Warren Engineering
About us
Warren Engineering has been specializing in building and home inspections for over 35 years. We have performed over 70,000 home and commercial inspections: far exceeding any other area inspection firm. We are the mostly highly regarded home inspection consulting firm in the Rochester NY area. Most inspectors are licensed by NYS to perform Home Inspections. So are we. But, we are also licensed professional engineers. We also have a registered Architect on staff . As P.E.s we are recognized by NYS to attest to the structural integrity of a building. Home Inspectors are not permitted to provide such an analysis. Our evaluations are also accepted by FHA and HUD. Why hire just a Home Inspector, when you can hire an Engineer or Architect to inspect your house? Our reports are detailed narrative reports that specifically describe our findings in an easily understandable manner. Digital photography is also utilized to enhance and personalize the report. Other home inspection firms will provide a more general and “boiler plate” check sheet format, usually provided by a franchise organization. Don't be fooled by excessive fluff and inflammatory language in a report. Instead, trust common sense and factual information. We work for you, and only you! Although we enjoy a great reputation with the real estate community in the Rochester area, we understand it is the home buyer that we must serve. Warren Engineering does not have any financial bond with real estate companies, including payment of advertising fees in exchange for referrals. We will never compromise the service we provide to you! We look forward to serving you! Additional DBAs - Larry H. Warren PE, Warren Larry H PE PC.
Business highlights
Services we offer
Residential and commercial inspections, basement water, chimneys, electrical systems, fireplaces, foundation, garage & grounds., heating and air conditioning units, including structural framing, insulation, interior and exterior painting, plumbing, roof, ventilation
Amenities
Free Estimates
Yes
Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
---|---|---|
78% | ||
11% | ||
4% | ||
2% | ||
4% |
"This was a second inspection for this client, performed [Member Information Removed] time ago for an older residence with multiple structures on the property. They did not purchase the first house that we inspected for them due to the fact that we were able to identify many potential issues. We apparently saved this client from a ill-fated purchase. The client appeared comfortable with the older nature of the second property and limitations of the inspection. While the client was, as indicated, initially satisfied, it appears that potential issues have been discovered, possibly during renovations, although this is difficult to confirm due to lack of specific information. We always warn our clients that they may find previsouly unforseen repair requirements once they own a property, and this is especially true for old houses. We informed the client that we could not access the very shallow crawl spaces. We also identified sag, settlement, foundation repair, etc. Our inspections exceed the standards of our industry. Since we were not contacted about this concern, we have no way of determining whether the information that he has been given (from contractors?) is accurate. We also provided valuable information regarding the barns, even thiough the client did not reuqest a detailed evaluation of these buildings, and he was not charged for this addition service. We provide thorough and high-quality inspection services for our clients. While we strive for client satisfaction, we also explain to our clients that [Member Information Removed] defects cannot be known or discovered during a limited and non-destructive inspection."
"Many thanks for the positive comments. I/we are especially pleased that our integrity was not called into question. Integrity & ethics are of utmost importance to us! As a general comment (not directed specifically to this consumer, but instead to all home buyers), I must respond to the statement to "NEVER USE YOUR REALTOR'S SUGGESTED HOME INSPECTOR". This would imply that an inspector would somehow compromise their work for the sake of a relationship with a real estate professional. I can assure you that we at Warren Engineering have never, and will never, conduct an inspection in a way that takes into account the realtors interests. We pledge to work strictly in the best interest of our clients. This is the reason why we have been so successful over our 38 years in business. We provide the best service to those that hire us. Also, as Licensed NYS Professional Engineers, we can provide a greater service (we are recognized by NYS to attest to the structural integrity of a building/house) but we are also held to an even higher standard regarding professional ethics. It is true that many realtors recommend us, but that's because they recognize the quality of our work. We are very proud to say that real estate professionals routinely hire us when they are purchasing houses for themselves, or for family members! Some realtors do not recommend us because they feel that we are too "picky", but we're certainly VERY comfortable with that.! We also receive referrals from attorneys, mortgage lenders, etc. Of course, many referrals come from past clients, which speaks volumes. Also, we pride ourselves in maintaining an even keeled professional demeanor. Adding excitement to the real estate process does not serve anyone well. It is not our desire to put on a show. To the contrary, some home inspectors will strive to dazzle their clients with meaningless data and gadgets. Such an approach has never been our style. We stick to the facts & findings, and the information that is truly important."
