When I reached out to Stephen he was incredibly responsive and flexible with scheduling. Then when I met with him at the property, he had already begun the inspection and immediately began showing me his findings and even provided recommendations for the type of contractors I may need. I was really surprised with his level of attention to detail, and how well the report was written up--which I received a day later! I also liked that it's possible to create a repair list from the online report to aid with negotiations. Stephen truly brought much needed insight and clarity to the condition of the home, this in turn made our decision easier. He provided much more value than who our lender recommended. read more

Stephen went truly above and beyond what was requested. Stephen found the time for our inspection quickly after our offer was accepted. He was thorough and answered all my questions. He walked me through everything he found and told me what needed to be fixed. He even found time to come back during the final walk through to check on and verify a requested repair. Stephen is great at his job and his inspection report was well put together and easy to read. I highly recommend Stephen. read more

I called Stephen with Above Grade Home Inspectors to come inspect the condo I am buying, and he did a wonderful job! When booking the appointment, he was responsive and flexible, and answered all my questions about the process. On the day of the inspection, he was punctual, professional, and knowledgeable, with great customer service. Overall I was very pleased with the whole experience, and would recommend Stephen and this company to anyone looking for a quality home inspection. read more

Stephen did a great job with our inspection and was very prompt with responses. Highly recommend Stephen to anyone purchasing a new home!

Hired Stephen to do an inspection of a home I'm interested in purchasing. He came highly recommended by my realtor and he did an amazing and very thorough job. He is professional, extremely knowledgeable and provides a great service. I would hire him again and again! read more

Had occasion to have Stephen do a home inspection for me. I found him to be extremely proficient and knowledgeable. He has amazing attention to detail, and explains observations and concerns that are easily understood. I also found his fee to be VERY competitive! If you are looking for a great home inspector, look no further!! Stephen is the man!! read more

I chose Above Grade Home Inspectors because of the ease of booking an inspection. I was able to book an inspection that I needed within 72 hours. Stephen arrived early, was patient, friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. I received my report in less than 24 hours. It was detailed. The system was easy to navigate. The entire process from start to finish was a breeze. I will definitely keep Stephen in mind for future projects. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! read more

Stephen from Above Grade was incredibly detailed and professional in his approach. The report he provided well written and had excellent pictures describing every point needed to decide what we would be addressing regarding our house purchase. Having Above Grade on our side made us feel confident every step of the way. They were methodical and didn't miss a single detail. I would highly recommend them to any friends and family. read more

Stephen did a very thorough job inspecting a house I have under contract, documenting everything with photographs, bringing a drone to take detailed shots of the roofs. He spent considerable time with me on lthe phone, answering questions and speculating about possible repairs while never overstating his data. I highly recommend him and would use him again. Judy H read more

Have used Stephen for 2 home inspections now. Having worked in the real estate industry for a while with a number of inspectors, Stephen is by far the best I have worked with. He is detailed, thoughtful with his feedback, and most importantly practical. Too often inspectors put together of huge report of small insignificant things which sets unrealistic buyer expectations. He does a great job identifying the places where buyers should focus their attention and offers valuable insights on how repairs can be made. read more

Stephen was incredibly friendly, thorough and talked us through every step of the way. He even went above and beyond to explain the intricacies of pipes, electric and drywall to explain what we wanted to know. We could not have asked for a better qualified or more friendly home inspector! read more

I will use Above Grade service again for future real estate purchases. Stephen is all the reviewers before me commented: personable, experienced, professional, thoughtful, and a speedy, detailed report. I highly recommand this home inspection company. read more

Excellent service! I received an extremely thorough inspection with explanations of the issues that were found. The report was really well written clear with accompanying photos that I think will streamline the process of my agent working with the seller to resolve the issues in question. Pricing was competitive. I would strongly recommend Stephen for your next inspection! read more

Stephen is very professional and detailed. He goes out of his way to help you understand all parts of the inspection. He is very detailed and checks every part of the house. I trusted him for two inspections and was very pleased with the detailed inspection report. I definitely recommend him! read more

Stephen Santos, the owner/operator of AG is my go-to for home inspections. As a REALTOR(R) who works with buyers in Chicago, I need a reliable and professional inspector to refer, and most people don't know an inspector prior to buying a home. If you are buying, keep in mind that as soon as you successfully get a property under contract, you need to schedule thst inspection immediately. I can contact Stephen and coordinate the inspection within 1-2 days. On the appointment he systematically checks everything and will submit his full report within a day. His reports and notes have helped us be confident about following through with purchases, and in other instances has helped us back out of potentially bad situations. Stop thinking and call Above Grade today! *Mike Nickles is a licensed broker in Illinois and this review is 100% voluntary. read more

Amazing inspection service - on time, responsive, great value for money, thorough, detailed reporting, professional and personable service - I absolutely recommend and would use again!!! Do not hesitate to call! read more

