First off: AJ E's review sounds like a pissed off realtor doing a hitjob review. Why? The seller's agent 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! read more

Pinnacle missed some major issues with my home. I probably would have walked away from the deal or seriously 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. read more

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I used this company twice while searching for my next house. I absolutely loved the service. They really saved me from a bad decision, and they helped me find the house of my dreams. They use high tech equipment (even drones), and are very knowledgeable, punctual, reliable and solid. I would only trust them from now on. THANK YOU read more

Extremely misleading and deceitful! First red flag - they advertise on Yelp as women owned. This is untrue, as you merely need to look at their business profile and see that Jim K is the owner. That gives you a clue as to how far he'll go to get your business. Next up if their inspection process. They are completely disrespectful and will damage whatever they want to, for whatever reason. When you confront them about it, they simply deny and brush you off. No accountability whatsoever. Just another idea of what to expect when they miss something important on their inspection report. My advice is to look elsewhere. There are tons of other home inspection services that at least have the decency to be honest and accountable for their actions. read more

Overall start to finish the process was really smooth with Pinnacle and Jim. Easy to book and Jim was very professional, knowledgeable, and funny! He certainly made the inspection process easier, and explained everything along the way. Only suggestion is for the company - all follow up requests via email would be returned with a phone call. Sometimes email is easier and preferred for people. Thanks again! read more

6 stars if possible! Tim Fuchsen did our inspection and I would HIGHLY recommend him. We were able to schedule the inspection within 48 hours and he arrived early to inspect the outside of the home in order to get a head start. Tim brought his own doormat which shows his attention to detail and the amount of care he shows for your new home! He was prompt, communicative, diligent and clearly knowledgeable. He answered all our questions and welcomed us to call him at any time following his inspection. He was also quite quick, while being thorough, and quickly turned around the report. We received it in about 24 hours and it was all of 64 pages with 100s of photos. Book Tim ASAP. read more

I scheduled an inspection with Pinnacle inspection services. Philip Whitley showed up a few minutes before the the time he said he would arrive. He was such a polite and professional young man. He did a wonderful job. I highly recommend this company for your inspection needs. O, it was a 4 point inspection I had done in a condo I own, for insurance purposes. Thank you again Philip. read more

A fair and honest review of the services rendered, the follow-up communication, and extra costs i've incurred by using Pinnacle Property Inspection instead of a reputable company. This isn't meant to be a hit piece by any means but if you are looking for a home inspector - you want the job to be done properly, and you don't want any major surprise costs associated with things that should have been caught during any remedial home inspection. In addition, the response i've gotten from Stacy is completely unacceptable - as explained below. First off - we'll start with the positives: *Quick - they came out within a few days as needed for a quick close (they had as much time as they needed within the property to properly asses all intended assets, no rushing at any point) *The inspector was nice (not that this is really an added positive - just expected standard professional behavior - but it certainly doesn't always happen) And the rest...where to start * MAJOR SUPPORT BEAM WAS CRACKED/BROKEN - holy cow - how do you miss this?? This isn't a small issue, this isn't something that was hidden or not easily seen...there is no visual impediments to see the beam clearly - they just missed it. And when confronted about this - they admitted they missed it - but were only willing to offer ~$500 per the "contract." This is beyond gross negligence and a lawsuit will be pending as this cost me over $5,000 to fix and had I known about this issue (as a reputable home inspector would have easily seen) I would not have placed an offer on this home without the replacement contingency. **Asbestos - all over. Again - they admitted they did not do anything with this - even though I asked the inspector if "that looked like asbestos" - he said he thought it wasn't any concern. Now, the "contract" doesn't state that they look for asbestos - but for a company that markets Asbestos services ALL across the website, all he had to do was say "you should get that tested, i'm not sure." Of course when the asbestos people come in, they immediately know what it is - so maybe the home inspector wasn't familiar with it, even though it is a recommended service of the company and this particular inspector has been working with the company for quite a long time. Oh, and this cost well into the many thousands of dollars to remediate as well. $2k+ to date. Look - all these places can make mistakes - but this is outrageous. To somehow overlook the ENTIRE SUPPORT STRUCTURE of the house is downright Ludacris. BUYER BEWARE. At the very least, reject their blanket contract and have your own lawyers review before you sign. It'll save you from having to file lawsuits to get any remediation. Now i'm sure Stacy will try and respond to this review with some story or explanation that doesn't add up to a reasonably ethical standard, but she is entitled to defend her business as she sees fit. She can't exactly argue with numbers though, and i've got all the evidence to back it up. And sure, the contract I signed lists the damages in case of a standard mistake - but this is gross negligence at its finest, not something that can be legally signed away in this contract. Lawsuit pending. read more

