We had hired Carson Dunlop to complete a home inspection on a property we were planning to purchase. The inspector, Gordon, came out to meet us at the property. He arrived on-time and was in good spirits. He surveyed the outside of the home first and told us to wait inside in the warmth and he’d report back to us once finished. When he came back inside, he walked around the home, inspecting each room, testing toilets, faucets, windows, and basic electrical work. During the in-home inspection he would provide a commentary as to what he suspected could be issues and what he recommended be fixed. As we walked around the home he also took photos of specific areas or interest and concern – which was a nice touch. Following the home inspection, he provided a PDF version of a ‘home manual’ which contained the photos he took, along with a written commentary. The PDF document proved to be invaluable.
My one concern with the service provided, however, was the fact that Gordon missed a substantial issue in one of the bathrooms. Shortly after we took possession of the home, we noticed a long time water damage issue in the 2nd floor bathroom which required us to gut the entire bathroom and rebuild. Mold and constant water damage over several years ate away at the inside wall of the shower/tub. The rebuild cost us over $5K. After several back-and-forth discussions with their head office, Carlson and Dunlop concluded they were not at fault, but offered to refund the inspection fee ($586).
Although Gordon was very friendly, extremely pleasant to speak with, and had a vast amount of knowledge, I would exercise caution when selecting Carlson & Dunlop as a home inspection agency. After speaking with an insurance company and several other home inspection agencies, I was told the inspector should have caught this water damage issue.
Story behind damage: I started to clean the tile when we first moved in and the tiles moved inward into the wall by 1/2 inch. I was able to push an entire tile into the wall and soon after several tiles fell out. The wall had disintegrated behind the tile due to the water damage. Everything had to be gutted. Photos below show some of the work being done on the bathroom, with a finished product after the remodel.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $586.47
- What could this company do to improve their services?
- Be accountable for actions (or lack there of)
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- My advice to everyone: with any home inspection, as lots of questions, test and inspect everything yourself while you