Bob Clarke (REC Consultants) was a horrible home inspector, plain and simple. I was deceived by the Yelp reviews, which were the reason that I initially chose him for my home inspection. I regret the decision because it ended up costing me more in repairs than I could have anticipated. Why was Bob such a waste of money? Let me explain. 1. He misses BIG problems. There was a hole in the roof of the home we bought. Bob failed to notice it. The roofer who went to fix it showed me a picture. It was so obvious that I think a 5 year old child would have seen it. Of course, Bob was not liable for this issue, and so it was an added expense for me to fix after Bob claimed that the roof was in excellent shape. 2. When you ask him any question about the home inspection, he will embarrass you when you are asking the question. For example, I asked him about the heat pump system. I did not understand it (I am a first time home buyer), and instead of patiently explaining how it works and how it might break, he laughed that I would consider buying a house without knowing what it was... and then didn't say anything else. 3. Heaven forbid that you notice Bob missed something. Like, say, whether or not the dishwasher works. And if you happen to tell him after he has left the kitchen area, he will act like he was planning on walking back to the kitchen, and tell you "not to do [his] job." Sorry Bob, but I kind of assumed you were done with the kitchen once you turned off the light and walked into the bedroom. 4. His reports all seem to suggest that he spends 2+ hours on a condo, and 3.5+ hours on a home. However, the reality is that about 30 minutes of that time is actually spent chatting with the seller's agent. It's like he was trying to drum up business. During our inspection, he literally talked to the agent about his experience as a home inspector and how his past clients all liked him. Umm, sorry Bob, but I'm the one paying for you for your time, not the seller's agent. Please do not make the same mistake that I did by having REC Consultants come inspect the house. Oh, and you'll soon figure out that REC Consultants is not some large company with multiple inspectors. It's just 1 guy Robert E. Clarke (aka Bob Clarke). read more

Bob is fantastic! I would give 10 stars if I could. I chose Bob based on his amazing Yelp reviews, and was not let down. My husband and I are first time home buyers, so were new to the process. I found it easy to book an appointment, and Bob also had one of the lowest rates in Boston. Bob arrived early, and was incredibly thorough throughout the inspection. He was honest and informative, and happy to answer any questions we had. The seller's agent kept trying to make the usual BS excuses about the various issues, but this didn't phase Bob, and he continued to point problems out left and right. He spent at least an hour in the basement (probably more) and uncovered multiple issues, which really helped my husband and I make an informed choice about deciding not to go through with the purchase. As other reviewers mentioned, his advice felt fatherly, and we really felt he was looking out for our best interest. One last bonus star for Bob: as a woman in her early 30s, Bob was incredibly respectful towards me; he looked me in the eye, spoke directly to me, and included me in all the discussions. Often in situations pertaining to power tools, cars, plumbing, etc, men will often only talk to other men (ie my husband and my dad, in this situation) and ignore the women, so I really appreciated that Bob took me seriously. read more

I've used Bob Clarke twice now; once for a condo in JP in 2011 and again this year for a house in Malden. Bob is not the first inspector I've worked with, but he certainly has my business for as long as I keep buying in the Boston area. I recommend him without hesitation to anyone looking for a top notch inspector. He is thorough, professional, reasonably priced, timely, and extremely competent. He makes it very clear through his words and actions that he works for you, and you alone. Agents do not phase him, nor pushy sellers, nor any other shenanigans. He will see right through any and all crap they might sling your way or try to cover up. Some people may be rubbed the wrong way by his fatherly, direct manner. Maybe you're pretty handy, or this isn't your first property and you think you know what to look for in a house. Well, not compared to Bob you don't. So clam up and listen well; this kind of wisdom does not come from poking around a few houses. He may just save you from making a very bad decision, or, at the least, give you plenty to negotiate with. read more