"It is difficult to respond to this review since there are no specifics detailed in the review. We have not been contacted by the client regarding any concerns that they may have. Our superior reputation in this profession was earned through decades of high quality customer service. We will always help guide our clients with any questions that might arise once they own their home, assuming that they are brought to our attention. Our report details water stains on framing, basement seepage, the age and condition of the HVAC equipment, corroded drains, electrical safety recommendations, ceiling stains, damaged doors, insulation, ventilation, mold remediation, roof condition, siding condition, safety concerns for the garage door opener, etc. We would welcome specific information from our client."
After consulting with our attorney, we discovered that he highly recommended this inspection service, so, since our attorney's opinion trumps a few negative Angie's list ratings, we contracted with them to inspect a house we were going to purchase for ourselves.
Things could not have gone better. The inspecting engineer they sent was punctual and, after actually greeting us, proceeded with the inspection of the property. Kevin did a very thorough job, evaluating every part of the property to the extent he was able without disassembling major parts of it. He was happy to have us follow him around and ask him several questions. We were very satisfied with the 2 1/2 hours he spent in his inspection. He met with us immediately afterwards and discussed his preliminary findings. We could not have been more pleased with his professionalism, thoroughness, and accessibility for questions, even beyond the scope of his immediate inspection. In addition to being a professional engineer, he was also an architect and this added value to our inspection, which we felt was very reasonably priced. The issue of professional engineer vs. certified home inspector was something we were initially concerned with, but, after the fact, we realized it is really the skill and thoroughness of the properly qualified individual which makes the most difference.
We received a very thorough 14 page report within 24 hours of the completion of inspection. It contained valuable safety information which we were able to pass on to the sellers to act on prior to closing. It was full of insights and knowledge about our future house and suggestions as to what to watch out for in engaging contractors for upgrades or repairs to the various systems of the house.
We would use them again and would recommend them to others; just don't expect any niceties. I guess if they had social graces, they'd be attorneys or real estate agents.
Highly recommended.
However, upon getting possession of the house we found a number of significant issues which we feel he should have found.
The first issue was a major leak in the master bathroom. Frankly, the brand new ceiling paint but water marks on the ceiling molding in the hall (which my mother noticed when she can on moving day to help kid wrangle!) should have twigged that there were water issues! It turns out that the tub drain had a leak and water seeps behind the tiles of the tub. A plumber (Penfield Plumbing, rated here) looked at it and running/tapping his finger nails over the tiles said that you could hear that the tiles were loose. Penfield Plumbing found the leak and fixed it, but only after the front vestibule ceiling had major damage (which took us a bit to notice as we used the back door and the water leaked behind the wall paper for a while until it gave out).
The second issue was the condition of the masonry. The engineer found (or rather the chimney specialist he brought to the inspection) pointed out that there was a serious issue with one of the chimneys. This fact was used as a bargaining point to reduce the cost of the house. So we were pleased that this problem was brought to our attention. We had a mason (Johnathon Kreider) fix the chimney. At the time he fixed it, he pointed out problems with the angle irons above windows at the back of the house. Wish that we'd fixed it then, but we had to spend 5000.00 on the chimney fix and thought it could wait.
The first winter in the house, we started to have a leak in our ceiling. We replaced the flat roof. However, it turns out that that was not the problem. In fact, it turns out that the masonry in the back-- those angle irons that Johnathon Kreider pointed out the summer we bought the house - are in bad shape. Water is coming in through the back brickwork and above those windows where the angle irons are. It is certainly the case that the problem has accelerated. I emphasize that there wasn't an leak when the house was inspected. However, the mason we used to repair something that the house inspector did point out, noted the angle iron problem. Considering the amount of trouble that it is not causing us, I would have hoped (since it was visible at the time and difficult and costly to repair) that it would have been pointed out to us.
We are finding out that fixing this problem is going to cost big bucks. Mr. Kreider has suggested that we need a structural engineer to assess the wall as it is bowed out and will complicate the repair. We will not be using Warren Engineering to look at this.
