This is one of the rare finds where the people love what they do. I will definitely call…read moreChicagoland Home Inspectors before buying a home. If I were a contractor, I would look to get an endorsement from this company. Frank Dattalo was great on-site. The follow-up call with Charles Bellefontaine was very insightful. The combination of the two... 1) saved us additional time and money, 2) gave us confidence to not second guess walking away (we thought we had found a home that we would live in for decades), and 3) was a learning opportunity as we continue house hunting. I would highly recommend Chicagoland Home Inspectors, especially if you are purchasing a home that is 100+ years old. Even more so if the home is for sale by owner. They provide the information that you need to hear before making such a substantial commitment. You may be disappointed but purchasing a 100 year old home without this type of thorough inspection is akin to closing your eyes and taking a leap of faith that the seller wants what's best for you and your family. For context, the home was built in the early 1900s, three-stories, brick, original hardwood floors. The seller presented the home as being fully renovated with a new roof, electric wiring, plumbing, HVAC retrofit, etc. Frank called days a head of the inspection to ask some questions and discuss what services were needed. He removed one of the services, and the extra cost, because it wasn't needed. Frank arrived early and was already scanning the roof (via drone) when I arrived. He was more than happy to answer any questions that I had and he made a point to show me areas of major concern in-person. When I pointed things out Frank was more than happy to take a look and answer my questions. On the follow-up call, Charles took the time to further explain the findings, provide input on priorities and talked us through estimating tools. He also provided a different perspective and opinions. Talking with both Frank and Charles was incredibly valuable. Charles was surprised that our realtor recommended Chicagoland Home Inspectors and was quick to tell us that's a great sign that our realtor has our best interests in mind. If your realtor tries to steer you clear of this firm, definitely inquire why. You have to live with the consequences, not your realtor. Some Inspection Findings: - Licensed contractors didn't perform work properly - Major systems (which are new) were functioning but had potential issues that could shorten lifespan/void warranties - Source of moisture intrusion hadn't been identified/repaired - Attempts to clean up mold - Potential safety hazards Other Details: Inspectors are only required to check one electric outlet per room, this firm checks all of the outlets. They found the one that was incorrectly wired and posed a safety risk. When they tested the water pressure they made sure to turn on multiple faucets not just one at a time, identified a pressure issue. One thing to note, make sure the seller or broker has everything prepared. Any water valves that are shutoff equate to a sink that cannot be inspected. All appliances and systems need to be fully operational to be inspected.

Tim Heise was phenomenal! He checked everything. Even our realtor was beyond impressed with Tim's…read moreattention to detail. He discussed any issues, no matter how small, while he was there so he could answer questions. The written report we received the next day was incredibly thorough. I will recommend Chicagoland Home Inspectors and Tim to everyone I know! Certainly worth the money and have is piece of mind about the home we were purchasing!

Worked with Home Inspection Star, more precisely with Costel…read more He was very knowledgeable and thorough with his inspection , answered questions and made pertinent recommendations while explaining all the findings. The report was issued very fast , with another invite to contact for discussion and explanation if things in the report were not clear for the client. Will definitely work again with them should the occasion arise.

Costel was complete, found things I never thought about and looked in places I wouldn't have…read morelooked. With a report that same afternoon, I was pleased and impressed.

We had a mouse in our basement and grizz was extremely helpful in getting rid of the problem :)read more

Good response. On time. Job well done. And a good value…read more Price included two trips. Friendly. Knowledgeable knew what he was talking about.

Very detailed inspection, ranging from significant problems that need to be negotiated with the…read moreseller, to what I should monitor and budget for in future. (Super-helpful!) I already knew a fair amount about repairs et al, and Josh was able to answer my questions in detail, so it was clear that he knew what he was talking about. He didn't go beyond what could be fairly asserted, but did ensure that I knew what I should look out for as possible problems in future. I noted their attention to detail - e.g. there were written checks in place to ensure that lights were off, the thermostat was reset, and the door locked behind us. Things like possibly missing or broken screens, lack of outlets in certain areas, a step that was too high were all noted. The cost was very fair and the results were high-quality. I felt that it gave us the information we needed to negotiate fairly with the sellers. Basically, I walked away with a manual that I will refer to in order to ensure that I am checking potential problems and budgeting for future repairs. I could most definitely see asking for a return inspection in a few years to ensure that I was taking care of this very expensive purchase properly! The one VERY picky thing that I would suggest is a table of contents in the writeup, as I wasn't aware that categories of significant findings and advice for future repairs and maintenance were listed at the end of the report.

