Home Inspection Service by Neil Segala

I hired Neil Segala to inspect a house I’ve bid on that’s probably 125 or so years old. His inspection was professional and very thorough. He has a great deal of experience in engineering and construction from which he contributes lots of information about alternatives for ameliorating problems. He doesn’t offer dollar estimates for those alternatives (which is appropriate because there are lots of contractors out there, and it’s prohibited by his license as an inspector).
He started with an inspection of the exterior, identifying important areas of focus and communicating his findings. He was very clear. As this was the very preliminary stage, he explained why he was focusing on what he was focusing on and then told me his conclusions. Some conclusions were final and some merited further investigation (e.g., «I see signs from the gutters that there’s been some water spill-​off so I’ll be looking for leakage in the upper floors and attic.»).
Then we moved to the cellar to inspect the foundations. With the exterior inspection, he had already been looking for clues to identify the age of the house and of various components (like plumbing and electric), but here he really honed in on age. He was very thorough on structural support (identifying the areas that were solid and functional and what needed work), as well as water and electricity (core systems and home systems). He’s very specific about compliance with current code versus functionality, and his written report is equally specific.
We went through each floor in the same detail (including the attic). His inspection gave us a clear idea of what we were buying into. His fee was very reasonable.