You can see the photos of some of the emails I received claiming I was getting an "inspection" below. Turns out what they call a "consultation" is actually just their way of taking $400 from you and providing absolutely no service. Zach came out to our house in Falls Church and walked around with my husband for an hour before we put an offer in. He told my husband about a few issues, including that we needed a dehumidifier in the basement and new insulation in the crawl space under the home. Unfortunately, the list of things that Zach didn't mention was much longer than those he did. He failed to mention that in the photo he sent (see below) of the crawl space, there is mouse poop - everywhere. Turns out we have a significant mouse problem. He also failed to mention the sagging floors in our hallway and kitchen, which required complete gutting down to the joists and an entirely new subfloor within two weeks of owning the home. He also didn't mention the numerous water issues with the property, including water in the basement. To put this in perspective, we have only owned the home for three weeks and have already had to address all these issues. When I did speak to the owner of the company, he was extremely rude and had the audacity to read the contract to me as if I was incapable of doing that. He explained what consultation was not, telling me it was not an inspection and there was no report. However, when I asked him to tell me what a consultation is he couldn't. When I understandably got frustrated, he told me that it was my fault that I didn't "drive the consultation" and assured me that Zach was the best in the business because he's a professor at Georgetown. Great for Georgetown, bad for homebuyers. We put in an offer on this house over asking on the good word and reputation of Enlighten Home Inspection and got screwed. Do not let this be you. Their marketing and information suggest that you are getting a top of line experience when, in reality, they are taking advantage of homebuyers - especially first-time buyers such as ourselves. I encourage you to research and hire an inspector that will be on your side because it is not this company. read more

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Took over 4 hours to inspect a 2100 sqft home on a Friday evening displacing a father and their 6 year old with less than 24 hours notice. After forgetting his radon equipment; Tyler the home inspector, had to return the following day to set up equipment and disrupt seller the next day and two days again to collect equipment. Did not offer any apology or consideration for sellers home or family. read more

We are first time homebuyers and chose Enlighten Home Inspections for our detailed/in-depth home inspection after having seen some of the other reviews. They were responsive and prompt, and we went from initial contact to scheduled inspection within about a business day (great for us given the tight turnaround time and closing date!). Zach arrived on time and well prepared the day-of. He always wore shoe coverings while in the house, and came with a host of gadgets and tools for inspection (including a ladder for the roof, devices to test any dampness in the wall and to check that each plug was functioning, as well as a thermal imager to identify potential issues within the wall). When we told him that we were first time home buyers he went out of his way to explain each tool, what the purpose was, and what he was looking for throughout the house. I strongly encourage you to bring a pad of paper for notes and follow along as they complete the inspection, as he was able to point out a number of items that would most likely need minor repairs or attention as well as potential future pain points that we should be aware of and monitor over the years. He even provided us some great instructions on how to use some of the cool features in the house (including hose shut-off valves, tilt-in windows for easy cleaning, etc.), and even made sure to label various items and take pictures of hardware tags for hard to access areas in case we ever needed that information in the future. The inspection report we received was extremely detailed and thorough, and even more than that Zach really took the time to help us get oriented and feel more secure with our home and our roles as homeowners - he answered every question we threw his way and really dug in deep to ensure all parts of the house were working (going into the crawl space, etc.). I would absolutely recommend Enlighten Home Inspections for any prospective buyers, and would definitely recommend Zach if you're a first time buyer like us! read more

Highly recommended! When our family decided to relocate to the area and got an offer accepted on a 1930's home, these guys were recommended by my brother who happens to be a realtor in the area and knows who is good and not so good. His advice: go with ASHI certified and Enlighten is the best he has seen in the area over many years of working in the business. He was so right. Isaac from Enlighten was thorough, detail-oriented, and frankly delightfully accommodating. He answered every question and pointed out every flaw of every size -- and most importantly, he empowered us with the info we needed to make big decisions. Buying a home and dealing with the inspection process can be so stressful, and I really felt more at ease having Isaac on our side. He really went above and beyond to educate us on the ins and outs of our home -- for example, he even gave a tutorial on our heating system and how to save money on utilities. Isaac showed up on time, and really took the time to answer our questions. Funny, we were wearing masks and standing apart because of COVID social distancing, but it almost seemed like I could tell he was smiling the whole time. You can tell he likes his job and is really good at it. He also talked us through a preview of the report before he left and we had the official report in our inboxes the very next day. The report itself was many, many pages long with clear photos and recommendations. This was so helpful since we had a tight home inspection deadline. Bonus: the office manager was also easy to communicate with (she was fast, responsive, and open to phone and web and texting - you name it) and she had a really positive disposition too. So all in all -- speaking as someone who has worked with good home inspectors -- these ones are the BEST. Smart, sharp, detailed, communicative, and experienced. You'll want them on your side. read more

