Pro Spex Home Inspections

Just completed our first home inspection of our first house and I could not be more pleased with our experience with Pro Spex. Our appointment today was with Joe and he was absolutely amazing! Joe arrived to the property early and had already started inspecting the outside of the home before we even got there. After conducting his inspection, Joe walked me around the home and explained where all the major components were and how to operate them. He was incredibly patient with me and took time to answer all of my crazy first time home buyer questions. The home inspection did end up finding a few things that would need to be repaired, but Joe went out of his way to assure me that they were minor issues and that we had a good solid home that would treat us well for years to come. I couldn’t be more pleased with our experience. Thanks Joe!

TL;DR This was our first home inspection, so maybe we were expecting too much, but I am disappointed and I will not recommend Pro-​Spex based on my experience. A few months later I found a different inspection company for a family member and the experience was night and day better for her. And I think you can do better too.
It’s been one year since our Glen came over to inspect a two story townhome. We paid $ 545 for an inspection and radon check. We then purchased the home in June 2015. I chose Pro-​Spex because of their stellar online reviews on Angie’s List, Unilocal,Google, Redfin, etc. I also was really attracted to their use of technology to improve the inspection experience.
Looking back, I wonder if Glen was just having a really bad day, but that still doesn’t explain everything. Glen showed up a few minutes late and, right away, we had an incident where Glen accidentally put his ladder through his truck’s dash window. Not a great start, but he felt he could continue and remain focused so we did.
To Glen’s credit he found several things that needed fixing: the AC was running poorly, the ridge vent on the roof was leaky, and the furnace exhaust was touching the sheathing. Those finds saved us nearly $ 5000. And for that we are grateful. He also helped explain to me how to find certain information on our major systems (ac, furnace, etc.)
But I want to feel like my inspector is really looking out for me and my family and I didn’t get that feeling. I feel like Glen was only looking for the minimum requirements. Glen doesn’t write down cosmetic issues (like a florescent light cover being cracked, cracked grout/​old caulking) or even mild functional ones (kitchen electrical not GFCI because that code is new and when the house was built it didn’t apply, rubber washer hoses that can burst, the stair railing violates modern code — my kids can fit through the railings and fall). Those kinds of things will not be in your report. Most of the above issues we found on our own. Glen either found them and didn’t mention it or didn’t check/​notice.
When I specifically brought up the kitchen GFCI Glen told me that the building code back then didn’t include it. Well, ok… But why not at least tell me and write it in the report? There is a reason the code was updated in the past three decades — kitchen electrical near water should be GFCI’d. I don’t care about grandfathered code standards — the inspection, to me, isn’t about was the house built to 1988 standards. It’s about how it is doing now: is it safe? Is it in good repair? Glen didn’t even bring it up.
And Glen missed things too. Some things in the report were just wrong (our attic insulation isn’t blown fiberglass, front door is fiberglass not steel). And others I wonder about (roof age). It’s not reasonable to expect a home inspector in a few hours to find everything wrong with a home, but I think he should’ve found these and they should have been in the report:
1. He missed the standing water in the gutters. The inspection pictures he took show it, but it’s not in the report. They rusted out, were dripping, and had to be replaced. This was $ 800. Some of the adjacent trim was rotted and we had to replace it as well.
2. He missed that the galvanized steel chimney chase cover didn’t cover the chimney, had rusted out and needed replacement. There were no pictures of it in the report. That was $ 1200.
3. He didn’t check how the bathroom fans exhaust. Ours vent into the attic (at the soffit). This is a mold hazard and I’m pretty sure this is check is part of InterNACHI inspection standards. This will be at least $ 600.
4. The report says our double-​hung storm windows needing maintenance. No, they need replacement. Inspectors only spot check windows — they don’t check all, but I still can’t figure out how he came to this conclusion. The window he opened in the master bedroom has a gap between it and the frame. Others let in snow and rain. There are lots of gaps, drafts, and bugs.
5. The cement slab in the back of the house is cracked and damaged by a nearby ash tree and it’s angled weird: water flows towards the house at certain points.
Overall, Pro-​Spex is probably better than average in a field with, imo, a very low bar. I found someone better and next time I’ll use them. They gave my family member an impressive report and she felt like their attention to detail was top notch. They tested more and cost less. And they have a better report.

