Structure Tech Home Inspections

Milind arrived later than agreed upon, but we (my husband and I) were notified by the office that he was going to be late. He was a pleasure to work with and didn't mind all of my questions. I did ask him before we began if it was okay to tag along every step of the way. He offered to have me accompany him on the roof, but I declined. He did a great job at explaining to us what he was inspecting and if it was bad/good/as expected. Seeing as we have never owned a home before, this was very helpful. The things that were good, he explained why they were good and how to tell if they were starting to not be so good in the future. The inspection took between 3-4 hours and we felt like we really knew the house after this inspection. The inspection report that we received (via download online as a PDF) was even more informative than Milind (if that's even possible). It didn't just show us a list of things that needed work, but broke each area of the house down with paragraphs and diagrams of things that needed attention. This will be a great tool as we start to knock down items on our "to-do" list. They were a little pricier than some of the other inspectors we considered, but the money was well spent. We found out the garage "heating" (an old furnace) was terribly dangerous and we were saved the cost of removal. We did buy the house and have not found any "surprises" that were not uncovered at the inspection. The company and especially Milind were a pleasure to work with and I would highly recommend them and use them again in the future.

Reuben arrived early for the inspection. He performed a thorough inspection of the house for the next 2 hours. He was very professional, and friendly. Made me feel comfortable to ask questions. He explained everything as he went along. He inspected the roof and all the vents on the outside of the house. Checked the air conditioning unit and its electrical connections. Inspected the deck, all the appliances and fireplace, checked all the electrical outlets in all the rooms, checked the windows and air vents. He went up the attic to inspect the insulation. He inspected the water heater, furnace and explained all the emergency shut off valves in the mechanical room. He even showed me how to change the furnace filter. The day after the inspection I recieved the inspection report from Reuben and it had very detailed explanation of all the findings and recommendations with clean pictures. I submitted the report to the seller and they fixed everything mentioned on the report. No questions asked. They were also impressed by the thoroughness of the inspection. I am very satisfied working with Reuben and Structure Tech. I recommend them highly.

Reuben was early and very professional and thorough. I thought the price was very reasonable. I would definitely recommend them.

We were very please with the experience working with Structure Tech. Everyone we worked with was professional and friendly. Communication was timely and clear. I also appreciate the fact that we completed much of the interaction over e-mail / online. Our report was generated online as well and was very clear w/ severity ratings and picture documentation. Rueben clearly explained what some issues were and gave general pricing ideas of fixes and was very thorough. There were even times when Rueben was willing to push back on our real estate agent when he made some issues sound less severe. I have a great deal of trust and appreciation of him.

Done very professionally, courteously, and thorough. Report was well written and explanations with drawings were easy to understand.

Due to an accelerated closing process the inspection need to be done very quickly. The office staff worked with me to schedule the inspection as soon as possible. In fact they were able to schedule the same day (due to a cancellation). The inspector was on time, early actually. We began with a look at the exterior, then moved indoors. The inspector went about his duties while bringing not only the flaws, but also the things that were right to my attention. Each room was inspected closely and findings were noted. The inspection ended with a full inspection of the attic, not just a stick you head up there, but a get up there and look around. The written report was provided that same day and was available online. The professionalism and knowledge of the inspector was very reassuring. I felt that Structure Tech was treating me as their most important client. It was an excellent experience.

Reuben Saltzman was our inspector. I have lived through 4 home inspections and I must say this was the most thorough and effective inspection I have ever seen. Reuben did an outstanding job of not only thoroughly inspecting our home, but also interacting with me on all of the details of our new home. I walked away so grateful that I used Structure Tech for these services and feel confident we have all the information we need to make a very good decision on such a big investment. The pricing was also almost $200 lower than a different vendor on Angie's list that was not rated as high.I am 1000% satisfied and highly recommend.

The whole experience was a pleasure. The scheduler was able to work within my somewhat crazy schedule. The inspector was prompt, friendly, informative, and knowledgeable. We went over the houses together, I had multiple opportunities to ask questions, and he offered some sound advice on how to prioritize things that needed to be fixed. The report was thorough and helpful. Very positive experience.

