Chris Nowling Inspection Services

unknown

He performed a full inspection. Provided informative response on his report. He missed damage to the roof near the chimney, and failed to report this in the inspection report. The end result is water damaged ceiling, possible mold remediation, and a roof that is leaky near the chimney down into our attic crawl space. This cost is approximately $800 for the ceiling repair, and will likely end up about $3-4,000 dollars for the chimney roof fix. 

There is a lot of uneasiness as your having a home built. Financially it is likely to be your largest purchase, and it directly impacts the safety of your family. You can have the most respected general contractor/builder in the world, but remember a lot of the work is subcontracted out. You have to worry about whichever subcontractor they are able to use getting it right when it matters the most to you. Having a qualified inspector review your new construction is an easy, cost effective way to become more at ease with such a large purchase. My builder was happy to have another set of eyes review their work and welcomed any input. I was lucky enough to tag along with Chris as he worked his way through the house. I would recommend it, and Chris does not mind. He answered all questions I had. I sanity checked builder responses to some of my questions off of him, too.
As for his report, it is very through and is broken down into sections. Any issues discovered have a picture with a corresponding write-up as to why it is a recommendation, deficiency, or pure violation of code. Each issue is written up individually and has a corresponding picture illustrating the words. There are even arrows on the picture directly pointing to the issue.
Sections of Report:

• - Roofs, Flashing, and Chimneys
• - Exterior Walls and Gutters
• - General Plumbing
• - Bathroom
• - Panel Box
• - Interior Walls
• - Laundry Area

My builder and I had a subsequent meeting and discussed resolutions to all issues Chris raised in his report. I am very satisfied with the service Chris Nowling provided.

• Scheduling the appointment was easy - my phone calls were answered or calls were returned promptly. Unfortunately, however, Apex does not provide online appointment scheduling like others do. Be aware that while Chris provides thermal imaging as part of his services, his partner does not. I chose Chris because he was recommended by my agent and due to his reviews on Angieslist. Another factor was that Chris provides an array of inspections, including pool inspections. This makes things simple for the homeowner.

Chris arrived at the property on time and immediately went to work. He did not pause or take any breaks during the roughly four hours it took to complete the inspection. I was present at the house during the entire inspection period, as my original plan was to accompany Chris as he worked his way through the property. However, we agreed that it was not really helpful to do so.
Chris produced a detailed report onsite at the end of the inspection. He properly characterized the problematic issues and presented them in context (not alarmist). He noted issues that required specialty assessments, including HVAC and pool issues. I am grateful to Chris for identifying a very problematic issue with the pool that ultimately derailed the transaction.
All in all, I believe Chris provided excellent, knowledgeable home inspection service. I would hire him again in the future.

I have used Chris of Apex Home Inspections numerous times. Chris Nowling is the most knowledgable and informed inspector I have ever met or hired. He stays abreast of changes in building codes, and has tireless energy to go over every inch of a home. He is always on time or early for his appointments. When he inspects a home I know that my Buyers will know that house inside and out for better or worse. This allows them to make informed decisions on whether or not to continue with the purchase. I have used Chris when I purchased my own home and he found things that were not obvious to either of us. His new Thermal Imaging gun is a fantastic tool. It allows you to and quot;see and quot; through the sheetrock to find missing insulation. I am confident when Chris is on the job that the report will be very detailed, lengthy,full of photos of any problems. While that can scare some buyers, its always better to know what your getting. Plus he will sit down with the Buyer and go over each item he found that is a problem. This makes for a truely informed buyer. I have not found another inspector that does this. Most inspectors just hand you the report and take your check. Chris is aces in my opinion and I personally would not buy a home without him

When we were looking to purchase a home in Austin, TX we wanted to be sure that the company inspecting the home for construction and termite was independent of anyone else and worked exclusively for us and our interests. Through a series of inquiries, none associated with Angie's List, we came across Chris Nowling of Apex Home Inspections. Since they had a background in inspecting commercial real estate, we knew this company would be very thorough and and we right. Chris Nowling turned out to be a rare find, a person with great integrity and professionalism.