Wow! WOW! & WOW! I’m greatful to have found a Awesome company that cares and take pride in their work. Glen arrived before the scheduled inspection time and was ready to inspect. He introduced himself and explained what the inspection would consist of. He encouraged us to ask questions and take notes as he was inspecting the property. He also advised us that he already inspected the roof and he took pictures which will be included in the report. He advised me that Unfortunately the roof needed to be replaced, for a second I was crushed but immediately realize that he just saved us from what would of been bad nightmare. I said to myself uh oh he hasn’t even step foot in the house and Bad news already! As we were getting ready to enter the house, the Termite inspector arrived at the house and inspected the exterior/​perimeter of the house and immediately noticed that the house had previous been treated for termites. Good Job Mr. Exterminator, sorry I didn’t get his name. Again, Mr. Glen did a excellent job inspecting the house and took his time and explained his findings as he discovered problem areas /​fixtures. I could go on and on about the Fantastic Job Mr. Glen did. I Highly recommend Pro-​Spex!!! Trust me, you will not regret hiring Pro-​Spex. I will be calling Pro-​Spex again when I find another home. Thanks Mr. Glen. You saved us at least 15k in repairs!!! Thanks for being HONEST and up front. Great Job and Keep up the great work. GOD Bless you and yours.

The reviews really speak for themselves. Our inspector, Glen, was very knowledgeable and professional. He helped my wife and I truly understand the property we were buying. He made sure we understood everything thoroughly so we could make informed decisions. Our professional full time real estate agent was also very impressed by Glens work and mentioned that she will be recommending this company in the future.
Overall, the inspection was able to help us make an informed decision about our home purchase. We were about to identify thousands of dollars in repairs that needed to happen and we negotiated this into our contract. Great service, professional and knowledgeable people, and well worth the cost. Highly recommended to any home buyer!

Can’t say enough good things about this business. If you need a home inspection, these people are reliable, reputable, know their job very well and are well priced. Highly recommended.
Mike helped my fiancé and me with a home inspection for a property we considered buying. Unit was marketed as a newly renovated unit. In two short hours, Mike was able to spot faulty wiring, problematic windows (improperly hung w fungi growing in them), and dangerous floors wrought w splinters, among other things, including raising questions about the air handling system. After calling specialists and contractors, we learned the repairs would cost $ 35−40k! That made a big difference to us, and ultimately we decided not to go through w the purchase. Mike saved us a lot of problems by arming us w accurate information about the property and clear next steps on which we took action.
Mike also took the time to discuss useful things to know if we were to buy the home (electrical panel switches, etc). He was sure to take time to speak both to me and my fiancé to make sure we were both up to speed and had heard and understood his recommendations, and to see if we had any specific questions or concerns. Within 24 hours, Mike sent us a well laid out summary report as well as a more detailed report, both with pictures, recommendations, and levels of severity of the recommendation. This was all very helpful to us and served as an important negotiating tool when continuing negotiations to buy (or in our case, not to buy) the home.
We are thankful for Mike’s help and would recommend him to anyone looking for a home inspection. We will definitely call Pro Spex again!

I am a first time home buyer and chose Pro-​Spex to do my home inspection because of how highly rated they are on Unilocal.Unilocal ratings were correct, Dan at Pro-​Spex was great. He did a thorough inspection and answered all of my questions along the way. He arrived early for the appointment and began doing his inspection on the outside of the house. He took pictures of everything. I thought I would need the seller to tell me what certain things were inside and outside the home, but Dan was able to answer all my questions. He found minor things and a few not so minor things that without him pointing them out, something bad could have happened in the house. Great job Dan! I highly recommend this company. My realtor was super impressed too and she will recommend these guys in the future.
Oh, the report was great too and was emailed to me by the next morning. Radon treatment done too.

My experience with Pro Spex was superb. The company was highly recommended by a friend in the real estate industry when I was purchasing a more than 100-​year-​old home. Pro-​Spex is a little more expensive than «conventional» inspection companies, but well worth it.
My inspector, Mike, could only be described as a man seized with an absolute zeal for construction and an eagle eye for detail. The rehabbed property I planned to purchase looked to be pretty decently done on the surface, but Mike uncovered several items requiring attention ranging from a tricky bedroom door to a hidden, undisclosed basement!
In addition to being thorough, Mike was very responsive and able to turn reports around within 24 hours– for the second inspection he provided the assessment on the same day. He also seemed to genuinely care about my well being as a purchaser, checking in and following up on the status of some of the more perilous findings in the days and weeks after the inspection.
With Mike’s help, I was so much more secure in my decision making and negotiations. It really felt good to have an ally in such a daunting process.

