Every house has it problems. Some are more obvious than others. It's the hidden deficiencies that make for unwelcome surprises. These can be avoided by having a home inspected by an unbiased, trained professional. At P.P.T., we are trained to uncover existing problems, as well as recognize early indications of future problems. They also posses the skills needed to relate the information to you in a way that is easily understood. When doing an inspection, the inspector will start on the outside of the home.
We will take a close look at the following systems:
The drainage and grade of the yard, electrical service, exterior walls, trim, windows, doors, porches and decks, crawl spaces (when safe), foundation and garage.
the roof (when safe) and check the chimney, gutter and downspout systems, as well as the condition of the roof itself.
We then go inside of the home and check:
All ceilings, floors, and walls, the electrical system, light switches, plugs, and fixtures, hot water tank, and heating system the attic and check the ventilation and insulation, and also check the foundation.
In total, there are more than 300 different systems that are checked on an inspection. An inspection normally takes anywhere from 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours to complete, and we do like our client to attend the inspection. We encourage our client to actually follow the inspector while it is going on.
Our inspector works from an extensive outline and armed with the most advanced equipment, your inspector will introduce you to the home in a manner you have never seen. You will be informed of what to expect in terms of repairs to the home, basic maintenance and energy conservation. As you make your way through the home with the inspector, special qualities the make it unique will also be pointed out to you.
Our report is in an easy to follow format that is tailored specifically to your home. You will receive these findings at the end of the inspection. No waiting! The report will also include helpful suggestions, guidelines for maintaining your home as well as energy conservation tips, that could save you money in the future. Your relationship with P.P.T. does not end when the inspection is over. Your report will be kept in our files. If you should ever need an unbiased opinion, just call our office and your inspector will help you in any way he can. Your Home Inspection Report is written to exceed the Standards established by The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI, The Housing Inspection Foundation. The narrative report, with digital photographs of problem areas, is available within 24 hours of your inspection. Reports are delivered via email, fax, and US Mail. View a sample Home Inspection Report.
Property Inspection Includes:
Building Site – Exterior, Foundation & Crawlspace
Structural Components, Plumbing & Electrical Systems
Heating & Air Conditioning, Interior Components
Insulation & Ventilation, Chimney, Fireplace & Attic
Roof Covering & Gutter System, Garage/Parking Area
Issues of Safety, Personal Service & Industry Expertise
Additional Services:, Pool/Spa, Lead, Asbestos, Radon, Permit Research, Video Report, Expert Witness Testimony. Construction loan progress payment Inspections
Residential & Lt. Commercial Inspections:
A Residential and/or Lt. Commercial Inspections is designed to point out problem areas of a home/building, which is beneficial to sellers and also buyers. All inspections are visual in nature and may shed some light on the risk of purchasing a home/building, but cannot eliminate it completely. The inspection is intended to communicate the perspective of one who is trained in problem recognition and knowledgeable in repair. It is also to warn our client of major problems and unsafe conditions.
Lifting of carpeting, removal of ceiling panels, insulation, vapor barriers and the like is not done. No destructive testing of any kind will be performed. Respect must always be given to the property rights of the building owner.
We strongly encourage our clients to attend the inspection, and sincerely wish that you do not delegate this responsibility to others. Unless our client attends and participates in the inspection process itself, you will have no chance of gaining all that is offered. Almost all of our clients find accompanying the inspector an invaluable learning experience. As a result, most are better able to understand and maintain their property and its value.
A narrative report, documenting the inspectors findings, will then be assembled, and mailed to our client as soon as time permits.
Radon Testing:
Radon comes from the natural breakdown (radioactive decay) of uranium. Radon can be found in high concentrations in soils and rocks containing uranium, granite, shale, phosphate, and pitchblende. Radon may also be found in soils contaminated with certain types of industrial wastes, such as the byproducts from uranium or phosphate mining.
In outdoor air, radon is diluted to such low concentrations that it is usually nothing to worry about. However, once inside an enclosed space (such as a home) radon can accumulate. Indoor levels depend both on a building's construction and the concentration of radon in the underlying soil.
Radon enters a home through dirt floors, cracks in concrete floors and walls, floor drains, sumps, joints, and tiny cracks or pores in hollow-block walls.
Since you cannot see or smell radon, special equipment is needed to detect it. P.P.T. offers testing methods for our clients.
This is a Self Serve test and costs $25.00. This is for a charcoal test kit which the inspector can help place at the inspection, but then it is our clients responsibility to pick up the test kit and mail it to the laboratory. All postage fees and laboratory fees are included. One test kit should be used for every 2000 square feet of floor space being tested. This test should be exposed for 48 to 96 hours (two to four days) and should be placed in the lowest livable level in the house at least 20 inches from the ground. You must LEAVE THIS TEST KIT IN PLACE FOR AT LEAST 2 DAYS.
Re-Inspections:
At P.P.T., we know that at some point during your homeownership, you may encounter difficult decisions regarding improvements, repair, or replacement of one or more systems in your home. Let our unbiased professional help make your "difficult" decision an "informed" decision.
Just contact our office and your original inspector will come out and re-inspect 4 items of your choice for $80.00. A complete re-inspection report will be provided at the conclusion of the inspection.
SCHEDULING AN INSPECTION
Since we like it for our clients to attend the inspection, a day and a time should be chosen that is convenient. We do our inspections at three times daily; 8:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., or 4:30 p.m., 7 days a week. The inspection will take between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 hours.
We will also need the following information to schedule the inspection:
The city the home is in.
Square footage of the home.
The year it was built.
What type of foundation it has.
The number of furnaces.
The address of the home.
Main roads the home is North, South, East, and West of.
If you are working with a realtor, their name, and telephone number.
Once an inspection is scheduled with our office, our client needs to make sure we will have access into the home the day of the inspection. If everything works out, then just meet the inspector at the home the day of the inspection.
If an inspection needs to be cancelled, call our office, and we will cancel the inspection. All inspection information is kept on file, so if the inspection needs to be re-scheduled, we can pull the information without having to give all the information over again.
The inspection is typically conducted after an offer has been made on a house. Most purchase contracts contain a clause indicating the purchase is contingent on the results of a professional home inspection. The buyer is usually given 3-5 days to have the inspection completed. Most inspections take three to five hours. If possible, the buyer should be present during the inspection. This allows the inspector to point out and discuss areas of concern, discuss maintenance tips, and answer any questions. A written or narrative report is provided to the buyer after the inspection has been completed. The report may be delivered immediately after the inspection or mailed to the buyer the next day.
Home inspection results are never pass/fail. The inspector simply provides a report of the condition of the house, any major defects, and possible repair/replacement costs. An inspector will never tell you whether you should or should not purchase a house. This decision rests with you.
