Inspect-it 1st puts on a great marketing front and communicates as if they are your friend and are…read morelooking out for you, their paying customer. However, our experience revealed it is a marketing stunt, and their work is incomplete, based on assumptions, and they do not back-up their work or errors. I am a senior citizen and purchased a place in Phoenix, Arizona in October of 2020. Inspect-it 1st did my home inspection. Below is a "cut-and-paste" from their inspection:
Location: Main roof. Roof Coverings: Concrete tiles.
Estimated Age: 2 year(s).
Surface Material Layers: This type of roof surface not subject to layering materials.
Flashings: Metal and mortar.
Roof Inspection Method: Walked on a majority of the roof surface area. Majority of the roof coverings are observable.
Comments: The roof coverings, flashings and protrusions/penetrations are in satisfactory condition unless otherwise noted below. The roof system is newer and has minimal wear. It should provide many more years of service with normal weather conditions unless otherwise noted below. Recommended repairs noted below, if any, should be made by a competent, qualified, licensed professional in the appropriate area of expertise. Roof tiles have proper nailing at the lower courses as required.
Maintenance Information: 26 solar panels noted, recommend adding bird block. Talk to solar company.
In February 2025, our home was put on the market to start the process of downsizing, preparing for retirement. After receiving a viable offer, the buyer came back after they completed their home inspection saying the roof is beyond useful life and wanted us to replace it. The buyer had a certified licensed roofer perform and inspection, and we also had a second opinion from a separate certified licensed roofer, both stating the roof is beyond useful life. We contacted Inspect-it 1st, questioning their original statement in 2020 that the roof was only 2-years old. Their response (again, cut and paste from emails):
From: Martin Lenich martinlenich@inspectit1st.com
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2025 4:57 PM
To: mpg1262@yahoo.com; Young_tom@hotmail.com
Cc: Todd Fairchild toddfairchild@inspectit1st.com
Subject: Roof issue at 3403 E. Kristal Way
A) The tiles we popped at the original inspection must have only been in areas recently replaced by the solar installer. We didn't see the "old underlayment".
From: Martin Lenich martinlenich@inspectit1st.com
Sent: Wednesday, May 7, 2025 1:52 PM
To: Young_tom@XXXXXXXX; mpg1262@XXXXXXXX
Cc:
Subject: Roof issue at 3403 E. Kristal Way
Tom, thanks for taking my call and discussing the roof situation with me.
Recapping our discussion:
1) I offered $2,210 direct from Inspect-It 1st (without involving our insurance provider) based on the sum of our total inspection fees for the subject property and the property at XXXXXX N. 7th Ave, and doubling that total. This offer is valid for a period of 2 weeks, expiring at 2pm on 5/21/2025. If you agree with that amount, you and Marcie and any other "owners of record" would need to sign a "standard release" document covering both properties, which we would provide, upon receipt of which I would hand you a check in the amount stated.
I cannot state how our insurer would approach this claim, but I do believe we followed State of AZ standards for home inspectors and we do have a signed agreement with you regarding our scope of service, which is to follow those standards.
Please reply to this email with your decision or call me directly at 602-318-7480.
Thanks, Marty
As you can see by the initial inspection report and the email responses, this is a company that base their inspections on assumptions and not facts, and when the paying customer identifies a problem, they will not back up their report. As a buyer back in 2020, I relied heavily on the outcome of Inspect-it 1st's inspection, and if they would have provided a quality service and fully inspected the roof, as they did in 2025; I would have made different decisions. Now less than 5-years later, their error has costed me thousands of dollars. To all first time buyers, seniors preparing for retirement, and real estate agents recommending home inspection companies, I would not recommend using Inspect-it 1st.