From the start, I was very happy and thankful for Yvonne who were able to schedule me with such short notice and she was very responsive and answered all my email very quickly. For the inspector, I had a pleasure of working with Danny. Overall, it was a great experience and I would recommend this company to friends and family. Danny was very thorough and found a lot of issues that we would never see if he didn’t point them out. I also learned a lot from Danny and he was very good in explaining and answering all my questions. The report was available less than 24 hours and was very detailed and well put together. Thanks Danny and Yvonne for making the inspection process flawless.

Husband and wife who own and operate Pro Spex are an absolute delight to work with. Everything from setting up the inspection schedule to the production of the inspection report has been conducted in a timely and professional manner. The inspection itself was a fun and very educational experience from which I learned new things about a new construction home that I hadn’t known before.
For prospective homeowners who are already under contract and looking for a trustworthy home inspection company which can deliver the highest quality of work while making you feel like a highly-​valued customer, look no more: Pro Spex it is.

Not only did they set up an inspection within hours of our request, but the inspection took place less than two days later for a potential home purchase inspection. Our inspector, Dan, traveled in snow to make sure we made it under the contract deadline, and walked us around explaining everything that a potential home buyer would need to know. His confidence and knowledge, as well as the detailed inspection report, are absolutely essential when purchasing a home. I was actually expecting to pay more for a thorough, detailed inspection from an expert, so I thought the pricing was reasonable.
A great experience– recommend Pro Spex, and Dan very much!!!

I was looking for an inspector to examine a house I’m considering buying as a rental property.
Mike from Pro Spex was able to come out the next day, met me at the property, and spent hours going over the townhouse top to bottom. He found a few minor things, pointed out a lot of things that were good, used an IR camera to look for water leaks behind walls, and shared a lot of great info about changes in housing code, safety, etc. Turned around a final report by the next morning that was full of details, narratives, and annotated photographs.
Super professional and helpful. Highly recommended!

Glen from Pro Spex saved us repairs worth upwards of $ 12,000! When your real estate agent is in awe of the professional, thorough job the inspector is doing, you know you chose well.
We found Pro Spex through Unilocal,and it was really the only company we considered. Others were a few hundred dollars less, what’s an additional $ 200 when you’re spending over $ 200k on a new house? Scheduling was easy, and the website was very informative. We appreciated knowing exactly what to expect and what we’d get throughout the process.
Glen was friendly, approachable, and determined not only to inspect our house but educate us at the same time. He would show us a feature of the house, explain what we were looking for, and then quiz us to make sure we understood what he was saying. When I explained that to someone else, she thought it sounded condescending, but it was actually amazing! He wanted us to understand exactly what we were getting into, and he didn’t want us to leave there that day without being informed of the condition of the house.
Glen uncovered numerous issues with the house. He also warned us about potential issues for the future and how to make sure the things that were working in the house on the day of inspection (HVAC, water heater) are working on the day we close.
The inspection was received that same day, and we received the results of the radon testing two days later. Everything was completed incredibly quickly and professionally, and they’ve followed up with us to make sure we’re satisfied and don’t have additional questions. They even registered our appliances for us and will notify us of an recalls in the future.
All in all, while Pro Spex might be on the higher end of the inspection cost spectrum, it is worth every single penny. You’re making one of the biggest purchases of your life. Make sure you hire an inspector as talented as Glen to make sure you get your money’s worth.

From start to finish, the process of working with Pro Spex was truly incredible. They operate as an honest, truly unbiased third party and I cannot imagine making such a critical investment without their help.
You’re able to quickly schedule the home inspection online to take a look at everyone’s schedule and select a specific inspector (if you choose to). Dan was the inspector we worked with and I can’t even begin to put into words how grateful I am for his help. He was incredibly patient with all my questions and did a great job of explaining key issues identified. He arrived at the property 30 minutes early and was truly an invaluable asset in this process.
Thank you a million times over Dan! I can’t even imagine trusting another company with such a large investment.

Chris was our inspector and couldn’t have been any more helpful. He walked around with us and told us all the issues with the areas he was contracted to look at. In addition he was able to give additional valuable information to us as first time home buyers. Our inspection report was uploaded online the same day and was extremely detailed. I would highly recommend them.

I contacted Pro Spex during my recent home purchase for an inspection. The entire process was very simple from start to finish, as well as professionally handled the entire time.
On the day of inspection, Chris immediately presented himself as an extremely knowledgeable inspector and a keen eye for all issues I appreciated this, as it made me feel comfortable as a first time homeowner. Chris was able to identify a plethora of things wrong with the house that hid under the freshly renovated façade. These items resulted in us receiving a credit at the end of the settlement.
Regrettably, I invited my father to intend the inspection. Looking back at this I feel that it was a mistake, as I know his constant barrage of questioning and prodding may have likely hindered Chris from doing his job and likely annoyed him. He kept his cool the entire time, yet I still feel apologetic. Warning for future home buyers: you may think that inviting your parents is a good idea. Even if they’re contractors. These guys are professionals — they’re on your side!
The day after the inspection, Chris provided us a comprehensive report including pictures, explanations and recommendations for the issues he discovered. This document not only served as a negotiating point for the purchase, but will serve as excellent weekend entertainment when I have nothing to do – I’ll pick it up and continue checking items off the repair list.
Thanks again Chris!

