I wouldn't recommend Rusty. He did some things great but missing a simple inspection that he verbally talked about during the inspection and decided to skip it is not What I expect for the quality I paid for. Mentioned and rubbed his mustache if he should check the water valve to turn on the spigot. Decided not too since it was winter but then again, it was a warm winter and I was just wearing a sweater that day and was outside on the phone talking. Come early spring, I turned on the water valve, it's leaking. Front spigot is dripping which is minor but back spigot of the home doesn't turn on at all. I believe this was a simple check that could have been included in the report so the seller would have covered it by closing time. read more

Russell Layton Associates - missed checking this and it was leaking badly when turned on - Home Inspectors Near Me

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Rusty is the best home inspector on the market. Period. He will tell you everything about the place, hidden or obvious, what happened and what will happen. He has a real talent, tons of experience and loves to share it. For your money you get something beyond simple inspection - Rusty turns the process into a kind of art, like Sherlock Holmes, he deducts facts about home`s history from non-obvious signs and patterns. It was a real pleasure to work with him on 2 our home purchases so far. read more

Rusty seems to know what he is doing, but he couldn't manage to go an hour without saying racist and sexist things. Seriously- he repeated himself several times just to make sure we caught his meaning. Also, be careful because he might try to overcharge you by adding in things you declined. Sure I got some helpful tips, but was it worth it? Meh. read more

Rusty is truly an expert in his field. I had previously never participated in a home inspection. He personally took me along during his inspection of my home, providing a detailed introduction of the process and pointing out potential future problems and remedies to address any findings. The experience felt as if I was touring my home with my father and he wanted to personally ensure I was well taken care of. read more

Rusty inspected our newly constructed home right before we did the walk through with the builder. He was very professional, experienced and thorough! With the home being brand new, we questioned whether or not to have the inspection done but definitely made the right choice to hire Rusty! He put together a complete punch list, to include pictures, and found issues with erosion, siding (dings/damage), missing shingles on the roof/exposed nail heads, missing interior trim, as well as areas where paint needed to be corrected. He did a thorough inspection both inside and out. We highly recommend him to all!!! read more

Rusty completed the home inspection on a house we are in contract to buy in Arlington, VA. Even though my husband and I have bought and sold three homes prior to this, I still find the home buying process stressful. Our real estate agent recommended three inspectors and we chose Rusty based on his years of experience in the field. I spoke with him over the phone prior to hiring Rusty and because he seemed laid back I questioned how professional he would be. Not only did he give us an education on our prospective home, but also he made the process feel less stressful because he is very professional, knowledgeable and a pleasure to spend a few solid hours with. read more

Mr Layton is as good as they come. He's incredibly knowledgeable about everything from electric to exteriors, and helped us assess our property in a highly competitive market. Rusty was great at uncovering the "story" behind our property - discerning quickly what was new, when work was done, and where any potential issues laid. Beyond being a fundamentally good guy, he really helped us prioritize what we needed to address during the purchase process. That type of personal touch is all too rare these days, and it was an element that helped us feel much more comfortable. In the end, Rusty played a key role in us putting together a fair but competitive offer, which we won. I'd highly recommend Rusty to anyone needing an inspection, or just interested in learning more about the best way to manage your home. read more

Regret hiring him to inspect my condo. He talks more than he does. He missed few easy to find but important malfunctions at the unit which eventually cost me so much to repair after i moved into my condo. I received no response from him when i brought up the issue with him. I definitely do not recommend him for your home inspections, although he's cheap but don't be fooled read more

Mr. Layton was easy to contact and our inspection was scheduled online within a couple days. His direct and to the point approach was truly appreciated. We learned a considerable amount of information about the property as he went around inside and outside the home. The report was emailed to us the same day! Highly recommend Rusty Layton. read more

Our realtor referred us to Rusty for our home inspection. They have had a relationship for years, so we knew we could count on him. Thankfully, he proved us right with being on time as well as exceptionally thorough and knowledgeable throughout the process. Rusty is professional and precise, and was willing to walk through some questions we had during the inspection. He's also a great story teller if you're willing/interested! read more

As a local REALTOR, I have had many clients over the year request Rusty Layton as their home inspector -- and for good reason. His knowledge is unsurpassed, which is not surprising given his breadth of experience, having performed more than 25,000 home inspections since 1981. Typically, he shows up for an inspection and already knows the builder, the layout, and the neighborhood - this is what experience gets you! I recommend him without hesitation. read more