Enlighten was not the cheapest, but they were extremely friendly and flexible so we went with them for our home inspection. Isaac was on time, patient walking us through his process, and incredibly thorough detailing all the "issues" he found with our newly purchased property. The resultant report (~100 pages !!) is rife with pictures to help guide us as we go about addressing many of the "issues" he uncovered. We are so grateful to Isaac and Enlighten for giving us the utmost confidence in our biggest purchase ever. I would recommend their services to any home buyer, without question!! read more

HIGHLY recommend them. I'm a mechanical engineer so I really wanted to dig into my prospective purchase myself. Isaac was extremely knowledgable, personable, professional, and patient as I basically stayed in his back pocket the whole time. He was quick with generating the extremely-detailed report, and he really helped my girlfriend and I see everything we needed to see for our new home. I'm sure the rest of his team is as capable as he is, and I cannot recommend Isaac and Enlighten highly enough. read more

Adam, from Enlighten Home Inspections, was very thorough with his inspection of the home are we looking to purchase and answered all of the questions we had. After he left we found another question and he drove back to inspect and answer them. The report this company provides is top of the line and I will recommend them to any of my friends looking to buy a home in the future. read more

This is our first time buying a home and I have to say we couldn't have been more pleased with the inspection we received from Enlighten/Isaac. I learned more in my three hours with Isaac about being a homeowner than I ever expected and now feel incredibly comfortable moving into my new house. Not only did he take the time to walk through any potential issues he saw, he also helped explain how the house worked, how we should think about maintenance, and even how he would think about upgrading the house in the future. I would 100% recommend Enlighten for any friends going into a home inspection. read more

Working with EHI has been wonderful so far! Zach and Isaac came to the home I was looking at to inspect and test for Radon and they were fast, kind, and professional. Their portal is easy to use and has great features that allow you to tag items from the inspection to a report that can be used for your realtor to negotiate contingencies. Or it can be used as a personal punchlist post sale! Zach took a ton of photos, made great recommendations and was friendly and tolerated all of my (surely) annoying questions. I will absolutely work with them again and would recommend to anyone I know looking to buy in the DMV. read more

Isaac is the best! He is super thorough and quick. Very nice to work with and very professional.

This is the second inspection I've had with Enlighten Inspection and both experiences have been excellent. Adam was knowledgable, thorough and patient with all my questions. Can't recommend enough! read more

Find another inspector. The list of what this company missed at our home is longer than what they identified and we are now paying the price. Given COVID, we weren't allowed to be there for inspection so we really put our trust in these guys. They failed to note two broken showers with two broken shower valves, two toilets in need of replacement, a clogged water main, a pipe to nowhere leaking into the basement that was easily accessible and obvious through an access panel, obvious evidence of leakage (stained ceiling shoddily painted over) into the basement from the upstairs bathroom, an outdoor roof overhang sloping and not properly secured to the ground, a caving in deck with improperly spaced joists not up to code, a broken ice maker in the fridge and a completely fallen and broken fence. We aren't entirely sure what they did look at while here since much of this was plainly visible if you just stopped and paid attention. Isn't that what a professional inspector is there to do? Strongly question their lack of experience, expertise and professional judgment. Will never use or recommend them again. read more

I feel good about my inspection. As a first time buyer, I very much appreciated Issac taking the time to point things out to me, how to take care of the electrical and HVAC system. Friendly and professional...that's what I like and that's what I expect. read more

Outstanding inspector! Isaac was very thorough, explained everything clearly, and was happy to show me (the buyer) in detail what the discrepancy was as well as offer suggestions for both what right is and how to go about fixing it. Would 110% recommend Enlighten Home Inspections to anyone looking for an inspector! read more

Very thorough and quick. Plus they were so nice to hold a time for us while we figured out our logistics since we only had 2-3 days to complete the home inspection.  Really appreciate their flexibility and speed.  Got the full and very thorough report the day after the inspection! read more