I hate home inspections. Every realtor 'has a guy'. You're realtor most likely has a few they refer for the sake of making the transaction smooth, etc. It's good business, etc. But the common theme is mediocrity. They come in, inspect, write a report and leave. They most likely will skip somethings due to weather, etc.. Par for all inspections Pinnacle was the exception to mediocrity. Jim was my inspector and he was there early surveying the property with a drone, inspecting the roof, etc with it during the winter. Inside the house he was using thermal cameras to find issues, etc. In the end I got a 76 page inspection report w/ 50+ photos. My inspection took over 3 hours! That's what you want. read more

Pinnacle Property Inspection Services - Sample pic from inspection - Home Inspectors Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

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My inspection occurred on a cooler day (~50 degrees) so my HVAC couldn't be turned on as that can be damaging. This meant that the inspection of that system was more of a visual inspection ("quality, condition and life expectancy...") However, the inspector made a mistake and inspected the incorrect rooftop unit. Now, I totally understand that 4 units in close proximity on a rooftop can be confusing, BUT there is labeling both inside and out. This meant that my inspection report included a unit that was 10 years older and influenced my decisions quite a bit. The first decision was not getting another HVAC-specific inspection as the unit appeared only to be ~3 years old. Of course, after moving in, I discover that the unit doesn't work and needs replacing. My only ask from Pinnacle was a refund of my inspection cost, as this was part of our original contract: "In the event that PINNACLE and/or its agents or employees are found liable due to breach of contract, breach of warranty, negligence, ...shall be limited of a sum equal to the amount of the fee paid by the CUSTOMER for the inspection and report." I felt this was a fair ask considering, but Pinnacle took no corrective action. A shame, really as I hoped to do more business with them as I expand my real estate portfolio. This was my second inspection with Pinnacle and though I was very very happy with the inspections, process, reports, etc. I am thoroughly disappointed in their response. A business is only as good as its post-purchase support, in my opinion. read more

Pinnacle Property Inspection Services - The inside of the switch which was part of my inspection report and clearly has another unit labeled inside. - Home Inspectors Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

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We hate spending money on gambles so having Pinnacle come out to do our inspection was money incredibly well spent! Tim was communicative, personable and thorough- the perfect blend of traits for a home inspector. We are incredibly happy with Tim and would HIGHLY recommend him to anyone considering buying a condo, house or investment property. He will walk you through the process, answer questions, and make you feel supported. My husband has a passing foundational knowledge in things construction related and he felt like this was the best money we have spent so far. The perspective we gained is priceless. Definitely go Pinnacle, and ask for Tim. All of this is a review before even having received the formal inspection report or the radon results (extra add on conducted by the fabulous Stacy) read more

We asked Pinnacle to do a consultation to determine why our downstairs was much harder to keep warm than or upstairs (beyond the fact that heat travels up). Jim and his associate were able to use a thermal gun to tell us where we were missing insulation and where cold air was seeping in at the baseboards. The reason I rated this 4 stars instead of 5 is because the $250 fee didn't include a report other than the pictures taken by the thermal gun or by camera when the associate went into our garage attic. read more

We loved the job that Jim from Pinnacle did on our single-family home inspection. I was pretty underwhelmed the last time I had an inspection from a different company, but this time with Jim was much different. He really made a point of wanting to inform us about everything about the house. We were also very impressed with the drone that was used to look at the roof and the thermal imaging. Highly recommend Jim and Pinnacle! read more

Good expertise. Takes a long time to inspect, and comes up with very descriptive reports with photos. Thanks Mahesh read more

I found this company on Yelp since I'm new to the area i didn't know who to hire. Jim showed up and not only did he educate me on what to expect with being a new home buyer he easily explained and answered and all questions. Thank you Pinnacle. read more

I'm not one for Yelp reviews, but into my 3rd year of ownership of a home inspected by Pinnacle and a stream of continually frustrating "finds" I felt the need to say something. Yes, Jim is responsive and speaks with authority (so seems knowledgeable). Yes, he noticed things like an inoperable window, and outwardly-sloped shower threshold. But he failed to notice some MAJOR issues with my property, including: it being ENTIRELY uninsulated in exterior wall cavities (having been gut renovated in 2007), which has cost me thousands in repairs and extreme utility bills (could have been addressed with thermal imaging or removing cable box covers to investigate); major tuckpointing neglect on the sides of the building (front and rear were fine and all he inspected/included in his report), which cost thousands in building special assessments after neighbors had water issues 6 months after moving in; and structural roofing issues which he downplayed as need for re-coating. Don't be fooled by a lengthy report with lots of photos; when it comes down to ensuring that a first-time homebuyer is buying a solid property, Pinnacle provided peace of mind during closing and nighmarish realities afterward. Avoid at all costs. **Update: In response to Jim's aggressive and dismissive response below - which I urge prospective customers to read for an example of his sense of responsibility - I have the following comments: The "copy/paste" of a "standard" report does not address the specific issues mentioned in this review (NOR did my report, which I read in full). Various tuckpointing issues on the full-north and full-south facades of the building, significant sags in roofing (not related to EDPM issues which were noted and addressed with HOA as stated below), and FULLY UNINSULATED BUILDING CAVITIES (grossly overlooked) have resulted in the expenses. Putting blame back on the homeowner for things that were failed to have been noticed in an inspection is a poor business tactic and should be alarming to anyone considering working with Pinnacle. read more