Two words ... Bob Clarke! Buying your first home, or any house ever, and worried about the problems that could happen after. A good inspector is someone who will warn you and help you make an educated decision. Bob Clarke, is your answer. Bob has 20 plus years of experience in the business. He is an honest and a genuine guy. I am buying my first house ever and have been a nervous wreck, worrying about issues that will come up and how to get a handle on things. Bob came highly recommended from my cousin and I didnt regret my choice. Bob, is very thorough in his work, it took him almost 3 hours to inspect my small 1300 Sq ft, town house. He gives a detailed report, with pictures and his recommendations. It is because of Bob, that we figured out the upcoming issues with the heating system ($6000, replacement cost) and have renegotiated with the sellers. Bob, even looked at small things, like mortar coming off one brick on a chimney or a small gap in the bulkhead door which may allow rodents. He thoroughly checked each appliance. An inspectors, job is to look at things and give an idea based on visuals ONLY. But Bob, went the extra mile and did an extremely thorough job. The seller's agent thought, he was an overkill, but as a buyer, I want someone like that, dont you ? I HIGHLY Recommend Bob Clarke to every home buyer. His prices are reasonable and he also has special discounts sometimes, so check his website. read more

Bob Clarke did an amazing job inspecting a condo in a three-condo unit in Jamaica Plain that we are hoping to buy. We DEFINITELY recommend him to anyone looking for an extremely thorough, accurate, and responsible inspector. We decided to hire him based on his stellar Yelp reviews and were very happy with the result. We are buying the condo from out-of-state, but he did an excellent job of communicating with us over the phone and by mail. Our realtor accompanied him to the inspection and found him to be very thorough. The problems that he pointed out were spot-on, and even the estimates of how much it would cost to repair the problems correlated with what two subsequent contractors that our realtors recommended quoted. His paper report were extremely thorough and included detailed pictures with hand-written notes corroborating his assessments. Overall, extremely happy with Bob! read more

Bob and I have crossed paths many times over the years, and I have watched him do many inspections. He is knowledgeable, friendly, willing to explain anything you don't understand (no matter how long it takes), and thorough. If there's something wrong with your home, he will find it. I've watched him work for up to four hours on a home, making sure he gets every little detail looked at. He is always the first one there and the last one to leave. His reports are easy to understand, and every detail is outlined, nothing is missed or overlooked. He is also willing to do inspections on a moment's notice when other companies have two week long waiting lists. Every client I know that has used him has LOVED him and has recommended him to friends. He even has a great sense of humor and makes you feel very comfortable talking with him. I can't imagine using anyone else to do an inspection for me! On a side note, I see this one bad review on here. Please do not listen to this guy. If you go to his page, it seems like all he does is write bad reviews for places all over the country. I don't possibly get how he lives in CA but had Bob do an inspection for him across the country. He seems to be in every city in the US giving bad reviews. I have NEVER experienced anything he says in his review with Bob. In fact, just the opposite. I'm sure now I'll wind up having a bad review from him, and I've never sold him a house. read more

Bob Clarke, If you are out there in Yelpland, My sister and I really want to let you know how incredibly floored by your visit to Needham yesterday. Today we feel a little more educated and a lot more confident in selling my sister Patti's home. I personally have taken everyone of the small tasks you suggested and made that my day today. The AC guy is 20 minutes from here to staighten out the pitch. I am anxiously awaiting your report (Which has a major league reputation in it's own right). So thank you, thank you, thank you. I know, and the rest of my rather large Irish (southie) family will know we never have to look around for a house inspector again. The buzzword will be " What about Bob". Although I took exception to your skepticism about the Patriots. We will give you a mulligan for that. God's speed, and when your time comes may god snatch you upbefore the devil knows you gone. In another thousand years of course Good luck, live long, and prosper read more

I was looking for an inspector a couple of months ago for my home. After narrowing my list down based on research, reviews, and customer service, Bob was my guy! I'm SO glad I ended up choosing him. As soon as I called his office to get more info and ask about availability I got THEE sweetest lady on the phone (his wife maybe?). I immediately knew these were the kind of people I wanted to work with. The day of the inspection solidified this even more. First of all Bob was early (huge plus in my book). Throughout the inspection he was thorough, answered all my questions, and provided solid advice. Bob is a tell it like it is kinda guy, which I highly appreciated on a purchase like this one. He was also very affordable for the top notch service. read more

Bob Clarke saved me from a disaster. I found a home that looked beautiful on the outside. Thanks to Bob's extensive knowledge, I now realize that it was not being maintained properly and that it would soon require extensive repairs. He took the time necessary to carefully examine the property, document his findings, and explain them to me in detail. I really feel that I got my money's worth with his inspection, as it played a key role in my decision making process. The next time I need an inspection, I will definitely call REC. read more