I've used Enlighten twice now when buying a new home and they continue to exceed all expectations. My agent was so impressed on my first home that he uses Isaac and his team for all his clients now. They are professional, thorough, and take the time to explain and provide recommendations. I highly recommend them. read more

My experience with Enlighten was A+. They did a very detailed home inspection for me in Washington DC and I was at home in Florida so the inspection was done virtually - and it worked just fine. Very detailed but not in the least bit wonky or overly technical. The inspector Adam was great! Good value, and an excellent written report with pics followed immediately. read more

I'll be blunt: we LOVED Enlighten. Isaac and Gregory tag-teamed on the inspection of the 113-year old farmhouse and functioning horse barn and were just terrific. Thorough every step of the way, explaining what they were seeing and what they thought about it, things to look out for in the future, general maintenance suggestions, you name it. In the middle of the inspection, we got a downpour, which made it even better because we were able to identify the inevitable barn leak and see how water drained or pooled in different areas of the property. Gregory was in training, and several times he would point things out, noting why they were of concern...then Isaac would get to that item a little later and independently offer the same feedback, unwittingly confirming what Gregory had already gone over. My dad, a home contractor for decades, reviewed the inspection report and commented on the remarkable level of detail and thoroughness it included. At the conclusion of a few hours of inspection, Isaac and Gregory reviewed all the photos and findings, and encouraged us to reach out to them with any questions in the days and weeks to come. We can't recommend them highly enough! read more

I recently had a pre-offer inspection with Isaac. With short notice and a short time slot, he did a detailed walk through of the property with me and my agent. This isn't the first time I've done a pre-offer inspection but it was my first time working with Isaac and he was wonderful. He gave great information and educated me on things he saw, gave his honest opinion on each aspect of the home, and you could tell he was invested in doing a really great job. His information gave me confidence in my decision to make an offer on the house knowing what repairs needed to be made, what I could let be, and what I might want to attend to down the road but was not emergent. I would definitely recommend Isaac and Enlighten and I will definitely use them again when I need an inspection! read more

Zach recently came and conducted a home inspection on our condo. He was professional, personable, knowledgeable and super friendly. He explained things in a manner that I could understand, and he even explained things that weren't required in the inspection. I was so impressed with Zach that he's now coming to inspect our other house! I highly recommend Zach and will definitely recommend him to family and friends. read more

Enlighten was wonderful to work with on our home inspection. Adam was lovely - explained everything well and took great photos, was very thorough. The portal where everything is logged after the visit is also super simple to use. Highly recommend! read more

Isaac or "Zac" is great. He is very thorough. He goes room to room basically breaking down everything he finds in a way that is comprehensible even if you don't "know" homes. He also takes notes and pictures himself as he goes. You can tell that it's not just a job but a passion for him which makes what could be considered dull (for me) exciting. My son was with me a toddler and he kept him entertained too so that's a bonus. I also asked him about a book for first time owner to learn the ins and outs which he recommended which I think was above and beyond his job but very helpful for those of us not so handy around the house. read more

Adam did a fantastic job on our home pre inspection. He was prompt, thorough and explained each step of the process. Definitely recommend.

Isaac is very thorough in helping/guiding the process about home inspection. Questions were being answered with additional explanation. I would highly recommend their home inspection service. Rest assured and get ready for your new home. read more

Great service and at a great price. Friendly, reliable, made it seem easy. Would hire them anytime.

The Enlighten staff were incredibly helpful in finding and explaining issues this property had. This property needed a lot more work than I was willing to do and the owner wasn't willing to negotiate. I am thankful that I used Enlighten Home Inspections as and they saved me tens of thousands of dollars and a lot of headache. I would not hesitate to use them again. read more

Enlighten Home Inspections was terrific to work with.  They were extremely responsive and flexible with scheduling a pre-inspection during a very busy time.  At the walk-through inspection, Isaac was very knowledgeable and helpful, and gave us feedback on potential issues with the house as well as the potential lifespan of the systems/roof/etc to help us plan for future repairs.  He answered all of our questions and was very patient and explained all of his comments clearly using words that even a home repair novice could understand. We recommend them very highly. read more

