Before I purchased my home, I hired Lorber Engineers to evaluate the structural integrity and hillside conditions because I wanted to be safe and informed. That decision turned out to be one of the most important protective steps I took in this entire process. Mr. Lorber was direct, honest, and thorough from the start. He did not sugarcoat anything. He took the time to carefully evaluate the hillside and structural conditions and gave me a detailed, professional analysis. He answered my questions seriously and made it clear that his focus was safety. Not sales, not convenience, not telling me what I wanted to hear. Safety. What makes this even more significant is what happened after purchase. I later discovered serious defects and dangerous construction issues caused by contractors I hired -- issues that are now the subject of an active lawsuit. Mr. Lorber's report and warnings were provided to those contractors. They disregarded them. They chose shortcuts over safety. But Mr. Lorber did not. He was the one professional in this process who consistently centered the conversation on structural risk and protection. He did not minimize concerns. He did not deflect. He did not rush. He documented what mattered. And because he cared enough to be careful and precise, I had critical engineering support and documentation when the damage and safety risks later had to be addressed legally. I cannot overstate this: but for his diligence and integrity, the scope of damages I am now seeking to recover would not have been fully recognized or supported. His work mattered. His report mattered. His professionalism mattered. After dealing with people who cut corners and ignored risk, working with an engineer who took my safety personally was emotional and reassuring. He approached my home like it was protecting a life, not just evaluating a structure. If you want an engineer who will tell you the truth, document carefully, and put safety first, hire Nick Lorber Engineers. I am deeply grateful that I did. Thank you, Nick! -Brianna read more

We used Nick for a home inspection in Clairemont of San Diego in March of 2021. I'm a real estate agent so I've worked with countless inspectors, and I called my usual company for my personal house purchase, but they were booked out too far and my need was urgent. The home inspection company owner who I've worked with for years personally recommended Nick Lorber, so I tried him out. Nick was very responsive from the get go, and he was able to make it out for an inspection promptly. He spent a LONG time looking over the house and I received the most thorough inspection report that I can remember in my 10 years of doing real estate. He was fun to work with (clever sense of humor) and I would highly recommend Nick for any San Diego house inspection needs. He has an engineer's brain and talks out his thoughts as he helps explain what's going on (or what he thinks is going on) with the house. I found it very educational, and felt like he really cared and enjoyed his work. read more

Built in mid 50's, two houses on one lot in Pacific Beach were given limited inspection for health & safety reasons after a big rain. Concerns regarded foundation on pilers & posts and older electrical systems. Nick Lorber, structural engineer, provided an exceptionally detailed report with photos, illustrations and diagrams with explanations. Nick went beyond the norm so an 85 yr old owner, with no construction background, could understand descriptions with recommendations and proceed with confidence. Value exceeded cost. read more

I echo all of the positive reviews on this page. So much so that I hired Nick THREE times! I won't bore you with all the details, but I found Nick after a wild goose chase around San Diego to find a structural engineer that could give me a report on a suspicious condo deck post home inspection with someone else. I wanted a second opinion and Nick delivered a professional report that gave me piece of mind in leaving the transaction. I quickly learned that not all home inspectors are created equal- not even close- and knew if I could hire a home inspector that also held an engineering degree, I would in the future. So much more valuable. Fast forward a few months and I am in escrow again on a house in University Heights. Nick spent 6+ hours on the inspection and made me aware of some serious issues, notably the foundation. I am so thankful for his guidance as this could easily have turned into my problem (at $60k+) if the transaction went through. I couldn't come to favorable terms with the seller and so we cancelled the transaction. I am now about to close on a condo and Nick completed my inspection with small findings. It gives me GREAT piece of mind to know exactly what I am getting into and what my risk is for the future. A home is the biggest purchase of your life, why would you open yourself up to unnecessary risk by hiring someone to do a so-so inspection? Nick may be more expensive than some other people out there, but it is more than worth it. I always considered it an investment, even when it turned to sunk cost in a cancelled escrow. I will end with this: I am a female in my 30's with 0 knowledge about houses or condos, besides what I've read in books, which can vary from the real world, especially in CA. Nick was beyond patient in showing me everything I needed to know and also explaining concepts in great detail. He spent hours with me on the phone aside from the inspection and checked in often. The real estate/contracting/construction world is a brutal place, full of people looking to take advantage of others and/or doing poor work. I am indebted to Nick for watching out for me and trust his services to anyone of my friends or family. read more