One issue which was pointed out to us by the engineer was the fact that our electric service was slightly under what would be expected for a house of this size. We had expected to upgrade this. Funny thing is that we haven't had any problems with the electric! So we haven't.
There were other small things - such as a bathroom faucet which makes major clacking / groaning sounds, a back brick pathway which is buckled (we soon discovered because it is covered in 1/2 of water every time it rains), a toilet with a *super* slow and weak flush (also fixed by Penfield Plumbing!).
It was really disheartening to move into our new house - which we thought we had 'done our homework' and knew what we were getting into. Now, of course, I know that you never really know 'what you are getting into' when buying a new house -- you are at the mercy of the previous owner fully and honestly disclosing -- but I felt that the house inspection should and could have given us a better idea of what to expect to fix in the short and medium term.
"I provided [member name removed] with an eight (8) page report on 10/26/2009 including detailed attic ventilation calculations and recommendations for improvements. This report stated, “Existing flashing around the chimney was re-used. New flashing was not installed around the chimney, and it was not possible, based on our examination from the ground, to determine if the dimensions of the existing flashing are adequate underneath the shingles.” I carry two ladders in my car at all times of 12.5 and 14.5 foot lengths and I access several roofs every day when performing property inspections. I do not get on every steep, two-story roof for safety reasons. I clearly stated this limitation to [member name removed]. Our standard agreement form for inspections clearly states, “The roof and chimney(s) are examined from the ground, and may be examined by accessing the roof surface when conditions allow (e.g. weather, roof height, roof slope, roof texture) utilizing a 12 foot ladder or access from upper floor windows.” Since [member name removed] continued to have roof leakage problems, I revisited his home on 4/9/2010. Since it was now readily apparent that the roofing and flashing around the chimney were leaking, we recommended additional removal and replacement of materials as well as other improvements. A complimentary five (5) page report regarding our revisit was delivered to [member name removed], which he planned on using to reinforce his arguments with the roofing contractor.” Now, almost four (4) years after originally looking at [member name removed]’s roof and attic, he is posting an aggressive complaint on Angie’s List. This is the first I have heard of his lack of satisfaction with our services. This is the first I have heard of problems with the venting of his bathroom fans. The manufacturer “recommends” insulated ductwork. 99% of all homes successfully utilize standard flexible ductwork for this application. A lack of insulation on the attic side of the fan, the direction which the fan outlet exits the roof, the pitch of the ductwork, and other factors can also cause the problems [member name removed] is reportedly experiencing with the fans. We are a long-standing, reputable company and I have personally performed over 9,000 property inspections for satisfied clients. We will gladly return the fee for our inspection services to any client that is not fully satisfied with our services. All we ask for is honest, timely communication. [member name removed] has never voiced a lack of satisfaction with our services directly to us. He led me to believe that our extensive reports and services (provided for $225) along with our excellent reputation were assisting him greatly in his dispute with the contractor that performed work at his house. -Tom Wurzer"
I am far happier to be have people working for me recognizing and acknowledging the limits of their knowledge or expertise than to try to claim omniscience.
I contracted with the office for a home inspection, and when I had to reschedule because the sellers couldn't accommodate the original inspection time, the office was friendly and profession when rescheduling. Similarly, when a typo showed up in the paperwork that I was sent the office corrected it quickly, while remaining completely professional all through.
On the day of the inspection the inspector was punctual, and had a pleasant demeanor. He began the inspection immediately, and was eager to walk me through the property with him as he did his inspection. He made sure to point out to me anything he felt I needed to know, as well as mentioning it both on the preliminary report I received at the time of service, and again with the full formal report I got that evening. Again, he made sure I understood the limits of what he was evaluating, and what he could and could not assure me about. By the time he was done with his inspection, not only did I have a list of items I could legitimately asked the sellers to correct prior to closing, but I had a list of projects to work on over the upcoming years once I move into the property - with a general idea of the priority for each of those items.
I feel that I got excellent value for my time and money and feel even more confident that I will be getting a good value with the house that I am buying as a result of the services provided to me by Warren Engineering and Tom Wurtzer, the engineer who did my inspection.
Licensing
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