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!

Jason was super thorough, friendly, and patient! He answered all our questions about the house in…read moreaddition to looking through everything. His prices are very very reasonable.

A to Z did a very thorough inspection on a house we were under contract to buy. He discovered…read moreseveral things that are quite costly to repair, and we decided not to buy the home. The price was very reasonable and he saved us from some big surprises. He's very punctual and professional. I would highly recommend.

Dunsing really has its act together as a company. I was able to set up an inspection during the…read moreweekend for a Monday, 9am, inspection! (I only got the okay to set up an inspection on Saturday.) I'd expected only to be able to leave a message and not set up anything until they opened for regular business hours on Monday. Being able to do it over the weekend enabled the inspection to be done at the very beginning of the 5-day period specified in the contract with the seller. As for the report, you couldn't ask for it to be any more complete or any more promptly delivered. The report is long but presented in a way that makes it very easy to go through and understand. The email by which the report was sent had a short video link about tips for maximizing the benefits of the report. Even that had worthwhile info. As for the inspector, Paul LeBeau, what a knowledgeable, experienced, competent and conscientious guy. Over the years I've learned to do a fair number of fix-it things around the house (a little electrical, plumbing, carpentry, etc.), so I have some basis for saying what I did about him. I think I've raved long enough, but I meant everything I said.

We had a great experience with our home inspection. Robert was friendly and welcoming when we first…read moremet him. When we were ready to review his findings, he did a great job showing us notables throughout the home and explaining the what/why behind certain findings as well as estimated timelines when things should be replaced or reviewed. He gladly answered all our questions too. I would be happy to use them again in the future!

Scott was great to work with, had 1 deal fall through and had to get another inspection and used…read moreagain. Easy to get a hold of, arrived early both times. Very thorough inspection and took the time to show and explain things and answered any questions. Would use again and plan on referring him to others.

We had an inspection this morning for our new condo with Scott. We received so much more than a…read morestandard inspection. Scott was very professional and made sure we understood the repairs he pointed out. Every time he had a concern, he called us over to take a look at what he was seeing and explained to us in detail what was the issue and what repair would be needed to correct it. He was also great to talk to and we felt very comfortable around him. We are first time buyers so we were very nervous about going through this process. He made sure we felt comfortable and understood what was happening throughout the process. He also said that if he had any questions, we can always reach out to him and that his job doesn't just stop at the inspection which was so nice the hear that kind of reassurance. We highly recommend Scott for any inspection needs!

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

Thanks to Mark I was able to have my inspection done quick and painless! Thank you for great…read morecustomer service, for working out tight schedule and for explaining everything! Definitely recommend AHI from now on to everyone in need of high quality home inspection!

If I could give this guy 10 stars I would. This is the second time I have used Applied Home…read moreInspections. Mark has gone above and beyond for me and my family both times we have called him. This guy knows his stuff!!! I love technology and he uses some of the latest and greatest stuff. He walked through or last inspection with a fine tooth comb and uncovered some stuff I was not even aware of. I have been in the trades all of my life and specifically HVAC for the last 18 years. Let me say this people. I rarely if ever pass along the names of other contractors but I feel differently about Mark. He's a great guy, very honest and a pleasure to work with. He has constantly exceeded my expectations and goes above and beyond for his customers. Feel confident calling Applied Home Inspections. Mark is really a cut above the rest.