I cannot imagine having a better experience with a home inspector. Isaac is exceptionally kind, personable, skilled, and thorough. Beyond the inspection itself, Isaac took the opportunity to provide a step by step orientation to the home, pointing out both unique details and potential common concerns that otherwise may not have been readily apparent to a lay observer. His attention to detail was superb -- unmatched, really -- and I left the inspection feeling confident that no stone was left unturned. His genuine care for his clients and ability to put himself in our shoes provided such peace of mind. You've got a customer for life! read more

Got a recommendation to go with Enlighten for my home inspection on my first home purchase and couldn't be happier that I did. Isaac was incredibly helpful, thorough and took the time to explain every detail I asked for. He really earned my trust walking me through every bit of the process and made sure I understood everything I needed to know about our new home. After the inspection he promptly produced a really comprehensive report of everything we talked about. Fast, courteous and a pleasure. Couldn't ask for more. read more

Zac was fantastic in describing to us present and future needs of the property we were looking at. Highly recommend him because of his honesty and overall integrity in reviewing everything. read more

All I can say is that they are SIMPLY THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!! Isaac is the most customer service oriented and as they come, and he has the most pleasant demeanor. And his support assistant Brenda is so AWESOME....she truly went above and beyond to help me. I got a sewer scope inspection on a home I was contemplating purchasing and Isaac was very diligent in making sure he got what I needed. He saved me THOUSANDS of dollars and a major major major headache. I had pictures and videos to prove the state of disrepair the sewer line was in. I'm putting an offer on another home, and TRUST ME, Isaac is my go to guy for sewer scoping. CALL HIM, I guarantee you, you won't regret it. Thanks so much Isaac and Brenda (and Isaac's trainee - I'm so sorry I don't remember his name). Enlighten is definitely worth more than 5 stars. read more

I had a quick home inspection contingency turnaround in my contract. I reached out to a few providers including enlighten home inspections as they had great reviews. The office manager was fantastic over the phone going over the details and the quote. I could tell that this company is focused on quality and customer satisfaction so decided to go with them. I requested Isaac since most reviews speak highly of him. He was occupied so I didn't get to work with him but received fantastic service from Adam and Zach. They came to the house early to get a head start and spent over four hours. They took the time to walk me though everything and answered any questions I had. They took lots of pictures and put together a comprehensive 117 page report. They were able to take care of the radon testing for a standard fee as well. Adam/Zach also answered questions on the report promptly via email/phone. Some of the quotes were slightly lower but when it comes to a home inspection you need to go with quality detailed oriented professionals. Their entire team is superb. Highly recommend. read more

Issac provided excellent service within almost 4 hours for (4200 sqft house). He is very friendly and detail oriented. He not only inspected the whole house carefully but also shared his knowledge on how to repair or improve! Absolute I would contact him in future for next time! read more

Fantastic service and very flexible scheduling. Isaac went above and beyond to make sure we not only had a great home inspection, but also a maintenance guide for ourselves. I would definitely use Enlighten Home Inspections again! read more

Enlighten Home Inspections was unarguably the best! Isaac was so professional, intelligent, helpful and NICE! He was incredibly thorough in his work and took all the time we needed to explain his findings to us. His report is a textbook on how a home inspection report should look. I hope we never have to move again, but if we do, we will definitely use Enlighten for the inspection. read more

Top notch service. The inspectors were incredibly knowledgeable and professional. Clearly explained everything that would be in the report on the day of the inspection and pointed out every detail. Report was very thorough with even the smallest details captured. Would highly recommend. read more

Enlighten Home Inspections is terrific. I needed an inspection last minute and they really came through for me. Thomas inspected the home and he was very thorough and good at explaining everything in detail and making sure I completely understood. After completion, I felt very confident in being able to understand what the home needs and how to maintain it. Another thing I found nice was that the inspection is loaded online and you have the option to email it your agent or anyone you need to review and also create a list of things you would like fixed by the seller as well as add your own. I think this feature is convenient and useful and contributed to an easy process and better communication between parties. Thank you again and I greatly appreciate you! read more

I would absolutely recommend Enlighten to anyone looking for a home inspector. Zach was very informative and even offered tips on home maintenance to ensure I don't deal with broken pipes, and the life of my HVAC unit is extended as much as possible. Very friendly, entertaining, professional, and efficient. It's amazing to have someone who cares as much (if not more) about your home as you do. They love what they do and they do it well. read more