Al from 1800engineer home inspections

UPDATE: Al did the inspection of the house we put an offer and he was very thorough, detailed and explained things very well. We received the report and it has good explanations of the items brought to our attention. I admit I don't have experience with home inspections but we're satisfied with this one and feel comfortable with the findings.

I'm doing an inspection on a potential house and wanted to see if anyone has used or heard of Al from 1800engineer. I liked his credentials and we decided to go with him, however, I didn't get a warm feeling when I took my time to call him back and let him know that we decided to go with him. I don't care about his personality as it's the work we are paying for but I want to make sure that he can do it right. Thanks everyone.

Message edited 4/18/2015 10:57:20 PM.

Al from 1800engineer home inspections

I used him for a home I was looking at...fm me for more

Al from 1800engineer home inspections

Don't know about him but we used Tony Sabatino of Sundance inspection and were very happy

Al from 1800engineer home inspections

We used him twice (first time, based on his report we withdrew our offer) and then before we purchased our current house. Felt he was thorough and good

Al from 1800engineer home inspections

Thanks so much for the feedback. That's good to hear!

Re: Al from 1800engineer home inspections

whats his last name? we used a Al for our inspection who i would NOT RECOMMEND AT ALL!

Re: Al from 1800engineer home inspections

You have an FM

Message edited 4/15/2015 4:03:52 PM.

Re: Al from 1800engineer home inspections

Honestly, you should care about his personality a bit, because the home inspection is often a part of the transaction that causes a lot of stress for buyers.

You want a home inspector who is thorough, but who is also going to explain information to you in a helpful way, putting things in context. In my opinion, a good home inspector knows his stuff, but also knows how to convey information to the clients and counsel them appropriately (just like a good agent). Competence is important, that's a given, but this is a service industry.

So if you were a buyer client, I'd be advising you to ask the home inspector questions like: Is he open to you walking around the house with him and explaining things as you go? (I think this is important, so buyers see what an inspector is pointing out and can ask questions, versus getting a huge report after the fact or a summary at the end that can be overwhelming) How long does it take for him to generate his report and how will he get it to you (the sooner the better, and via email is best -- you really don't want to drag out the process as a buyer, as you have nothing firm until you are in contract).

Also, as a buyer, you have to have realistic expectations of what a home inspector will do. No matter whether they are an "engineer" or a "licensed inspector" --they all do the same thing, which is basically an inspection of what's visible or accessible. I've been at countless inspections and it's not like an engineer can do or will do more during an inspection (he may have more training, but his inspection will be the same in terms of what he looks at). If anything that's a red flag comes up -- and keep in mind, inspectors are often flagging "potential problems" not confirming there is a problem -- they always recommend that you bring in a specialist (plumber, electrician, etc.) for further evaluation.

I was the agent for one of the people who responded they used Al. He was fine; not my favorite, but he's competent. I've also done many inspections with Tony from Sundance who is good (and has a nice manner with buyers, making things understandable for them).