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!

I was very happy with the inspector. He was very thorough and did a great job explaining things. He…read morealso had my inspection report completed quickly.

Top notch inspections!…read more We have used Roland three times now, he is on-time, flexible/easy to book and most importantly very thorough and detailed in his reports! My boyfriend and I are new to buying a house and were looking to rehab an home. We really needed someone we could trust and was knowledgeable, we were lucky to have found this in Roland. I HIGHLY recommend him inspecting your home!

My fiancée and I were first time home buyers. It's basically Iike being a baby all over again…read moredepending on the people around you with the years of experience to guide you to make the right decision. I can honestly say I'd never depend on Griffin Home Inspection for any house I'd ever buy in the future. Nor would I recommend them to anyone. I feel like I just tossed that money out of the window and so much more trusting this company to give me all of the correct information. The inspector missed so many red flags. For instance, the apparent water damage in the attic(indicating damage to the roof) and lower level(the house is a bi-level raised) which indicated a few huge, costly issues. There were other minor issues that could've easily been overlooked. I'm aware no one is perfect. However, this being their profession, the water damage should have definitely caught their eye. It was pointed out to me by a family member after we already purchased the house. If they were able to see it clearly, the trained professional should have as well.

One of the best inspectors around, very affordable. Highly recommended and used by many in the real…read moreestate profession.

Home Inspection - Experts - Professional - Timely…read more We were extremely please with the detailed report, timely delivery of the report, and taking the time to answer all of our questions regarding our home inspection for a purchase. If we could, we would add another Five Stars to this review. Thanks Kevin!

Steve is as very thorough in the inspection and his explanation of what he was doing around the…read morehouse. I HIGHLY recommend BrickKicker! And if you get Steve, you'll definitely be in good hands. Thanks again Steve!

I would not use Optimal Home Inspections again. Shawn inspected my new home in the Ukrainian…read moreVillage on March 6, 2024. He found some issues that needed attention and some things that might ultimately need work. However, after I had moved into the unit, I had a handyman do some work on replacing the dishwasher drain. While the handyman was here, he volunteered to look at some of my appliances. When he opened the washing machine, he found dark black mold on the rubber inside the machine. I brought this to Shawn's attention, and he wrote, "In regards to the washing machine and dryer. We simply test for proper operation to ensure that the water lines and drain lines work for the washing machine. Since these are considered personal appliances these aren't covered by the inspectors SOPs." (I assume he meant Standard Operating Procedures). I had to pay over $600 to have the rubber lining replaced. Needless to say, Shawn did not offer to reimburse me for that expenses.

Shawn and Tim were amazing throughout the entire process. As a first time home buyer, we…read moreappreciated the teams thoroughness and willingness to explain things to us that a lot of other people wouldn't take the time to do. They sent us an extremely detailed report of all issues on our home. I connected with Shawn after receiving the report to get his thoughts and he called me to talk me through what he thought was important as a home inspector and what mattered most. He was incredibly quick to respond throughout the process and went above and beyond! Thanks Tim and Shawn for helping us as new home buyers. We love our home and were able to get a sellers credit to take care of the issues you brought to the surface!

Signed a contract and paid $600 in advance to have them call us two days before inspection that…read morethey had a "scheduling conflict" leaving us with very little time to find another company before our deadline. I guess contracts mean NOTHING. And no surprise, they have to send a check for a refund rather than returning it to the card we used to schedule our appointment. Your company left us in a very bad spot. You deserve no stars

Pillar to Post did a HORRIBLE job for our home inspection. They missed THREE huge holes in the…read morefoundation of our home, leading to infestation and multiple appliances damaged. DO NOT USE THIS TEAM! Even after coming back to see the damages they missed, they said there was nothign they can do, not even a refund. DO NOT USE THIS BUSINESS!

