My wife and I have purchased multiple homes over the past 5-6 years, having different home inspectors through each of those purchases. John was a breath of fresh air as he was clearly competent in the area of home construction. John pointed out items I would've never thought of such as the two upstairs bathrooms being tied to the same circuit - if one of the bathrooms causes the circuit to trip, both bathrooms no longer have electricity through the outlets. John also warned us of attic ventilation and how that could contribute to higher than normal radon readings. Sure enough, the radon readings came back higher than desired and we could properly address this with the sellers. One of the things that I most appreciated about John was that he was realistic with finding issues and whether or not they were truly something to be concerned about. Other inspectors seem to be "alarmists" and get excited over things that really aren't that large of an issue. Finally - John takes a video tape of the inspection which was great as you can review this video later to be sure you remember everything that was covered in the inspection. In prior inspections, I'd find myself scrambling to take notes or trusting the paperwork that was done and in some cases finding inconsistencies. I'd recommend John to anyone about to go through a home inspection or for any other home repair type of work. He was absolutely great to work with. read more

John Kopke was a great-value home inspector. At first I was skeptical because he kept praising his work, and his education in construction. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised. Here is what we liked about him: 1) He knew construction details that we did not see in other home inspectors we have had before. For instance, he turned on the shower in the basement bathroom and checked that the expeller pump would operate - we did not know such a thing. 2) He noticed stains in the bottom two inches of the door jambs in the basement and asked us to enquire about flooding - it turned out he was right. 3) He tested the stove and found high levels of carbon monoxide and offered to drop by when we replaced the burners, to retest for our safety's sake. 4) John found the whirlpool tub wasn't working and reset the trip switch on the motor by unscrewing a vent to reach it - that alone saved us a service call! 5) His charges for inspection+radon was $100 less than the other ASHI inspectors' quotes. 6) He was punctual and spent 3 hours on the job - he gave it his full time. He also was independent, reporting faults honestly. Friends recommended we hire an engineering firm rather than just someone with a license; we found an inspector with a structural engineering education. Yes, based on our recent experience with him, we would highly recommend John Kopke. read more

We heard about this company and John Kopke from friends who used his services a year ago for their new home purchase, so we figured we'd give him a shot. The initial inspection was incredibly thorough and as the previous review stated, turned on appliances for performance, checked how they drained, and made several observations which I would've missed and a contractor would have over looked. With that said, when I brought the findings to the seller's attention and requested roof repairs and mold remediation, amongst other small issues found, the seller presented us with a non-mold remediation contractor's invoice for the mold removal which obviously left us skeptical. John stood by his promise of always being available to assist in our home and came out for a follow up inspection of the mold with their contractor on site to determine if the clean up was proper and when it was discovered that they cut some corners, we negotiated several caveats to account for this since the closing was in 5 days. Definitely recommend John and his company to others looking for a thorough, honest, inspection of their home and with support even after the initial inspection has been completed. read more

John Kopke of Progressive Buildings Inspections is an EXCELLENT home inspector. I am a first time homebuyer and he inspected and informed me about every inch of my home before buying it. He provided me with a videotaped walk-thru of the inside and outside of the home narrated by himself. On the tape and in person he made me aware of what needed to be repaired, how old the roof, air conditioner, other appliances, etc. were and when it would need to be replaced/repaired and how much it would cost. He walked me through his inspection so that I didn't miss anything. He also provided me with a written report of the videotaped walk-thru information. At the end of his 3 hour inspection, John sat down with me and read through the entire written inspection report. If I had any questions or was unclear about a certain part of the report, he would stop reading and show me exactly what he was speaking of in the house. He was very cordial, professional, extremely well-informed and experienced. My parents (who have purchased and sold 7 homes) were also with me during the home inspection and said they had never had an inspection as thorough as John's. read more

John is a tremendous home inspector. Very experienced, and very knowledgeable of the ins-and-outs of the home. Knows what to look for and all the key areas of a house to check for. He does an extremely thorough job too. John will leave you with a very detailed write up of everything (including suggestions)... AND even a video on DVD as well showing everything he inspects. It's a great thing to have in hand after the inspection because let's face it, a home inspector tells you so much during an inspection it's impossible to retain it all by memory alone. Having a DVD and report to consult at any time after buying your home is so helpful in maintaining your major investment! They also offer radon testing as well. Further reassurance and peace of mind that this extremely dangerous substance is not a factor. Hands down John and Progressive Building Inspections is well worth the money to ensure you are making a sound home purchase. read more

When I arrived 10 minutes early at the home, John was already there examining the outside of it! He talked me through the entire inspection, encouraged me to ask questions and took the time to explain the things I did not know. He video taped the entire inspection and made me a CD for later reference. The CD contains a lot of the good aspects of the home and it also contains all of the not so good aspects. Upon review of the CD we had a couple of questions. We called John and he reviewed those questions with us. Then when he went to retrieve the Radon testing device he actually went back into the attic and bathroom to double check the questions we had for him two days earlier. This was without a doubt the most thorough inspection I could have ever hoped for. Now I can move myself and my family into our new home without any surprises or concerns, thank you John. read more

