Leban Engineering Services

The buyer for my home used Leban Engineering to perform the home inspection, specifically Kevin Wade. He performed his initial inspection. We utilized his findings (and supporting pictures) to determine the scope of work to remediate the finding. We had the work performed by a general contractor (as specified). Then Kevin performed a re-​inspection and identified additional issues, not originally identified/​pictured in the initial inspection. His re-​inspection included detailed findings, including number of piers to address, and the pictures included stated they were examples of his findings.
Had he initially included his expectations/​wants in the initial finding, as the homeowner, I would have had a clear picture of the exact work he required to remediate his finding. Then I would have been able to make the decision, as part of the contract process, of what I was willing to complete and what the buyer could complete upon purchase. Instead, because his expectations for his initial finding did not match the documentation and support of his initial findings, there was a lot of back and forth with the buyer agent. Additionally, when I spoke with him, he changed his tune time and time again, stating one way to remediate was okay and then telling my foundation guy something different than what we agreed to during our conversation.
He informed me that he has been a structural engineer and inspector for 17 years. If that is the case, then he should know that if he is going to provide findings, he should be specific. He should know that sellers utilize the inspection report and cost of remediation to determine the scope of work they are willing to perform. When I read the re-​inspection, I contacted Kevin about the discrepancies. He informed me that the re-​inspection is a time when renegotiations could occur. However, that is not the correct approach. The inspection remediation should be determined after the initial inspection. This caused a lot of issues with the sale of my home, including causing the closing to be pushed back because what he wanted/​expected was not addressed by my general contractor. I feel like because he states he is a structural engineer, he should specifically define the scope of work required to remediate, or else he needs to state that a qualified tradesperson (i.e. general contractor) can remediate the findings, which would include them determining the scope of work. If he notes a qualified tradesperson, then he cannot come back to re-​inspect based on his wants/​expectations. He caused me to spend unnecessary money and caused a lot of unnecessary stress. If you utilize Kevin or see his name as the inspector of your property, make sure you document the scope of work as detailed as possible so that you do not have to go through the pangs and stress I had to ensure. Also, make sure that you get anything that Kevin says documented and agreed to by all parties involved before spending any money.

A very thorough review of a 1930 renovation we were considering for purchase. However… be warned that if there are any structural recommendations made you will need to find ANOTHER engineering firm to come up with a solution to potential issues as Leban does not provide engineering plans or solutions. My recommendation would be to hire separately a home inspector and an engineering firm to assess potential structural issues as it will be a more cost efficient solution for inspecting your home.