PAYNE HOME INSPECTION INC

I chose Payne because I'm an engineer so you would think, "gee, this guy must be good".  WRONG.  I found MANY issues with my home after the inspection that he did not such as zero slack in the attic wiring, thin, watered down paint, uneven doors that did not seal properly (and would let rain through their threshold), drafty windows that weren't sealed or caulked properly, drafty outlets, improper depth or R-rating on the attic insulation, the list goes on!  That's when I realized the mistake was the fact that he's a STRUCTURAL engineer and is therefore too focused.  You really need someone that understands entire systems.

Excellent.

In the process of selling our home in SE Huntsville in 2010, a prospective buyer engaged the services of Bill Payne to inspect our home. He arrived 30 minutes before the scheduled appointment and had a rather unpleasant, imperious demeanor. He asked which firm had completed the foundation work on our home (settlement is very common in that neighborhood) and I replied that I didn't remember the name offhand, but that the paperwork related to the repairs could be found inside the house. He then asked me if Burt Cox (the principal of a local foundation repair firm) had completed the repairs, and I said I didn't think so. We then left the premises with our dog so he could complete the inspection without further interruptions. Several days later, we found out that the prospective buyers were pulling out of the deal because Bill Payne indicated in his report that the house was structurally unsound and that all four corners of the foundation had failed. We were devastated. After several days of reviewing our options, we secured the services of a structural engineer from nearby Decatur. At a cost of over $1000, he and his assistant came to our home and spent several hours conducting a comprehensive analysis using advanced equipment (it should be noted that Bill Payne did not use this equipment, and his inspection of the entire property took less time than the inspection of the foundation that this structural engineer completed). His conclusion was that the settlement that had occurred was within the normal range for the area, that NONE of the piers had failed, and that no additional foundation work was necessary. Again, we were stunned and could not understand why Bill Payne's assessment had been so off-base. In our opinion, it had to have been either incompetence or some other ulterior motive. After some investigation, we discovered that Bill Payne has a business relationship with Burt Cox. Payne, in his capacity as a structural engineer, signs off on many of Burt Cox's foundation repair jobs, as required by state law, and is presumably paid to perform this duty. This can be independently confirmed by checking building permits that are public records. Although we cannot know for certain why Bill Payne's assessment of the house's foundation was incorrect, there is a strong suggestion of impropriety in this situation. It seems plausible that his business relationship with Mr. Cox has caused him to render overly harsh assessments of houses that have had foundation repair work performed by other competing firms. If you are looking for a wholly impartial assessment that is not influenced by the politics of the local foundation repair trade, I would suggest using another home inspector.

This is someone that real estate agents have inspect their personal homes. He is very well regarded. He takes time and is very thorough.