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!

Tyler was great. Pictures were clear, feedback was easy to read, and he was very thorough…read more Definitely hire Tyler for your next inspection.

Regret using All the Way Home Inspections, regret not being present during the inspection, and…read morebaffled that what is clearly mold stains and related moisture was not mentioned in the report despite it including pictures of what is clearly mold. The report only cited "water related moisture stains". It was very evident during walk-through, but my real estate attorney said we had no recourse outside of breaking contract since we had an inspection report with pictures of mold stains. Day after closing I had to call in a mold remediation service who will have to open up 2 large area of drywall to investigate source of water, remove infested drywall & studs, and repair the wall.

Michael (Mike) Schejbal was fantastic! He spent over five hours inspecting a home we were certain…read morewould be ours. Throughout the process, Mike calmly and objectively explained his findings, clearly distinguishing between major expense items and more cosmetic issues. After his thorough review, we followed up with him for additional perspective on several health and safety concerns. Based on his insights, we ultimately decided to walk away from the home--and we have never regretted that decision. I have complete faith and confidence in Mike's expertise and have since recommended Chicagoland Home Inspectors to family and friends. The best value for the money in our home-buying process so far! Thank you so much, Mike and team!

Great experience with Chicagoland Home Inspectors. John Olson was thorough, knowledgeable, and…read moreprofessional. He walked us through everything he saw and answered all of our questions. As first time homebuyers, John really gave us peace of mind. The inspection process on-site was a great experience and the inspection report itself was also great.

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.

I used this company twice while searching for my next house. I absolutely loved the service. They…read morereally 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

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.

While not doing free estimates is a perfectly fine business approach, being extremely condescending…read moreand bad mouthing all contractors who do doesn't sit right with me. I can't speak to their quality of work, nor would I want to after interacting with them.

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.

Probably the most detailed inspection I've ever received. Excellent inspection report. Greatly…read moreappreciated.

Mike was an ABSOLUTE DELIGHT to work with for my home inspection. Not only was he prompt,…read moreprofessional, and friendly, but MY GOODNESS what a wealth of information (and quite a sense of humor to boot!). I learned so much during the inspection, not just about the minutiae of all the interesting peccadillos in the 1888 home I'm buying, but also his honest-to-goodness expert opinion on what needs to be addressed NOW vs "put that on the DIY list for later". I felt so much more comfortable and secure with my home buying process because Mike and his colleague Evan were there to explain it all. I also had so much fun??? Who knew that a home inspection could be ENTERTAINING?? Seriously use Mike if you need a home inspection. Absolute pro. Kind, lovely human who clearly knows his stuff and does fantastic work. A real unicorn. 100 stars from me!

Mike is an incredibly thorough and knowledgeable home inspector. He is honest, to the point, and…read morehelpful in identifying problems and helping with solutions. He is responsive, timely, and communicates well. His reports are so detailed and informative. We learned so much from him throughout the process as first time homebuyers. We couldn't recommend him enough!

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.