Nick is extremely thorough as a home inspector. He goes the extra distance to provide thorough report that is both comprehensive and packed with information that is useful. The bottom line is Nick knows his stuff! Even after I closed escrow I had to refer back to his report and reach out to him for my contractor. He didn't hesitate to respond when he was off the clock. Truly an individual who cares about quality service and putting the customer first. read more

We needed a last minute engineer to inspect the foundation of a home we recently purchased. Nick was able to accommodate for our tight schedule from getting out to the property, providing a thorough evaluation and a professional report. He called the same day he inspected the property and was very detailed in explaining every situation of the house and provide his insight on any potential issues. We highly recommend Nick as your foundation inspector for your next home purchase! Thank you Nick! read more

We are first time homebuyers and currently in escrow on a home that we absolutely love. Buying a home for the first time has proven to be a bit stressful and nerve racking. We have had the fortune of running into some great people/businesses during this process and Lorber Engineers takes the cake! We hired Nick for a structural engineering inspection that had to be done in a tight timeline to meet our contingency date. Nick was incredibly easy to work with and made sure to provide us feedback not only the day of the inspection, but the full report as well in plenty of time before our contingecy was up. Nick is very personable and you can tell he takes his job and his clients seriously. His report was very thorough and understandable even by a non-engineer! He made sure we understood all items noted in the report and checked in to see if we had any questions. I cannot recommend Nick enough - I'd give him 10 stars if I could! read more

Nick was extremely thorough when inspecting our future home. He not only provided a detailed report of all findings, he also sent multiple follow up emails with additional information. As first time home buyers, we appreciated his attention to detail and assistance walking us through the entire process. Would definitely recommend! read more

The most thorough inspection I've ever seen was done by Nick Lorber. Since he is an engineer, his inspections go above and beyond in their detail, which absolutely saved me from making a purchase I would have regretted. He inspected a property I had in escrow and helped find a few problems that might have otherwise have flown under the radar (had someone less thorough done the inspection). I ended up walking away from the deal -- Nick saved me a ton of grief and a lot of headache. read more

The physical inspection report is one of the most critical documents buyers rely on before purchasing a property. I wholeheartedly recommend Nick to my buyers for their home inspection. Because of his knowledge, professional background, and integrity, I know his report will disclose anything worth noting. My buyers can make informed and confident decisions regarding their real estate investment. I highly recommend Nick for any home inspection. read more

Nick is amazing. I was looking to buy a house built in the 50s that had some structural issues with the roof. I called Nick to get his assessment and opinion on the property. He spent multiple hours looking through the inspection report with a fine tooth comb and giving me his full assessment on the property. I knew nothing about houses and he spent time patiently explaining everything to me and educating me so I could understand the house I wanted to buy, which was exactly what I needed. He has the unique combination of being a structural engineer and home inspector which is incredible. He was invaluable to me during the home buying process. I am so grateful I came across Nick. I would 1000% recommend him to my friends or family and would hands down work with him again. Nick is trustworthy and in the swindling world of contracting/construction, he is one of the few truly good guys in the industry. I am indebted to him for his guidance. He gets my highest recommendation. read more

I have used Lorber Engineers (Nick Lorber) three times in the past. One time was for the home we currently live in, purchased nine years ago. Again, two months ago when we put an offer on a home but did not end up purchasing it because of serious issues that were pointed out during the inspection. My husband and I feel as though Nick helped us "dodge a bullet" on this property. Whew! The third house is currently in escrow, and we will be moving forward with it. Nick completed the inspection last week, and even though there are some small issues, at least we know what to expect. There are many reasons why I recommend Nick, however the most important reason is that he is exhaustively detail oriented. The money and headaches his thorough process could save you down the line is invaluable. His demeanor is friendly and professional, and he has excellent communication skills. Even though the "seller" may be present during the inspection, his informative method of communication is always to you, his client, while being respectful to the seller. He takes lots of photos and includes them in his report along with a complete explanation. You can count on Nick to provide excellent service on a timely basis and at a fair price. For peace of mind, I strongly recommend using Nick Lorber for your next home inspection. read more