Reuben and his assistant were there right at the scheduled time, and dove right in. They spent quite a bit of time in the attic, and on the roof, making sure they accounted for every roof vent or outlet, noting what it did. By doing this, they were able to determine that some dumb HVAC contractor put a roof vent in, and connected it to the furnaces return air duct, creating some kind of fresh air ventilation. However, the vent was the kind you blow through and not draw air through, so it wasn't really doing anything. They also found a ton of other things in the attic that were moderate issues. They checked every appliance, outlet, breaker, faucet, etc. They found enough issues that made me go back to the seller for remedy. They saved me way more than the inspection costed, and was well worth it. They also addressed all my specific concerns. The inspection took about 2 hours, but since there were two guys working, that's really more like 4 man hours worth of work. I would definitely use them again.

I was most impressed with Milind's thoroughness and patience with the inspection. He was on time and did not rush the inspection, it took approximately 4.5 hours. His report helped us get a reduction in price from the seller due to the issues found. The report was very detailed and gave helpful links to solutions for some of the problems found. I would highly recommend Structure Tech to anyone.

Overall very smooth and comfortable

It went great. The company was very responsive and easy to get a hold of. Ruben showed up on time and fully prepared. He conducted a very thorough inspection of our new house, starting outside and then heading inside. He was systematic about the whole process and looked at absolutely everything that could be important. He was at the house for a little over three hours and he was explaining everything as he went. I appreciated that he turned everything on and left it on for a sufficient time to detect leaks/other problems. When there was an area in the basement that he couldn't get to, he retreived a special piece of equipment from his van and did the best he could. Seemed smart and to know what he was doing. We got a report, with helpful photos of the actual house just a few hours later. We were impressed and so was our real estate agent, who sees a lot of inspectors.

Miiland arrived on time, prepared and ready to begin. He encouraged questions, explained each step of the inspection. If there was an issue found he clearly explained what it was, why it was a concern and how it needed to be repaired. Throughout the process he took many photographs. The report was completed and ready within 24 hours and included each area of inspection, what was found, if it needed repair, what the course of action was, diagrams and photographs of the actual area of the home. I would recommend Miiland and Structure Tech to anyone requiring a home inspection.

Structure Tech did the home inspection on a home we were purchasing in St Paul. The approximately $600 fee covered the physical home inspection, infra-red testing, and radon testing. While they were more expensive than some of their competitors, I felt it was money well spent. The home we were buying was recently renovated with two major additions. Reuben showed up early and was extremely professional. He was extremely thorough and knowledgable. It was a breath of fresh air to see an inspector that was methodical, checking every outlet, every window, every appliance, every sink, every toilet, etc. He explained everything in layman's terms and made sure I knew where all the critical mechanicals were located (water shutoff, gas shutoff, etc). This was by no means a rush job. He was onsite for nearly 3 hours and examined every corner of the home in an extremely detailed way. His detailed report was delivered several hours after the inspection ended. Inspectors I've used in the past had usually typed up their report onsite, but I appreciated the fact that it was done with care, as his report was detailed, well written, and in PDF format so I could save it, forward it the sellers for issues I wanted corrected, and come back to it after we close to address any other issues. I would highly recommend them.

They were very professional and very thorough. They are also very detail oriented. The reports they provide are complete and very understandable.