We hired Stephen at the recommendation of our realtor, and we are very glad we did. He was professional and timely from the start. And he made sure we understood all aspects of the inspection while it was happening. Stephen also took the time to show me how to check/test all of the mechanicals while we were on site. The final report was very detailed and arrived quickly. I would highly recommend using their services again and to other friends and family. read more

We hired Stephen for our inspection and the experience couldn't have been better. Great communication, on time for our appointment, a thorough inspection (along with friendly guidance and tips for self maintenance into the future), and even more thorough post-inspection report. In fact, we've been thinking that we basically got an inspection for free because Stephen's report helped us get credit from the seller for issues he uncovered and reported in detail. If you are looking for a home/condo inspection in Chicago, look no further. read more

We used Stephen from Above Grade Home Inspectors on the recommendation of our realtor and after our own research. We found Above Grade to be affordable and thorough and were satisfied with the inspection experience that Stephen brought. Stephen was professional, kind, and easy to communicate with. He puts you at ease throughout the process, keeping you knowledgeable and explaining each step and area as he went through the inspection. He was detailed and answered all of our questions and added insightful advice. The inspection report was also well put together, easy to read, and comprehensive. We highly recommend Stephen, especially as first time home buyers, who provided a competitive quote but also a very high-quality experience. read more

I am realtor and have been using Stephens services for several of my clients and he never disappoints. He is very honest with them and if the house needs to be completely gutted or torn down he will let the client know. He works in my clients best interest. He is the first one I recommend from the laundry list of home inspectors out there. read more

Excellent service, extremely thorough in inspection as well as explanation. There were issues I had not expected but feel the calmness and clarity provided during inspection make the entire process less stressful. I feel I have a great sense of what I might be getting into and feel confident moving forward. I could not be more satisfied with inspection, report and service. Thank you! read more

We recently used Stephen Santos at Above Grade Home Inspectors and would highly recommend his services! He was punctual, polite and you can tell, very knowledgeable. He came prepared with flashlights and drones and everything needed to put us in a good place before closing on a new property. He went above and beyond and came back a second time to make sure our punchlist was finished as expected. If you are in need of a home inspection services, Stephen is your guy. read more

Stephen was an awesome inspector! He was friendly, courteous and thorough during the whole process. He took the time to take us aside and point out the key items we needed to be aware of, and while it seemed simple, he was very comforting to us especially as first time home buyers. The quote he gave us beat a lot of the other reviewed inspectors by a lot, but I would say the quality of work he does along with the timeliness of his feedback make this place a definite 5 star business. I'll definitely be referring my friends and family to him in the future. Thanks Stephen! read more

If you're looking for a home inspector, look no further. Stephen at Above Grade is your guy. I called Stephen after I put an offer in on a recently rehabbed property. He was very thorough and emailed me the report that same day. The report itself was 50 pages long and was incredibly detailed. He made himself available to the many questions I had and helped me identify which issues needed immediate attention. I highly recommend Stephen and Above Grade. read more

House hunting can be *difficult*, it's so great when you have a professional, reliable, resource who is committed to providing a thorough inspection. Stephen Santos is respectful of the owner's time and property, utilizes updated technology for his report (think: photos, drone, things people shopping at Lowe's/Hime Depot dream of using), and provides a complete home inspection in pdf form-making it easy to forward, if necessary. *My parents recently sold their home-their home inspector (not Stephen) made so many errors on their report-basic things like their garage door opener was a chain not a belt, etc. This other inspector didn't include any photos, didn't look at more than one location on their roof, sent the report in a word doc, etc. I knew Stephen was great, but didn't realize how fortunate we were to have found him until I'd heard about my parent's experience, and had other friends and family echo similar frustrations. We've hired Stephen twice already, and we won't be looking elsewhere when we need a home inspector again! read more

I could not be any happier with Stephen at Above Grade! His reports were well written, detailed, and arrived quickly. I've used Stephen twice, and while the inspection process is very stressful in general, he takes the time to go over the details and to really put you at ease. He goes above and beyond to explain, especially for people like me, who care barely change a lightbulb. Because of his incredible detail, he really saved me from buying a place that I'm pretty sure I would have regretted. (Thankfully the second place turned out better.) If you're looking for an inspector, don't hesitate in hiring Stephen! read more

As a first time home buyer, it's very important that I get exactly what I am paying for. A thorough and comprehensive home inspection can be the means to reassuring that concern. I decided to go with Stephen from Above Grade Home Inspectors after a referral from my cousin. We needed an inspection quickly and he was able to accommodate our place into his schedule. He showed up to the place before we did, and was ready to go. The inspection was very complete and the report was extremely detailed. I highly recommend this place! read more