Pros: Quick response time, professional inspectors (2); thorough inspection & report (88 pps on a…read more100-yr-old two flat); executive summary highlighted key problems that would need immediate attention. The inspection report helped us make an informed decision on whether to buy this investment property. Con (depending on your priorities): Fee was higher than bids by other inspectors, but, for me, I got what I paid for.

I used Chris Pasten as my home inspector since 2021, giving him deal after deal over the years…read more Despite sending him consistent business, I never once received a referral in return. On top of that, I often found myself doing the legwork to coordinate inspections, after handing him clients directly. I wish someone would do that for my business, but I don't have that luxury. Today, I asked him to call my client directly to schedule. Instead, at 12:29 PM, he texted me a proposed time and waited for me to confirm it. I replied one minute later, just needing to double check with the buyer, since she works weekends. I also asked if he had any other time slots available, just in case. At 12:57 PM, he said, "Oh ok, Monday 1pm or 4:30pm?" I called my client immediately. She said Sunday is perfect. I texted him back at 1:01 PM: "She said Sunday is good." At 1:02 PM, he replied that he had already given that slot away. I told him how frustrating this pattern has become, how I'm the one bringing him business and expected to coordinate it like I'm his assistant, even after I send him their phone number and address. All he had to do was make the call I initially asked for. That alone was already disrespectful, but this is 95% of the time. Today, I got fed up with his entitled attitude. But here's the biggest issue, during the inspection at my personal property, Chris looked at my wife in a way that crossed the line. She was newly pregnant at the time, with my daughter. I never said anything before, but today, I did, after telling him respectfully that I'm not his secretary. I texted him exactly, "I know you're single, but next time when you see my wife, don't ever look at her like that again. Respect boundaries." Instead of clearing the air, denying it, or offering any sort of apology, Chris doubled down. He accused me of being "borderline abusive," claimed I was the problem, and said he would no longer work with me. Textbook... tried to gaslight me when I raise my concerns as a client. He completely ignored the concern I raised, and chose confrontation over accountability. I did not curse, threaten, or attack him. I asked for mutual respect after four years of being a loyal, reliable source of business. The way Chris chose to respond, by confronting me instead of addressing the issue, tells me everything I need to know. That kind of reaction speaks louder than any denial ever could. It confirmed what I had felt all along, and validated that my instincts were 100% spot on. My wife agrees. I've kept a full record of our text exchange and prior incidents. If needed, or if there's retaliation or misrepresentation, I'm more than willing to share the screenshots. If you're a fellow agent or investor and want to verify the details, feel free to message me privately. Chris expects a handout, and doesn't respect the Realtors who hand him business on a silver platter, due to his personal biases and differences. Has zero accountability.

The inspector was very thorough and detailed. He took his time to listen to my concerns and…read moreanswers my questions. He also turned in the report the same day. Which was great because the deadline was coming up. I highly recommend his services.

First off: AJ E's review sounds like a pissed off realtor doing a hitjob review. Why? The seller's…read moreagent to a home I'm purchasing had very similar feedback and was on her toes. For the review: That's what we want. My wife and I set out to find an inspector that would give agents the Sunday Scaries, and that was accomplished because Tim does not play around. No corner is left unexplored and no door is left unopen. Tim meticulously looked through everything he could while explaining what he was doing to us as if we were students in an elementary class, making sure things were in layman's terms and understandable. Well appreciated. He has his tools, but what got us was when he busted out his thermal imager. There's a wall in front of him? Who cares, he'll just look past it anyway. Couldn't believe it when he was doing that, and thank goodness he did. Speaking of tools, they utilize a whole DRONE. Like the ones you fly in the air. They leverage it to inspect the roof and get into some areas that may be a bit harder to access. Talk about working smart. All in all, Tim was quick to follow-up and generate his report. 500 pictures. 500. That's not an extra 0 I added at the end. Thanks to Tim, we were able to find black mold and cracked Abstesos 9 x 9s in the basement. He even dismissed the nosy agent of the seller's who was there for some reason, and told her to leave so we could assess things with privacy. The seller's agent was still in the house and concerned about the work Tim was doing. THAT'S THE KIND OF INSPECTOR YOU WANT. Stacy, the owner, was quick to get us scheduled and super responsive with fast turnaround times. Thank you and job well done to the Pinnacle team!