I had Structure Tech inspect a bank owned foreclosure that I'm in the process of buying. Since the bank doesn't provide any information about the condition of the house (it's "as is" with tons of boilerplate absolving them of any potential problems), I knew I needed a thorough inspection to put my mind at ease about the purchase.I called Structure Tech and was able to get the inspection scheduled quickly. Reuben, the inspector, showed up early and got to work right away. He was extremely thorough checking inside, outside, and on top of the house. In fact, he immediately spotted faulty installation work on the roof that the bank had just put on. Nails were overdriven and improperly placed, making the roof susceptible to wind damage, and exposed nail heads were covered with roofing tar instead of silicone. Now we're working with the bank's agent to make sure the roof gets repaired or redone before closing - this alone has paid for the cost of the inspection many times over. I was also very impressed that he didn't just spot problems, he always investigated until he found the source and he was very knowledgeable in his explanations. There were a few spots on the interior of the garage and basement that showed water damage. In all cases, the problem was from improper grading and a lack of gutters and Reuben was able to walk me around the property and show exactly where the sources were and how to correct them. He checked every sink, shower and tub, spotting leaks and gaps that need to be fixed. He also checked every outlet in the house, and even spotted one breaker in the electric service panel that wasn't the right type. He also did a very thorough inspection of the mechanicals - my dad is a lifelong HVAC guy and I was happy to see Reuben doing a thorough job with the furnace and using the right tools. I also opted for their IR inspection, and it was worth it - spotted some areas missing insulation that would've been easy to miss. It was also extra assurance that nothing "funny" was going on in the walls - can't get x-ray vision but IR is the next best thing. I got my report later that same evening, and it's extremely thorough with great pictures explaining everything he found. In short, this inspection was a million times better than the one I got for my last home.

Duane arrived on-time and completed a thorough home inspection. He started with the outside areas and then methodically covered all rooms and levels of the 3400 sq. ft house in about three and a half hours. He had a down-to-earth style that was refreshing. The report was laid out nicely with written details and pictures.

If you need a home inspection in the Twin Cities, Structure Tech (specifically Milind), should be the first, and only place you call. I contacted the Company through Angie's List late Wednesday night, and by Thursday morning, I had an appointment for Friday. Milind spent time prior to the inspection ensuring that our issues were laid out before the inspection began. He spent ~20 minutes talking about these issues prior to the inspection day, which gave me some piece of mind that he knew of our concerns before stepping foot into the house. On the day of the inspection, Milind and another associate promptly arrived and begun walking through the house, checking for un-functioning swtiches, lights, etc, and any visible damage. This is the 2nd home we have purchased, so being somewhat experienced in the process, we didn't want a repeat of our first home inspection (which was more of a cross the Ts, dot the I's, run through the motions type of inspection). This experience with Structure Tech was exactly the opposite. Milind was extremely knowledgeable in all facets of potential problem areas, and extremely DETAILED, which you want/need with your home inspection process. The entire process took about 4 hours from start to finish, so we felt we certainly got our $$$ worth. Unlike our first home inspection, we arrived and walked through the home for the entire 4 hours, and Milind was more than willing to work while we followed right behind him, asking many questions. I was worried that we would be bothersome, however, Milind welcomed the eagerness. All in all, Milind was able to find many issues that we had overlooked after walking through the home on 3 separate occassions. Many of the issues he found we safety related issues, that needed to be addressed prior to us closing and moving in. We received our written report within 24 hours, and were even more impressed with the level of detail on the issues that were found during the inspection, including numerous pictures and highlights of the issues. Report also included recommendations for addressing. Finally, we had one additional phone call with Milind after receiving the report, where he spent another 10 minutes with us via phone walking us through his recommendations, and approximate cost to fix. Milind is very professional, and we are extremely greatful for choosing Structure Tech for our home inspection. We highly recommend using them for your home inspection.

This was the second time I used Structure Tech for a buyers home inspection. I requested Neil to perform this inspection since I was impressed by his work the first time I used them in September of 2011. Like before, he met all my expectations. When I arrived at the home before the scheduled time he was already there getting things ready. During the course of the inspection he took great care to explain what he was looking at, any possible concerns and what repairs may be required. All of this information is then well presented in the reports they provide and I must say it is very handy to have them electronically so they can be viewed on a smartphone if need be. The company is very forthcoming that their services might be more than other home inspection companies here in the metro but they have proven to me that the extra cost is worth the extra piece of mind they give you and I don't think they should be faulted for that. This was probably the last inspection I will need for some time, but if I will need another one in the future I will not hesitate to contact them.

From the beginning, the engagement with Structure Tech (working with Milind, Neil & Reuben), the entire team was very responsive and informative.When we arrived for the inspection, Reuben took several minutes to listen to our expectations and what we were looking to achieve from the inspection.As I followed Reuben through the inspection, he was careful to inform me on everything he saw, as well as document each item that stood out.Reuben's inspection was very thorough, and waited around to explain everything in detail to my agent.I'm very pleased with the quality and documentation report, as well as all of the communication from the entire team.