The owner of Pro Spex (Glen) did our home inspection. He was very professional. I HIGHLY recommend him. If it was not for his report, we would have bought a house that had thousands of dollars worth of repairs.

Being a first time homebuyer in the DMV area, it’s easy to feel like a minnow swimming with sharks. Everywhere you turn, you’re faced with exorbitant home prices, questionable flip jobs, and few people who feel as if they have your best interests at heart. In many respects, a good home inspection is the most important part of the home-​buying process, particularly if you’re buying a property that was recently remodeled. Many people use them as bargaining chips to make their settlements easier. Call me a hopeless Midwesterner, but I’d rather buy a house that’s on fire than one that went un-​inspected – at least then you know what you’re getting yourself into.
We were referred to ProSpex by our realtor; he spoke very highly of them, and the reviews looked pretty solid. My wife and I scheduled Glendon to conduct our home inspection at the beginning of June. At the time, it was the first house we had ever put under contract, so we didn’t really know what to expect. Glendon arrived on time and was very friendly. He asked us whether we were first time homebuyers; when told him we were, he rubbed his hands together and said, «Good, let’s get to know your house.»
From that point, he was all business. Being first-​time homebuyers, we peppered him with questions, all of which he answered with enthusiasm and patience. He also fired back at us with a few pop quizzes to make sure we understood everything. Throughout the entire inspection, Glendon took the time to explain what he was looking for, what we should be looking for when buying a remodeled home, and what we should know for long-​term care of the house. He took us around while he was doing the inspection and took the time to explain to us the basics of how the appliances, plumbing, and electricity worked. Every now and then we’d hang back while he took a more in-​depth look at a water pipe or an outlet. But most of the time the inspection was interactive. He gave us a foundation to ceiling explanation of how the house was built, what its strengths were, things we should watch out for. He also showed us how to find the construction date on our water heater and air conditioner.
Glendon finished the entire house in under two hours. By the time he left, my wife and I had a complete understanding of how almost everything in our house worked, as well as the condition of everything from the roof to the floorboards. We also got the full report back quickly, which was great. Truly, I would never have expected the degree of attention and care that Glendon showed us. Though we booked him for a simple home inspection, what he really gave us was a home inspection coupled with an advanced course in homeownership. The experience gave confidence and peace of mind in our new home purchase, which is invaluable.
All in all, my wife and I could not recommend Glendon and Pro-​Spex highly enough. As first time homebuyers, it’s easy to feel intimidated. Glendon not only put us at ease, but he was friendly, considerate, and above all, completely professional. If we buy again in the DMV area, we will certainly be asking him back for our next home inspection!

Our inspector was Brendan, and he was awesome! We are first time sfm owners and we really appreciated the time and detailed explanations he provided. He was both professional and very amiable. Brendan truly made our experience a great one. The company is a great value and even offers continued support past the inspection and right into homeownership. A + service!

Update 12÷30÷14:
Chris at Pro Spex performed a re-​inspection today, just hours before my closing. He arrived on time and thoroughly checked the things that the seller had agreed to repair prior to settlement.
Once again, Chris was extremely thorough, honest and did an awesome job with explaining things to me. Those of us that aren’t experts with these sort of things really appreciate that. :-)
Chris has an awesome demeanor as well and has just been such a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend Pro Spex!

Glen and Yvonne are amazing! I’m a first-​time homebuyer and purchasing an 87 year-​old home, so I knew getting a thorough inspection was key. Yvonne was a dream to work with and got me scheduled in just a few days’ time. Glen was unbelievably good — just the model of what a home inspector should be. He was incredibly thorough, patient, kind, articulate, and full of helpful tips for maintaining and improving my new home. Plus, he had a drone! An honest-​to-​goodness drone with a camera for pictures of those hard-​to-​reach places.
I purchased the home, termite, and radon inspection. Worth every penny!
My realtor wasn’t familiar with Pro-​Spex and initially recommended someone else, but she’s a convert now. By the end of the inspection, she was promising to send all of her clients to Pro-​Spex. And I will recommend them to anyone buying a home without hesitation.