As a buyer, NEVER use a home inspector referred by either agent involved in the transaction. It took 15 years for Mr. Lorber's flawed inspection of my home to fully manifest. He missed glaring flaws on a roof that failed 15-20 years prematurely. He missed a valley woven with a 40 year shingle, the manufacturer requires a California Cut or flashing. He missed sections where shake shingles still existed. He missed no shingle overhang on the drip edge. He missed the shingle were not staggered properly. He missed the gap between shingles was too large. He missed the ventilation problems. Manufacturer will not warrant their 40 year shingle because of installation errors, roofer is out of business. His inspection report states the roof was new and done well; that's a laugh. Going through the tutorials on the GAF website and I know more about roofing then this guy. Now I am putting a new roof on my home 15 years early. This was not the only material error, or oversight of convenience in his report. Mr Lorber also missed the drainage problem in my garage and the river that ran through it. How often does in San Diego? Yet the evidence of water damage was readily apparent, how did he miss that too? That alone cost my 5k. I relied on the inspection report Mr. Lorber, a certified civil engineer, wrote to be accurate. I made the largest financial transaction in my life based on the report he wrote. Yet, his mistakes are glaring and cost me thousands. Prorating the roof and the garage alone, which he should have caught, cost me 10k. There is no remediation, the time to go back to the seller was at the time of the transaction. He denied me that opportunity with his clearly favorable report to the seller. Seller laughed all the way to the bank and I am am left holding the bag. Here is the thing; Mr. Lorber knows his repeat business is allegiance to the agents, not the buyer. Write an accurate report, deal falls apart, agent refers to someone that writes less critical reports. There is absolutely no defending the report he wrote for my home. Lesson learned, never use anyone recommended by a listing or selling agent and never use this guy. California Civil Engineer 50295 read more

Nick did our engineering inspection and it was very thorough! He took his time and was extremely helpful. We would definitely use this company again. Ask for Nick! read more

I am in the process of buying my first detached home. My boyfriend just got his house inspected with another inspector who holds an engineering degree, and his inspector mentioned that there are only two inspectors in San Diego who actually hold an engineering degree, and another inspector that he mentioned was Lorber Engineers. I called and talked about pricing and his availability with Nick and decided that I would like him to inspect the house that I am going to buy. I mean, everyone, if you could have someone who has a real engineering degree to do your home inspection, why would you have some mediocre inspectors who have never had four year college? Nick was very puncture on the inspection day, and he warned me that it might take him quite a while to finish inspection the whole house. He was very patient and explained things during his inspection when I have any questions. He was very detail-oriented and made sure everything was inspected properly. He went into the attic and checked out everything in there. In the very end, he spent extra time explaining everything in DETAIL that we did not understand. The inspection was very thorough and he did the best he could as an inspector and a teacher to teach the new home owner. After a few days, Nick sent the final inspection report to me by email. It was a 85 page report with all the details and pictures. I would imagine that he spent quite many hours preparing it. Later when I was doing other inspections on the house, I also asked him for advice and information on the house, and he always responded to my emails very promptly. I was very happy that I had Nick inspected the house, and I will recommend him to every one that I know who needs an inspector. read more

We've had 2 houses we purchased after nick inspected them. Very thorough reports and he seems to pick up a ton. I have never used anyone else and picked him at the recommendation of my agent who I trust quite a bit. Very happy with the service and will definitely use him when we purchase again. read more

I'm very sorry to write this review. Nick performed an inspection for us and we purchased a home on his say so. We have found a few things here and there that were overlooked and should not have been. No one's perfect. However today we found out that our fireplace,chimney and gas set up are completely out of code. We also learned that the mantle, in full view as soon as you walk into the home, is too close to the opening of the fireplace and is also not to code.Impossible not to notice, according to the fireplace man. We are not yet sure how much this is going to cost but it's going to be significant. As mentioned, there were several other inaccuracies/ oversights as well. Had we had a accurate inspection we would not have bought this house. I don't like writing bad reviews, but this is not right. read more

I hired Lorber Engineers to conduct my property inspection. I have had many property inspections in the past, but this one topped them all. Nick was very thorough and spent longer than anyone inspecting the house. He discussed and showed me the shortcomings of the home before leaving the property. Then I received a 73 page report that was very well written and easy to pick out what was most important. The difference between Nick and other inspectors is that he is actually a Civil Engineer, in addition to holding the required certificates. I would hire him again in a heartbeat! read more

Nick does excellent work. Very thurough and detailed while delivered in a down-to-earth manner that lets you know what is really going on with the home. I highly recommend him. read more

Excellent and professional service! I hired Nick twice over the past few years for property purchase inspection. Nick is extremely thorough and responsive. He dedicates time and effort to draft a very thorough report. I would definitely hire Nick again. read more