Reuben is incredibly knowledgeable about houses and enthusiastic about his job, but what really knocked our socks off were his observational skills and detective work: he spotted an ancient dusty pipe coming out of the basement wall that would have connected to an underground oil tank, and the matching pipe in the yard that would connect to it, and warned us that this might mean that an oil tank was buried in the yard. (The sellers had not disclosed this, but it's entirely possible, given the age of the house, that it could have been there since before they bought the house and THEY might not know about it.). if we had moved forward on the purchase we would have added the caveat that they needed to remove the tank and do any necessary environmental clean-up. We decided not to buy the house because after having the inspection we concluded it needed too much work.

Reuban was already at the house to be inspected by the time I arrived. He was incredibly pleasant, and it was clear that he legitimately enjoyed not only inspecting homes, but discussing with/teaching clients his findings. We learned more about houses than I would have ever imagined in the hour plus inspection. With each area of inspection, Reuban would indicate the status of the area, and if problems existed he would go in-depth, in layman's terms, with what caused the issue and how to fix it. We learned exactly how furnaces work! We learned about house pressurization! And we learned from someone who clearly relished teaching. I cannot recommend Structure Tech enough, especially because they're clearly earning a living doing what they truly love.

I am purchasing a new house and needed to schedule a home inspection on very short notice. I left a voice mail over the weekend and was called back the same day by Milland. We were able to schedule the appointment for Monday. I met Milland at the new house and was able to follow him through the inspection, asking questions and being shown different areas that needed work. He was very informative, patient and clear about everything he did. The report he provided included a list of "to do" items along with photo's of the areas he believed would benefit from having some work done. The house, built in 1921, turned out to be in great shape - no major issues or concerns. An excellent job and I never felt like I asked stupid questions or too many of them.

We were referred to Structure Tech by our neighbors, who are specialist house inspectors themselves. Structure Tech scheduled the inspection for a day or two after we called. Our inspector, Duane Erikson, was extremely thorough: he found a problem with the porch roof, dismantled the boiler enough to find that it was leaking carbon monoxide, identified several issues with the plumbing as well as the wiring. He was also very informative and helpful generally, pointing out things we would need to do to keep our house in good order - tuck-point the limestone foundation; improve ventilation in the attic; clean out window wells; etc. On the basis of his report, which was extremely detailed, we were able to get the sellers to repair numerous problems that would have cost us many thousands of dollars to fix. We are now delighted with our new home. The price without radon testing would have been $395.

We hired Structure Tech to do our buyers home inspection and radon test. The inspectors were very nice and punctual. When they arrived they did take time to speak to us (as first time home buyers) about all the things they were looking at. However, they did not disclose that they had done the sellers inspection. Not only did the company do the both inspections without informing us, but they sent the SAME INSPECTOR. Their inspection reports were not consistent and they noted a few things we should have the sellers fix before closing. However because they had not noted these things on the sellers inspection, the sellers did not trust their report and it was a huge waste of time and money on all parties accounts. When we called Structure Tech to inquire why they would send the same Inspector to a house twice for two sides of an inspection, they claimed they are just too busy to remember what homes they have inspected and they apparently don't keep records for it at their office. After a lot of back and forth, we did end up getting a refund due to the fact their inspection was nullified. Since then, we have done some updates to the home and have found a number of issues that should have been captured on their reports but were not. 1. During our final walk through we found some major structural damage to the garage that was not noted. 2. After a pipe burst in the kitchen, we found out that the water lines to the kitchen were installed incorrectly and the shut off valves were not located int he correct place - so we couldn't actually shut of the water. 3. We recently learned the Air Conditioner drain was not installed up to code. We now have to tear apart a large section of wall and ceiling to move the hose to drain properly. All of these things have cost thousands of dollars and all should have been found during the inspection. I would NEVER use this company again. They seem too busy to take the time to notice where they are and to catch things that they should be looking for.