Pinnacle was great to work with for our inspection. We are first time home buyers in Chicago and Jim was very straight forward with us. He pointed out all the problems, explained what he thought was important to fix in plain English, and showed us all the basics of how our home works. He also brings a thermal imaging camera and runs hot water through all the faucets/showers/tubs. Any leaking water showed up in his thermal imaging, very much like looking through a Predator-cam. After this thorough inspection and photo-supported summary, I feel much more confident going into closing! read more

After having a home inspection done by Pinnacle, you realize just how inept every other inspection company really is. Not only does Jim check everything you can think of (and things you wouldn't), but he gives you a binder with a book that has everything you need to know about owning a house. When I bought my first house, I actually wondered where the heck the manual is because I had no idea about furnaces, air conditioners, plumbing... etc. Well, he has it and so will you after one of their thorough inspections. Jim takes pictures of everything and imbeds them into the report that you'll receive shortly after the inspection. The extremely helpful part of all that, he annotates the make and model number of everything. When the day comes that you need the model of your furnace, you just reference the saved report as opposed to you sticking a wrench in your electrical box. In all seriousness, it's extremely helpful and you'll appreciate that later on. From drone pictures of your property to infrared imaging showing you the heat/cold area of your insulated windows, they'll do it all for the same price you'll pay having some knuckle-head to come out and tell you a bunch of garbage. Money well spent when you're making the biggest investment of your life. read more

We didn't like the inspector or the report . He didn't visit the attic and was rushing . I would say you are better off with other inspectors read more

I had an inspection done in May and big items were missed that were costly for me to fix. I noticed that the vents in the condo were filled with lint and dust during the inspection. I pointed that out and it was shrugged off saying they just didn't clean. I later discovered that the dryer vent was not connected to the outside vent and the lint was getting sucked through the HVAC system. That was a big fail. Also, the stove top gas burners were not all working and need to be replaced. I could not recommend Pinnacle Property Inspection Services. read more

Jim is one of the best inspectors I have ever used! He responded promptly with several dates/times that made scheduling very easy. Jim is very thorough in his inspections. When you are purchasing a home and want to make sure you know every detail of what you are looking at, he will definitely let you know. He is a builder, so he knows exactly what to look for. I would highly recommend him for inspections and will continue to use him for any future needs! read more

Pinnacle Property is super professional and they're truly wonderful. They explain the house inspection thoroughly and offer suggestions to other reliable services within the area. I will always recommend them. read more

Tim is the best inspector I've come across! I'm a realtor and you can definitely count on him to catch all the details. I wish I had him as my inspector when I bought my own home last spring! He is very thorough, quick to respond, answered all my questions as well as my client's and more. He's a one stop shop for mold and radon as well! HIGHLY RECOMMEND! You can't beat his services in the inspection realm Thank you Tim and Pinnacle for being the best at what you do! read more

I hired Pinnacle to inspect a property we were looking to purchase and rehab. The booking process was simple and Tim came to inspect the property the next business day. He was extremely through and honest about the state of house. There's was major issues we had not budgeted for. In the end this inspection led us to make a decision to continue our search and move away from this house. I believe that hiring Tim and Pinnacle saved us hundreds of thousands of dollars. I'm grateful for there help. read more

Highly recommend Pinnacle for any property inspection services! Super friendly and VERY professional company. Jim was super thorough in checking every inch of the property. Very detailed report and explanation. Thank you so much Jim, Stacey and Pinnacle crew! read more

Where to start?! This company is AMAZING! Stacey is such a pleasure to work with and puts so much effort into finding an available appointment time that works. They always try to make time for my clients who insist on only using Gregg! He's done so many inspections for my buyer clients and they all rave about him. He's so pleasant to work with as well as thorough and detail oriented. I've worked with several other inspectors and company's and none compare to Gregg and Pinnacle. If you want the best service possible, go with Pinnacle. read more

Had a great experience with Jim. He moves quickly but is very thorough. He also inspected a property for my mom a few days before mine. Both of us have very positive opinions of Jim and would highly recommend him. read more

Pinnacle Property Inspection Services - Home Inspectors Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

