I hired Monty Davis (Fire Sprinkler Company) to inspect the sprinkler system in my ADU, completed May 12, 2026. A few issues worth knowing about before you hire him.
Payment dispute: I received his invoice on May 13 and told him I'd pay once I received the certificate. Over 4 hours of back-and-forth that day, he first said he'd send it "when back in the office tomorrow." He continued to say that the certificate was actually the tag on the sprinkler pipe and told me to photograph it for my insurance company. When I asked again for an actual certificate, he said no certificate existed. When I still asked for documentation, he threatened to instead file paperwork with the fire department flagging my property as missing items -- adding that he'd kept his word and I should too, and that he normally charges more. I paid him that same day to resolve it.
Report delay: The written inspection report still hadn't arrived 5+ weeks later, despite multiple follow-ups. I eventually notified him I'd prepared a formal complaint to the Contractors State License Board and gave him 7 days to send the report before I filed it. He sent it on day 8 -- one day past that deadline. The complaint was not filed.
Compliance threat despite no requirement: Monty did identify certain items as missing during the inspection, and during the payment dispute he threatened to report these to the fire department. However, after speaking with CAL FIRE, I learned that as a single ADU where I reside on the property -- not a larger multi-unit building -- these items were not actually required for my property, and both CAL FIRE and my insurance company confirmed no inspection was required at all.
Monty is licensed in both California and Arizona -- the issue here isn't his credentials, it's the pressure tactics and lack of follow-through. If you do work with him, get every commitment in writing and document your communications. read more