We had Kim Cohn as our inspector and he is as good as it gets! I didn't know what I was getting…read moreinto since this was our first home inspection but he walked me and my fiancé through everything. Not a single square inch not covered by Kim. I highly recommend Kim. He has a very good resumé and is a great communicator. I will definitely do business with Kim again in the future.

I have had a total of 3 home inspections from Kim Cohn. His…read morereports, knowledge & attentiveness to the job will exceed your expectations. It's important to receive a subjective view/facts about the property of purchase. This man can do it! I will definitely recommend Kim. Thanks for all your efforts!

Jeff was great! He's very thorough and has an amazingly wide knowledge base. I was very happy with…read morethe inspection and I've contacted him since then and he's always been very very helpful. Great service!

Jeff was fantastic -- very thorough, knowledgeable, and professional. He explained every issue…read moreclearly and made sure I understood the findings and next steps. He checked every part of the home, so we felt a sense of real security. The price was also right. Highly recommended.

I used Home Inspector Consultants for my condo purchase in Downtown Chicago in the Fall of 2017. I…read morehave nothing but good things to say about that process. I attended the inspection of the 1 bedroom condo, and pointed out several items that I believed were deficiencies. The inspector agreed and noted them in the inspection report. This gave me the leverage to negotiate approximately $2,000 in credits. Fantastic experience. Recently, the Fall of 2021, I purchased a single family residence in the NW suburbs of Chicago. Based on my prior experience with HIC, I gave them a call and chose their basic home inspection package and the radon testing. I spoke to Larry who gave me a quote for $550 ($375 for the home inspection and $175 for the radon test). Set that up right away. **Pricing** Several hours later, I get a text message from Mike, who is the owner. He said there was a confusion with the pricing. The total was actually going to be $700. A bit confused I double checked the website, and the math wasn't adding up. Super confused, I asked why the website showed $375 + $175. He clarified there was some 'local fee' since their office was more than 70 miles away. Not ideal, but totally understandable. Considering my prior good experience with HIC, I looked past that miscommunication and confirmed the appointment. **Inspection** The inspection was less than 45 minutes for a 3000 sq ft house. Most of the time Jay, the inspector (not the same guy I had for my condo purchase), was here, he was distracted and chatting with the seller's agent. In fact, most of Jay's time at the house was spent talking -- not inspecting. He took good photos though, and verbally noted several deficiencies, although his report did not highlight these. **Radon** Jay set up the radon test in the basement. It's a shoebox sized machine that sits on a small table. It needs to be running for at least 72 hours. It supposedly has tamper detection. After Jay picked up the test, the report showed the house was within a safe range for Radon. After moving in, and considering the availability of at home radon tests, I decided to do my own test. The tests were showing radon readings in excess of 15.0 (the safe level for EPA is 4.0). Based on those readings, I asked a third-party to come do another professional test. That professional test came back 3 times the safe level. Ended up having to pay $1200 out of pocket for radon remediation and then make a claim on the Radon Warranty (thankfully HIC offers that), but the whole process was a HUGE pain and took several months to sort out. On a separate note, I would give Residential Warranty Services (the warranty provider for HIC) a terrible review, but I would be wasting my breath -- they already have tons of terrible reviews on Yelp and BBB. **Electrical** Jay inspected the main breaker panel in the basement. Even took photos and made a note about missing 'knockouts'. Based on a professional electrician, who came several months later to give a quote for something unrelated, those missing knockouts were actually related to breakers catching on fire. The electrician noted those missing breakers are a safety hazard. These are things that a professional inspector should be able to identify (or at least point highlight in their report) so I could negotiate a credit. I now have to pay $2,500 to replace the panel and have new breakers installed.

I've had an amazing experience with this company. Our home was inspected in 2018 and they were able…read moreto accommodate our schedule and do an inspection on a Sunday and right after Thanksgiving. They were thorough and I couldn't find another company that matched their warranty program. 10/10 I would definitely recommend this coto anyone buying or selling a house.