I can't tell you enough about how valuable his inspection was to us in feeling good about this largest purchase of our lives. While there were some things he discovered, all are easily correctible. The written report is clear and concise which has facilitated our negotiations well. The video however is over the top. Having the visual and verbal backup of the inspection and the specific guidance he gave not only about faults but also about home maintenance or improvement tips and even pointing out highlights or interesting features is a real bonus. John's knowledge of homes, their construction, systems, materials, maintenance requirements and hazards is in my opinion encyclopedic. I certainly recommend him to anyone involved in the process of buying or selling a home, or those in the business of facilitating purchases. read more

John inspected my mothers house 20 years ago. Why would I write a review now? Well, a few months ago my mother needed some information from that inspection. John was able to go through his archives, find the video he made of his inspection and placed it onto a DVD for my mother to use. This went WAY above and beyond any other company I've dealt with. His professionalism and courtesy was and still is outstanding. His thoroughness and eye for detail was amazing - and the advise and help he offered my mother was, again, "above and beyond". At our recent conversation with John, he gave us some names of contractors to use for our situation. His recommendations were PERFECT!! Thank you, John!! read more

John was recommended by our Realtor and he did not disappoint. The ladies in his office were professional and accommodating to our unique situation and timeline. He called two days before the appointment to confirm, was punctual to the appointment (something I appreciate very much!), and completed an amazingly thorough inspection of the house. We received candid observations, recommendations, a list of costs to repair listed damages, two copies of the inspection on paper, plus a DVD at the end of the inspection. John was open and available to answer many questions we had as we walked through with him. I highly recommend read more

Truly Unbelievable Inspection!! My fiance and I hired them and an inspector named John Kopke came out and did an amazing job finding everything that was wrong or could go wrong with things in the home. He provided timelines as to when things should look to get replaced and took his time explaining everything that was going on with the home. The best part of it all is that he provides you with a DVD of the entire inspection so you can always go back and listen to his explanations. If we ever buy another home there is no doubt who we will call. No wonder he was referred to us. Look no further! read more

My experience with Progressive Home Inspections has been outstanding. I own a general contracting/real estate development company and was extremely impressed with the inspection John performed. The building was very old but seemed in good condition. John's knowledge of the electrical and mechanical systems gave me the information needed to negotiate a fair price. His knowledge of local building codes was also very valuable. I would recommend Progressive to anyone buying a residential or commercial building. read more

John Kopke has inspected two homes I have ended up purchasing. He is very professional and incredibly detailed. In both cases he found issues that needed to be addressed with the seller that ultimately saved us time and money down the road. I still refer to his video and recommendations years later as reminders for household maintenance. He is very knowledgeable and I plan to consult with him on future projects. If you're looking to buy a home have John look at it first. read more

I just had my second home inspected by John. He is very knowledgeable! John was very thorough and willing to explain anything I didn't understand. Very nice and professional. The inspection lasted as long as I expected, a little over 3 hours. It is nice that you can tell he takes his time and is devoted to performing a quality job. I love the video he provides in addition to the detailed report. I would highly recommend Progressive Building Inspections! read more

John Kopke just did an inspection on our home and he was absolutely awesome! He video tapes everything and gives you a DVD copy at the end so you can go back and watch at any time. He was extremely thorough and explained everything in detail. He was also very honest and gave suggestions on how we could fix minor things in the house in a cost effective manner. I would highly recommend John to anyone and everyone! read more

John Kopke completed the inspection of the house are trying to buy in Libertyville. John was very thorough in the inspection by making a written report and a dvd movie of the inspection. He pointed out things we did not notice ourselves. His experience was evident throughout the inspection. He answered all of our questions. Overall the inspection was beyond our expectations. Thank you! read more

I used John Kopke to inspect a foreclosured home that we are trying to purchase. He was amazing. His home inspection was the most through that I have seen. He gave us tips on how to fix some of the problems. I loved the video that he provided, it allowed us to go back and hear again what needed to fixed and how to fix it. Thanks Stephanie J. read more

John kopke was Amazing!!! He made the inspection process easy. He answered all our questions and was extremely through, more so than most and he never made us feel like we were in his way, ( we stayed with him through out the entire inspection ) I highly recommend if you want a positive experience. I will absolutely use him in the future. read more

John was great when he inspected our home. He really went above and beyond with videotaping the entire inspection and providing us a copy. He is very knowledgeable and took the time to explain any questions or concerns we had. I would recommend him to anyone looking for a truly professional home inspection. read more

John Kopke is amazingly thorough, discerning, and helpful. He patiently answered our questions and meticulously examined our prospective house. It is clear that he has the best interest of his clients in mind when inspecting houses. John is honest, reliable and we trust his expertise implicitly. read more