This was my first home inspection and Bob was very informative and patient with me and all of my millions of questions. I will continue to use Bob in the future and I would recommend him to anyone. read more

Bob was wonderful! He was very detailed. If you want to get your house inspected, look no further. Bob is the one you want to go to! He truly saved us from getting a house that needs at least 30-50k to repair it, even though it looks very nice inside, but the basement, chimney, roof all needs to be replaced...If you want the honest guy, you want Bob! read more

Bob was very thorough and did a great inspection and his price was reasonable. He even did the inspection on a Sunday because that worked best for me. Recommended. read more

I am not sure why Bob doesn't have a million reviews. He is a solid inspector who cares about your home buying purchase and takes a LOT of time to review the property. This is the 2nd time I am using him and he was as thorough as the first. Thankfully, he does email the inspection report, which is great but still sends along a hard copy if you needed it. Bob recognized a lot of issues I had missed in our visit at the open house and was glad he alerted us to them. We passed on the home and definitely will hire Bob if we can manage to get an inspection contingency in any offer these days! read more

After reading through everyone else review we decided to go bob to handle our inspection for our first home. I must say it was great choice bob is very detailed and leaves no rock unturned. Bob took his time and made sure that he explained everything to us made sure that we understood everything he was talking about. You can tell that he cares his job and making sure that his clients dont get caught by surprise with any issues. I would definitely use bob again if needed or recommend him to anyone that was looking for a home inspector read more

Choosing Bob Clarke of REC Consultants was an excellent choice. I wanted to avoid one of the larger companies, as you never know who you're going to get. The cost of the inspection was very reasonable, and I was able to schedule an appointment with short notice. As others have noted, Bob was very thorough and attentive, and while the selling broker and my agent were at the house, it was very clear that Bob was there for me. I was amazed by Bob's speed at getting the inspection report to us, he was in the neighborhood, so it was actually hand delivered. If you look at Bob's site, his sample report is a good example, but you should know that he apprends photos to the end of the report, which I think are very helpful. Another thing that really impressed me was that when I called Bob I inquired about Radon testing, he described the process and said he would bring a test kit, but he wanted to wait until the end of the inspection for my decision. His reasoning was that if there was some major issue that would discourage us from buying the property, he didn't want to charge us for an unecessary test. At the end of the inspection he asked if I wanted to go through with the radon test, we did go with the test (Bob's price for this was also very reasonable), and we found that we did have slightly elevated radon levels. In the end, not only do we have a great record of the issues that need to be addressed, but we were able to negotiate on the issues identified. read more

I've purchased 5 homes on my own and 2 with my ex-husband. Naturally, I've hired my share of home inspectors and none has been the caliber of Bob Clarke. I've used private inspectors, some from friend's suggestions, as well as Tiger. the well known highly overrated Home Inspections. I will say that Tiger is "like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get". Poor to Average as well as an occasional A+. However, Bob E. Clarke put them all to shame. He takes his time explaining everything one needs to know about buying or (as in my case) selling a home. Most hire to purchase a home to ascertain everything is sound and secure. I decided I wanted to know what needed to be done and not be surprised with an issue, that could be used as a bargaining chip for a buyer to lower the selling price of my home. I also wanted to sell my home in the best shape possible to a buyer. (Yes, really, there are people who like to be honest and sell a nice home without issues)...The few minor issues I had, could be taken care of on by my handyman. Although I've hired many, I've never seen a detailed report file such as Bob's, explaining everything Bob had already told me about in his careful and detailed inspection, along with photos of issues that were needed to be taken care of. It was nice to know I was selling a well taken care of home without major issues before the buyer's inspector came in as I waited on pins and needles. I recommend Bob Clarke for his knowledge of homes, his easy going attitude and excellent way of explaining just how some things in a home should work. Oh, and don't be surprised if you laugh out loud at Bob's great sense of humor! He He! I definitely recommend Bob Clarke to inspect your home as a buyer and a seller. He is the first in his class!...Bob E. Clarke for President! read more

Bob is simply amazing!!! Very thorough, always has the buyers interest in mind, takes his time in checking everything and gives great advice. I wouldn't have found him if it wasnt for Yelp. We have gotten our fair share of inspections done before, going with the likes of Tiger etc....but he has been the best so far. Very highly recommended...and reasonable too... read more

