Carson Dunlop was referred to me by my real estate agent. The company communicates well and prepared a comprehensive report in a timely manner. After moving into the house, however, we found that the company missed a number of issues. The home inspection failed to point out that the roots of a large spruce tree were causing cracks in the driveway. The report also missed the fact that two patio doors were leaking air badly, and that the garage door wasn't able to lock or close properly. Worst of all, they didn't spot a split, badly installed non-freeze hydrant in the garage, along with other plumbing issues that cost about $1,200 to repair. Carson Dunlop may say that they didn't see the broken hydrant because the garage was obstructed with boxes but for me that is not good enough. They did offer to refund the $500 fee, and after I was persistent and sent a couple of follow up emails, they finally sent me a cheque a few weeks later. I believe there are better home inspectors out there. I would not use this company again.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $500.00
- Company Response
Thanks for your note. It sounds like you have had a number of issues. The purpose of a home inspection is, of course, to provide information on the major systems of the home to help buyers make an informed purchase decision. It is not an all-inclusive defect checklist. Such an inspection would take days rather than hours, and the costs would be significantly more.
It's difficult to comment on the tree roots cracking the driveway. This would typically be a long, slow process. The air leakage around patio doors would not typically be discovered during any home inspection. Those sorts of issues are typically maintenance items, with the door requiring adjustment and/or weatherstripping. Adjusting garage door locks would again be a maintenance item that a typical home inspector would not focus on.
With respect to the hidden hydrant, a professional home inspection does not include moving furniture, carpeting, boxes, etc. for obvious reasons. Unpleasant surprises are never welcome, but are an ongoing part of home ownership. With respect to the plumbing, we did identify issues with the water heater, waste piping, exhaust fan and sink.
I'm glad you contacted us and we were able to refund your fee. It sounds like we need to do a better job communicating what a home inspection is, and is not.
Sincerely,
Alan Carson
President