Consumer warning-please read and view photographs prior to choosing HomeGuard Incorporated to inspect the most expensive purchase you will make in your life. I will state the facts of my case and allow you to draw your own conclusion prior to choosing HomeGuard as a home inspector.
I purchased a property for sale by owner in as-is condition. Prior to close I hired HomeGuard for a roof, pest, and home inspection. The report was returned with what I would consider fairly normal wear for a 14 year-old house. Using the inspection report along with a verbal debrief I felt really comfortable with the condition of the home and executed the purchase.
Shortly after taking ownership of the home I started to notice an overwhelming smell of urine coming from the laundry room ceiling near the attic access. I quickly got out the ladder and gained access to the attic.
Standing on a large platform in a well lit area was my heater. The heater and duct work are items specifically required to be inspected by ASHI, the company that nationally certifies inspectors placing it well within the scope of the inspection requirements.
I quickly discovered I was standing in what I would consider a sea a vermin waste. The platform, the heater drip pan, the top of the heater, the duct work are all covered in animal waste. Please see pictures. Furthermore it was immediately apparent that there was extensive chew damage along the entire duct system. The inspector had to remove the access panel to get the manufacturer information and again failed to note waste clearly visible wist in the inner areas of the heater. In my pre-purchase report the heater was described as follows in the inspectors findings, "the heating system at the time was operating at the time of inspection shows no visible evidence of major defects [sic]".
After additional investigation it has been determined that I have multiple areas of sheetrock so soaked in waste it's deemed untreatable and needs to be replaced, high levels of contaminated insulation requiring full removal to determine any other areas of needing treatment, heater duct work damaged beyond repair and potential for heater replacement due to the likelihood of nesting and chewing inside the heater system. I've been advised this is a potential health issue because the likelihood of waste in my heater and heater ducts.
Additional the inspectors failure to follow ASHI inspection protocol has left me with windows that don't open or fail to stay open. ASHI requires sample testing. If a bedroom has two windows they need to open at least one. My master bedroom only has two windows and one window is jammed shut and the other won't stay up because there is a broken spring just laying next to the window. This and several other smaller items also failed to make my home inspection report.
HomeGuard's failure to follow the ASHI protocol, providing me with a rushed and incomplete report has left me with over $10k in known damages. To this day they have only made one verbal offer to pay for 1/2 of the damage and have not provided a single written offer to make the required repairs to my home. HomeGuard's current position as I understand it, is that they have a disclaimer in the report stating they do not inspect for vermin activity. However they failed to document damage to the heater and heater ducts clearly visible from the platform. Documenting this clearly evident chew damage and abnormal staining across the entire heater would have triggered additional inspections. My stance is they are liable to make all required repairs.
Additional warning- home inspector are not licensed, they are certified by ASHI. After the initial testing their yearly requirement is to complete continued education credits. There is no way to make an official complaint against an inspectors certificate, no regulatory body that over looks ASHI's certification process or can remove an inspectors license. It is simple pay to play.
If you are considering HomeGuard as your trusted provider please contact me and I will be happy to share my full correspondence with HomeGuard including the original reports, supplemental reports I requested after discovery and all photographs I have neatly organized into a single PDF at [email protected]
I hope this is helpful for you in choosing a home inspector for your next purchase and home to update this with a positive ending.
HomeGuard Incorporated Reviews
Consumer warning-please read and view photographs prior to choosing HomeGuard Incorporated to inspect the most expensive purchase you will make in your life. I will state the facts of my case and allow you to draw your own conclusion prior to choosing HomeGuard as a home inspector.
I purchased a property for sale by owner in as-is condition. Prior to close I hired HomeGuard for a roof, pest, and home inspection. The report was returned with what I would consider fairly normal wear for a 14 year-old house. Using the inspection report along with a verbal debrief I felt really comfortable with the condition of the home and executed the purchase.
Shortly after taking ownership of the home I started to notice an overwhelming smell of urine coming from the laundry room ceiling near the attic access. I quickly got out the ladder and gained access to the attic.
Standing on a large platform in a well lit area was my heater. The heater and duct work are items specifically required to be inspected by ASHI, the company that nationally certifies inspectors placing it well within the scope of the inspection requirements.
I quickly discovered I was standing in what I would consider a sea a vermin waste. The platform, the heater drip pan, the top of the heater, the duct work are all covered in animal waste. Please see pictures. Furthermore it was immediately apparent that there was extensive chew damage along the entire duct system. The inspector had to remove the access panel to get the manufacturer information and again failed to note waste clearly visible wist in the inner areas of the heater. In my pre-purchase report the heater was described as follows in the inspectors findings, "the heating system at the time was operating at the time of inspection shows no visible evidence of major defects [sic]".
After additional investigation it has been determined that I have multiple areas of sheetrock so soaked in waste it's deemed untreatable and needs to be replaced, high levels of contaminated insulation requiring full removal to determine any other areas of needing treatment, heater duct work damaged beyond repair and potential for heater replacement due to the likelihood of nesting and chewing inside the heater system. I've been advised this is a potential health issue because the likelihood of waste in my heater and heater ducts.
Additional the inspectors failure to follow ASHI inspection protocol has left me with windows that don't open or fail to stay open. ASHI requires sample testing. If a bedroom has two windows they need to open at least one. My master bedroom only has two windows and one window is jammed shut and the other won't stay up because there is a broken spring just laying next to the window. This and several other smaller items also failed to make my home inspection report.
HomeGuard's failure to follow the ASHI protocol, providing me with a rushed and incomplete report has left me with over $10k in known damages. To this day they have only made one verbal offer to pay for 1/2 of the damage and have not provided a single written offer to make the required repairs to my home. HomeGuard's current position as I understand it, is that they have a disclaimer in the report stating they do not inspect for vermin activity. However they failed to document damage to the heater and heater ducts clearly visible from the platform. Documenting this clearly evident chew damage and abnormal staining across the entire heater would have triggered additional inspections. My stance is they are liable to make all required repairs.
Additional warning- home inspector are not licensed, they are certified by ASHI. After the initial testing their yearly requirement is to complete continued education credits. There is no way to make an official complaint against an inspectors certificate, no regulatory body that over looks ASHI's certification process or can remove an inspectors license. It is simple pay to play.
If you are considering HomeGuard as your trusted provider please contact me and I will be happy to share my full correspondence with HomeGuard including the original reports, supplemental reports I requested after discovery and all photographs I have neatly organized into a single PDF at [email protected]
I hope this is helpful for you in choosing a home inspector for your next purchase and home to update this with a positive ending.