Bob Clarke is a fantastic home inspector. He was very through with his inspection from beginning to the end. I hire him to inspect a single family home. It took him almost 3 hours. Even though the buyer and sellers agent, he was clearly there for me. He is very good at what he does. I am very happy with his service. read more

Bob Clarke recently inspected a property for me in the Back Bay and saved me from a financial disaster. He has a great eye for noticing both large and small details and is extremely careful and thorough. In addition to showing me leaks I would never have found, he pointed out more subtle problems and knew when construction did not meet the building code. He showed me surrounding properties that were well maintained so that I had a point of comparison and could see the problems with the train wreck I was interested in purchasing. I have never written a review in YELP before, but Bob really helped me and I want to help him by providing this recommendation. Thank you. read more

Bob saved us again from a POS property. Thankfully he got us out of that house because we ended up finding our dream home two weeks later. It'll most likely be the last time we use Bob for his service but we definitely recommend Bob for anyone else's future home inspection. We've already referred a few friends and family to Bob and wouldn't think twice about it. Detailed reports and pictures help out a lot. read more

I used Bob again for another inspection. Bob still provides prompt and courteous attention to detail.

My husband and I used Bob as a home inspector at the recommendation of my sister in law, who had also used Bob to inspect her home. As first time home buyers we were very naive about the whole process! Initially Bob inspected a home for us that was in short... a nightmare. He provided us with a through explanation of all the problems and not even halfway through the inspection we knew we were going to walk away from that home. When we found another house and got an accepted offer, we did not hesitate to contact Bob again. The second time was the charm and we are so happy to have our new home! Thanks for all of your help, Bob! read more

No much to add to the other outstanding comments here, but I had Bob help me when my wife and I were purchasing our first condo in Boston, and I was 100% satisfied. He has great rates and you get what you pay for an more. He was there before anybody the day before the appointment examining the outside. When we went inside, he was incredibly thorough, and he was sure to explain everything to me as we went. As someone who is far from a handyman, having Bob on my side, showing me everything that was wrong, right, and something to keep an eye on was great. It felt like he was checking things out for his own son. If you're shopping around for an inspector in the Boston area, don't search any further! read more

At long last, our review of REC Consultants...Awesome. Bob Clarke was AMAZING. Thorough, diligent, honest--he put us at ease from the get go. As first time home buyers, there was a lot we maybe didn't know and in no way did Bob take advantage of that. In fact, he seemed like the only person who was actually on our side throughout the entire process. Bob spent nearly 4 very cold hours combing over every nook and cranny of the very large house with my fiance, who had the time of his life... Not only getting to see every inch of the house, but also a substantial bit of education about the things that did need repair in our future home. Bob is friendly, professional and seems to know everything there is to know about buildings. Hire Bob Clarke if you want your inspection done right! read more

Well Bob inspected a property I own. It was a quick inspection. Apparently he stated that the basement was structural unsound and needed "30k " worth of work. First of all, I am told that inspectors cannot quote prices. So where did this 30k price tag come from. Are you so credible that after a 1 hour home inspection you can create a stock list on site and labor fees and blurt out this price in front of buyers? That would send anyone running. And then you proceed to tell the buyers parents that if these were your kids buying the property that you wouldn't let it happen? Aside from many of your reviews, I disagree with most. You killed the deal Bob! read more

If you are buying a home that was built in 1968 or a brand new condo, you need to look no further than Bob Clarke. I cannot say enough about the home inspection services provided by REC Consultants. Bob spent 2 hours looking over every inch of my condo, which is a brand new 2010 constructed building. He walked me through every aspect of the unit, making sure I knew where each fuse was, what everything means and how to maintain it for the future - Bob is a true gem in the home inspection market. Honestly, it was like having my father at my side for the inspection; he was open and honest about everything we went through, giving me general upkeep tips and life expectancy ranges of larger ticket items like the heating unit and water heater. The report about the unit was delivered the next day, complete with color photographs and complete explanations of each item in question in simple, easy to understand language. I cannot say enough about Bob and the superb job he does on a home inspection. If you need an inspector, call Bob, you will get the best inspection in town! read more