Please do not use this company. They refused to inspect the foundation and crawl space because…read morethere was 2 inches of water in some spots and they were afraid to be "electrocuted". Their inspection report was very anemic consisting of only about 20 to 25 pages. They spent 80% of the time just showing me the electrical outlets and that was the least of my concern. Most everything they found was visible to the naked eye. I had to pay for an additional inspection for the foundation and crawlspace. And they refused to credit me or refund me a portion of the $600 fee. If you want a thorough inspection, please avoid this company. They missed several key problems.

I believe this may be the first online review I've written in my life, but my experience with…read moreLegacy Inspection was so profoundly negative and costly (in my opinion), that I feel an obligation to others who might be in my former position to detail my experience. It is with the strongest possible conviction that I would urge you to consider any of the other (presumably great) inspectors available in the greater Chicagoland area. In fact, I recently turned down a significant cash offer from Legacy because they insisted that I sign a release that would require that I "specifically agree that [I] will not post any information pertaining to the Released Parties on any print or electronic media, including, but not limited to, social media, consumer review sites, blogs, or customer review spaces...[and] agree to immediately remove any such posts prior to executing this Agreement." I feel a personal duty to save others from having to go through the same experience (and wonder if there are other similar experiences that have been silenced by such a confidentiality agreement). You can decide whether you think this is a firm worth entrusting. Full experience details below (details presented below should be considered approximate and everything below is my opinion): ---- We went under contract on a home in Old Town in late August 2023, scheduling Legacy Inspection to come inspect the house. Legacy was referred to us by our real estate agent (who, FWIW, ultimately upon seeing this situation play out, agreed to give us $5k back to us as an apology for recommending Legacy, which I would observe seems like a pretty damning indictment of Legacy). Legacy sent three inspectors on August 30, 2023 for a total cost of $1,520. Together, the team spent approximately 3-4 hours at the house. My impression in the moment was that they seemed to be doing a satisfactory job (OK, but nothing outstanding). As an aside, I found their report to be considerably shorter and less detailed than a report on the same property from a year earlier (given to us by the prior homeowner by an inspector called Home Advantage Inspections; not an endorsement, just a comparison). The inspection report outlined only a small list of issues, which was not surprising given that there has been a lot of work and money invested into the home during the prior year. Approximately 40 days later, after closing, we had our GC go to the roof to examine the gutters. Upon returning, he exclaimed "why didn't you have a home inspection?" -- noting that there was significant water damage on the roof, with gallons of water clearly sitting under the roof membrane. We stated that we clearly had an inspection and that Legacy's determination was that (per their report) it was in "Satisfactory" condition, noting that the only issue they found was a "loose cap" on one of the chimneys. Our GC replied that it was unequivocally not even close to "satisfactory" condition -- bringing me up to the roof to show the obvious condition that the roof was in. As a novice, I would describe the roof as a bit like walking on a water bed; with water spewing out of corners when stepped on. Such a level of damage, especially evident even to an untrained eye, suggested to me a major oversight in the earlier inspection, considering the minimal precipitation in the intervening period (specifically, only three instances of precipitation measuring over 0.1 inches during this 40-day period, per the National Weather Service). Upon discovery, I immediately emailed Legacy about the issue. Dave Catanese called me back within the hour and asked if they could send their lead inspector (Bob) the next day. Four of us went to the roof together and inspected the issue. There did not seem to be much debate that there was an issue. Legacy's mood was somber and earnest. After review, Bob noted that he needed to bring his findings back to the owners of Legacy. To be honest, I was hopeful that this small business would do the right thing and honor the implicit promise made to their customers. Dave followed up two days later to say "there now does appear to be an issue with the roofing. I would like to err in your favor and return your home inspection fee." Suffice to say, an $850 refund in the face of $35,000+ worth of damages was not acceptable in my opinion. After stating that to Dave, he noted that they would be filing an insurance claim with their insurer. Without boring anyone still reading this, I will summarize the last 4.5 months of dialogue between myself, Dave, and ICM (insurer) as follows: Despite every opportunity given to Legacy to be fair and pragmatic, they have chosen to hide behind their waiver. Ultimately, in March 2024, Legacy did present an offer above the Inspection Fee, but insisted that I sign a release form that would have bound my confidentiality. Some things in life aren't for sale.

Overall, I highly recommend AARCO for their top-notch customer service and work quality from…read morebeginning to end! My attic was underinsulated, so I knew what the issue was, but I wasn't sure about which company to trust. I contacted a few companies, and AARCO was the first to respond and schedule a visit. In general, getting in contact with Chris was easy, and he was quick to respond to all my emails. The day of the insulation was smooth and fast. Their machine was really quiet, so it didn't disrupt anything. My attic is now at R49, and my bills are lower, even with the recent ComEd rate hikes.

Chris came to my house to give me an estimate for insulation in my attic. He was very friendly and…read moreknowledgeable. I received his quote within 24 hours and was able to schedule right away. The insulation was done in half a day and the installers were very friendly and did a great job cleaning when they were done. My house is noticeably warmer! I would highly recommend AARCO.