Rusty is very knowledgeable and thorough; everything you want in a home inspector. He put us in a great position to negotiate concessions because of how thorough he is, and it also gave us great peace of mind. Highly recommend him! read more

I am a first time homebuyer and was very nervous about my home inspection, but Rusty made it a great experience for me. He saved me from making the very big mistake of purchasing the first home I made an offer on, and also educated me on things to look for when I was house hunting. He is incredibly knowledgeable, very personable, and very good at giving me a big picture idea of the work that had been done to my home, common building issues for the era that it was built in, and all kinds of other interesting facts about home construction and renovation. I would recommend him to any one to use when purchasing a home! read more

Rusty Layton performed a new home inspection for me, and did an exceptional job. He has the qualifications, knowledge, and experience to do his job, and I will use him again for my one year warranty inspection. Besides that, he was a lot of fun to go through the inspection with, and I learned a great deal about my new home. He is a people person. I recommend him highly. read more

Rusty and Doug were fantastic to work with during our recent home inspection in Fairfax. Not only did they arrive 15 minutes before our scheduled appointment, but by the time we arrived Rusty had already begun his inspection of the exterior structure and grounds -- in the rain! Meanwhile, Doug took the time to walk my wife and I through each room in the house, explaining his approach to inspecting the windows, electrical components, and other major areas of potential concern. After they were completed, Rusty took the time to walk through everything that we should raise with the selling agent and provided us with a professional, comprehensive report with detailed photos and explanations that made our negotiations with the seller hassle-free. Rusty's wit and charm made us feel at ease and his no-nonsense, straightforward explanation of the items he observed made us comfortable that he was looking out for our best interests as homebuyers. read more

Well Rusty did a home inspection on a house that I am selling. He picked the house apart and as a buyer you could say he did a great job. A home from 1920 which has been renovated is not a new home. In his opinion the main roof is at the end of its life. I had a 2 roofer and another inspector look at the same roof and came to a totally different conclusion. I feel that people like Rusty should be held accountable when they get things wrong. They get used to talking to homeowners who believe everything they say. I am a Class A Building contractor and have been renovating homes for 30 years I still have a bit to learn and so does Rusty. Ted Shine read more

As an ultra-experienced Realtor I have had the good fortune of working with Rusty Layton on many occasions. I find Rusty to be extremely forthright; he absolutely tells it like it is. That quality/character trait is vitally important to me as a Realtor. I always have confidence that Rusty's inspection results are truly arms length and in the client's best interest. Rusty has the ability and good sense to discover what merits concern and what does not. He has the ability to convey solid information to buyers making buying decisions & sellers who wisely want to avoid being blind-sided by a future buyer's inspection results. Rusty is also a reliable resource, responding quickly when buyers/sellers have questions post-inspection. I have confidence in "Detective Layton". read more

I am a first time buyer and my realtor highly recommended Rusty from before I was in a contract for the home. What I can say about Rusty is that he is a true professional in every aspect. Keep in mind that I was purchasing a home in VA while living in CA. I wasnt there for the home inspection, but my real estate agent was. Rusty provided my wife and I a very detailed report on everything that was taking place with home. I called him and left a message with a few questions. He responded to me very quick and had all my questions answered. He went thoroughly over electrical, gas, and gave me all the tools I needed to make a fair and competitive offer for my home. He helped me prioritize what we needed to focus on and provided us options. His sound advice saved us a great deal of money and helped us prevent potential damage to the home by doing business the right way. My wife and I are truly grateful for the sincere, honest, and true professional Rusty is. We highly recommend him to anyone and will definitely go back to him in the future. read more

Working with Rusty was a great experience. He is clearly very experienced and will teach you all about your new home. As a first-time-buyer, it was very helpful to learn about items in my new home that I'll need to pay extra attention to over time. His attention to detail is impeccable, like reading data plates on appliances/machinery to make sure the right amperage is being served. I highly recommend Rusty Layton for home inspections in the Fairlington community of Arlington. His knowledge of Fairlington is encyclopedic! After finishing with Rusty, I was confident that we found all the pertinent issues in the house, and I know I walked away with more knowledge of what it takes to be a homeowner. Thanks, Rusty! read more