I plan to buy a condo and ask Stephen to make a home inspection for us. He arrived exactly at the time point we scheduled, and did a thorough inspection as promised. The report is ready the next day. I was happy to see the detailed inspection report with pictures, which gives me enough evidence to bargain with the seller. I will come to Stephen next time I need an inspection. read more

Stephen was extremely knowledgeable and helpful during our home inspection. As a first time home buyer I was nervous about the whole process. Not only did Stephen take the time to explain everything to us at the inspection, the report we received was so thorough that everyone I shared the inspection with praised the work that was done. Would absolutely hire again! read more

Stephen is a gem. Our realtor recommended Stephen (the owner) for the home inspection of our condo. He arrived early and got started (which was great since we had work commitments soon after the inspection), worked quickly but thoroughly, walked us through everything he found and told us what needed to be done to fix it. He brings a moisture meter and checks for leaks, which I'm not sure every home inspector does. He found a leak that had probably been there for years. It would have costs us thousands of dollars and lots of dry wall dust to fix, but because he found it, the previous owner dealt with it before we moved in. He also saved us hundreds of dollars in plumbing repairs. AND he finished the inspection earlier than estimated. Lastly, he found time to come back (last minute) during our final walk through and check to make sure the leak and other repairs were made. He also let us pick his brain with questions. He is amazing at his job and a delightful person to boot. I highly recommend Stephen and would rate him more than 5 stars if I could. read more

Stephen is by far the best inspector out there. This is now the second inspection he's done for us for our second property. He is always on time, thorough, extremely responsive and very helpful! Going through the homes, I would have questions and always felt comfortable asking about different findings. Additionally, the time he spends to dig further and make sure he uncovers any possible issues before we take ownership are very helpful and save a ton of time and hassle in the long run. I would definitely recommend Above Grade to anyone in need of a home inspection, Stephen is the best you'll find! read more

We used Above Grade Home Inspectors to inspect our home before we purchased it. Steven did our inspection and he did a terrific job. A very through inspection and he explained everything he discovered to us. We received the inspection report the very next morning. Next time I need a home inspector I will use them again! read more

I used Above Grade Home Inspectors for an inspection on my first condo and had a great experience. When I called to set up the appointment, Stephen answered my phone call immediately and was able to set up the inspection for the very next day. I received the report back in less than 24 hours with pictures & spelling out exactly what needed to be fixed. So thorough, would use them again in a heartbeat. read more

Stephen was recommended to us by our realtor Elizabeth Avila and he was absolutely wonderful. Super knowledgeable, very nice and easy to work with. He even offered, after we inspected the condo we were going to buy, to inspect our condo we were selling since we were first time home sellers. Just so we could get ahead of the game to ensure nothing would come as a shock. It was so appreciated! We couldn't recommend Above Grade more! read more

Steve and his staff are true professionals. The inspection was very detailed and gave us peace of mind. It's difficult being a first time home buyer. I'll definitely recommend Above Grade to all my friends. read more

Stephen was both professional and great. A few months ago my sister provided a referral for a home inspection. The inspector was nice but was nowhere near as thorough as Stephen. That property contract fell through and thus we continued our house hunting. When we came across our second property, our realtor recommended Stephen. For the price, we decided to give it a shot and it worked out! He wasn't afraid to go into the crawl space like our previous inspector and he did a very thorough professional report, the best part was that in less than 5 hours it was in my inbox. My previous inspector took 4 days to hand over the report and it was not in PDF format. Needless to say, my boyfriend and I highly recommend him. read more

Used Stephen for our Condo inspection and would highly recommend his services. He is very meticulous in his inspections and detailed in his reports. I needed the pictures from his inspection and he was very quick to send them over. He was recommended by real estate agent who has used him many times with his clients. read more

Stephen has all the characteristics a home buyer (especially a first time home buyer) would want. His report was very well written, clear, and detailed. As first time home buyers, this was key as it made us aware of the work that needed to be taken care of. Thank you for the great service you provided us with and trust that we will recommend you to others! read more

Stephen was the absolute best. I explained beforehand that this was our first home inspection, and that although we are excited about buying a house, we really want to make sure we buy the RIGHT house, and he didn't disappoint. He was on time for our appointment and went through every detail with us so we'd understand and didn't mind my asking (many) questions. Everything discussed was on the report with plenty of photos and detail. We received the report in less than 24 hours as well. He even threw in instructions on how to clean a jacuzzi tub because I have no idea what to do with that! :) Stephen is your guy if you need a home inspection! He was pleasant to be around, thorough, and didn't mind my questions or relentlessly following him around. It was a great experience! read more

This is my second inspection by Stephen and I am highly satisfied once again! Stephen is prompt and very detailed oriented. He answered any question I may have had throughout the process and the final inspection report was thorough and timely. I would recommend him to anyone looking for a home inspector without hesitation! I will be sure to continue utilizing his services in he future. read more