As a real estate broker I have worked with many different home inspection companies. Pinnacle is now my go to! They are efficient and reliable each and every time I use them. Always a great recommendation for my clients. If you decide to work with them, make sure to ask for Tim Fuchsen. Tim is great to work with and always on time. He may even beat you to the property to start the outside inspection and fly the drone over the roof and property. read more

I don't normally leave reviews, but given the experience I had with Jim and his company I felt compelled to. He save me from a literal "lemon" of the house, in which his inspection report revealed details about a potential home purchase not found on any previous reports. He was extremely professional, courteous and well spoken to what he knows and is confident in his analysis. You're provided with an exhaustive list of issues and it's easy to digest for the average buyer. Used Pinnacle again for my next home purchase and would gladly recommend their services to my friends. Thanks again! read more

This is a wonderful company for home inspections. They are so thorough. The owner, Jim Kolke, is incredibly knowledgeable. He will explain everything that about your inspection and answer every question you have. They send pictures of everything with the report. You can feel assured they will do a good job. read more

Pinnacle Property Inspection Services - The inspector in the kitchen. - Home Inspectors Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

Tim Fuchsen helped me out so much. He has been helping with a couple of properties I needed inspecting and has been easygoing and good to work with. Always lets me know detailed information and has thorough conversations with me. Well done! read more

I can't recommend this Inspector and his Incredible proficiency in finding EVERYTHING during an inspection. He saved me Thousands if $$$ in hidden repairs I Guarantee my Realtors recommended guy would Not have. The repairs the sellers Had to preform due to his report almost Broke the deal. But I was an Informed Buyer. Spend your $$$ Here and save 10 times his fee in unknown repairs costs after your purchase!!!! 10 Stars!!!. read more

Just had an inspection done by Gregg. I could not be happier. He was very knowledgeable, professional and friendly. I'm a first time home buyer so I had a lot of questions. He was so patient and walked me through everything. Such a great experience from the start. Even the lady scheduling the appointment was great. I definitely recommend! read more

Jim and his assistant are beyond thorough and beyond professional, I couldn't recommend him more. They came highly recommended by our realtor and did an amazing job. Jim does a great job explaining everything in person and in writing (with a fast turnaround to meet those tight attorney review deadlines) about the property you're considering so you can purchase -- or walk away -- with confidence. We used Jim's expert advice twice in the past year and both times it was well worth the money. Jim saved us from buying a major lemon and after moving on from a purchase, helped us buy the next home with confidence. As others have mentioned, the binder you get at the end is fantastic, just the icing on the cake! read more

To start off i spoke with Stacy on the phone who set me up with an inspection right away! She was awesome. When i got to the house Tim met me and assured me he was there for me and no one else. He walked me through everything, guiding me through the inspection as he did what he needed to do. Very kind and helpful. And assured me if i thought of anything else not to hesitate to give him a call. If i could give them 10 stars i would! read more

Pinnacle was prompt, trustworthy, and knowledgeable. The work was complete and thorough. Jim explained the inspection process step-by-step and presented himself in a professional manner. He answered all my questions with clarity and honesty. Our family highly recommends Jim and Pinnacle to anyone that needs inspection work for your home or a home that you plan to buy. Simply put, Jim is truly passionate about his profession and he's refreshingly a nice guy which sometimes is hard to find nowadays. Give Pinnacle a call today! read more

Jim has been outstanding. I will never use another home inspector. He is extremely knowledgeable, customer service focused, and has the most current technology to identify any problems. I was extremely impressed with Jim after the home inspection was completed. During our walkthrough just prior to closing, we identified water damage, which had occurred subsequent to our home inspection. I called Jim and was onsite within 20 minutes and gave his professional opinion of the situation. He had his flooring guy onsite 30 minutes later and I had a quote to replace the damaged hardwood within 5 hours of identifying the problem. AMAZING! What could have been a stressful situation was diffused because of Jim and his guys. read more

Pinnacle Property was great to work with. Very responsive, professional and more affordable than some of our other quotes we found while shopping for inspectors. I had a great experience with Stacy and Jim for our pre-wall inspection and I plan to use them for our final inspection once our condo is completed. Jim and his assistant were very thorough, explained a lot about our unit in more basic terms for the average person (from insulation, air quality/flow, structure, materials, plumbing etc). He offered some great suggestion for installation to avoid any issues down the road. Looking forward to working with Jim again. read more

Jim was great. He kept us aware and informed of his findings during his inspection of our future home. We found a peace of mind knowing that he covered our house from to bottom, inside and out. Worth every penny. read more

Absolutely wonderful!!! I purchased a new home and they found problems and solutions that the builder misssed. I plan on using their company for maintenace also. I am so grateful!!! read more