Pinnacle missed some major issues with my home. I probably would have walked away from the deal or…read moreseriously revised my offer had I known them. It cost me around $13K to fix all the items that they missed. When my dad visited, he found all these problems within 5-10 minutes of going around the house (he's not even any type of tradesman or inspector!) Stacey seemed pretty dismissive about it on the phone. I would not recommend their services to anyone. Update: I was fine leaving this a little vague as a professional courtesy, but since Stacey think's it's acceptable to fabricate information, I'll spill the tea. This time, I'll attach the proof for good measure! First issue Pinnacle failed to identify was a crack in the foundation. Imagine buying a new home only to have your basement flood a few days later. At first I thought it was a broken sump pump, but when an expert came out to the property, he quickly identified a vertical crack in the foundation. Total cost $1,735 for the repair. Plus a few hundred for the shop vac and fans to dry out the place to prevent further damage. Second issue Pinnacle failed to identify was dangerous wiring in the kitchen. Multiple lights and appliances were on a single circuit. When you ran them simultaneously, the lights would flicker, and sometimes the circuit would trip. There were no more spots left in the panel, so an upgrade was needed to put each appliance on it's own circuit and bring it up to code. Total cost $4,250 and countless hours of sleep lost wondering if an electrical fire would start in the house. Third issue Pinnacle failed to identify was the removal of a load bearing wall. The home when originally built had a division between the dining room and the kitchen. A few weeks after moving in, I noticed that the ceiling started to crack in the kitchen area. The cracks continued to grow and I went into the attic to figure out what was happening. Up there, my dad and I found no additional support for the joists. They were thin and spanned the entire kitchen/dining room area. I had a structural engineer come out to evaluate, and he confirmed additional support was required. Total cost $5,900, and not being able to use 1/3 of the house for 4 days. The engineer's report was about $1,290, but I guess we can leave that off. the contract language is confusing as to whether they are required to inspect and identify this type of issue. In all honesty, if I knew my inspector wouldn't check for things like this, I would have picked another inspector. I don't care is an outlet is broken, or some paint is chipping. I want to know major defects or damage to the property. Fourth issue (new!) that Pinnacle failed to identify was a leak in the water line to my house. I signed up for a city service that warns you when your home uses excess water (sing of a leak). I got a few of those notices, and then called a plumber. The plumber found a gushing leak in the line on my side of the meter. Meanwhile, Pinnacle's inspection report claimed that I didn't even have a meter! Had the inspector found the meter, which was in the parkway and not hidden, and looked at it, he would have found that leak. After that gushing leak was repaired, the meter was still running when the water was off. This mean I have a leak somewhere between the meter and the house that I'm the process of fixing. Total costs so far is $1,058.55. This doesn't include services for leak detection and repair coming in the next few weeks. Stacey falsely claims that my damages are inflated, but you can add all of that up. At the time I wrote the original review, it was about $13K. It's definitely going to get pushed higher once the leak is located and repaired. So not only did Pinnacle royally screwed up my inspection, they also felt the need to disparage me online. Consider that if you want to give them your business.

Absolutely outstanding. I just moved into a new construction…read morecustom home in which the build / builder was a disaster. Any concern brought up, I was either gaslit , ignored or the builder didn't follow through either b/c he forgot or didn't care ( who can say ? ). After two agonizing years, i finally moved in yet was brimming with questions that could only be answered by a respected 3rd party expert. I knew there were areas of the house that were not constructed properly yet having been gaslight so many times, I was confused on what all was defective vs. normal. Big thank you to Mark w/ Domicile, who was my Lead Inspector. Mark carries decades of experience in which I found him to be fair, firm, patient and very educative. Shout out to him for answering ALL of my questions (there were many). Mark's report was very thorough in which I can now focus on areas that need to be addressed. To anyone out there building a custom home, don't make the same mistake I did in waiting until after your move in / final occupancy to book Domicile. Very important! Thank you Domicile/ Mark.

Mark (owner) and his team and Domicile are amazing. They are professional and super easy to work…read morewith. Mark is very thorough. He even suggested a day after heavy rain to get the most accurate readings for his water intrusion report. High recommend him and his service!

We were looking for an inspector for our new home purchase and started reading reviews. One name…read morestood out more than the others and that was Brick by Brick Inspections. So we gave them a shot and hired them. Best decision we could have made. The communication from Erich right from the start was excellent. He was always prompt with his responses and answering our question. On the day of the inspection, Erich was extremely thorough, informative, and knowledgeable about the entire process. He pointed out areas of concern and provided a very detailed report summary by end of day. If you are looking for an honest, educated and knowledgeable inspector for your home, stop reading this review and call Brick by Brick now.

This is the second time I have used Erich for a home purchase. He saved us thousands on a prior…read morepurchase based on his incredible knowledge base and thorough inspection. A home purchase can be daunting especially when its older home, so having a a solid inspector is a must and your best opportunity to ensure you know exactly what you are getting into. My dad has been a realtor for decades yet he was very impressed with his findings as the level of detail among inspectors is not uniform. On top of all this, Erich is very friendly and a pleasure to work with!