Associated Inspection Firm Inc

James (company owner & inspector) provides an excellent service ($430). He is knowledgeable (18 years experience), punctual, had a quick turnaround time (37 page report available next day), and provided a wealth of information to explain findings. He also provides a Radon test (not purchased) and a Sewer Scope test (using sonar imaging, $125) separately upon request. I was equally pleased when James provided a home inspection (2014) on another Vancouver home I own.

My wife and I contacted James for a home inspection and a Radon test. He answered the phone on the second ring and was willing to give pricing over the phone, which we found more than fair given his expertise when it comes to inspections. Come to find out he has almost 2 decades of experience and it shows. Due to COVID-19, only an inspector and real estate agent were permitted in the house at the time of inspection. After completion, he called and in detail covered all of his findings and took the time to explain how features worked or didn't, (like a hybrid heat system.) He even took the time to educate us on energy efficiency improvements that could be made if we so chose. The next day we received our inspection report which was amazing. We could tell by the details included that he did not just copy and paste from prior inspections. He definitely took the time to make sure everything was well documented. The amount of money that we saved by having a thorough report in purchasing our home was one of the best returns on investments we have ever seen. We will definitely be using Associated Inspection Firm, Inc. in the future.

Phone skills were lame. Answered with a loud TV in the background, didn't seem interested or helpful (maybe slightly drunk?) and basically just said, "Nah, I don't have any availability." When asked if he could recommend any other companies he said, "Not off the top of my head." What a weirdo.

unknown

James spent over 4 hours doing a very detailed review of this prospective property.  He was extremely thorough on the exterior, interior, in the attic and crawlspace, and in evaluating all of the systems and major appliances.    His report was the best I've seen...very detailed with photos, descriptions of the problem, and recommendations.  He was very willing to provide a high level overview of major issues and answer questions.  He followed up the next day to make sure I received the report and checked to see if I had questions.  Best inspector I've used yet.  Would definitely use him again.

unknown

unknown

unknown

James was very professional and scheduled our inspection very quickly.
He was informative and answered all our questions and concerns.
His inspection report was incredibly thorough and detailed.
I would definitely recommend him to all my friends and acquaintances.

James did an excellent job. I hadn't planned on being present for the inspection, but when he detected a musty/moldy odor in the basement, he immediately had our realtor get us over there. He didn't sugar coat the obvious (once he pointed it out) presense of condensation on vapor barriers in the basement and signs of mold on the exposed portion of the foundation. He was frank and open about the potential risks/costs that this might represent.
The rest of his inspection and inspection report were extremely detailed, well written, and useful. The possible presense of mold was enough to end this particular deal for us, but we appreciated how thorough he was as he went through the rest of the home.
We will definitely be seeking James out again when we need another home inspection completed.

James showed up a few minutes early and completed a thorough inspection.  It was very detailed even catching a burned out bulb in the oven.  James also pointed out a few things that were acceptable when the house was built but would be done differently today. 
The written report was in my hands the following morning.  There was a summary section in the first few pages followed by pages of details and photos that clearly explained areas that needed attention.
Several days after receiving the report, I had a question about one of the items.  I emailed James and received a prompt answer to my question via email.  
I fixed all the must-do items on the report and listed the house FSBO on Zillow.  Eight days later an offer was accepted and a buyers inspection completed with zero must-do items.  This built a lot of confidence and trust with the buyers. 
I feel that the inspection was a good investment and James did an excellent job in every way.

James was great.  He was there ahead of time.  Was very thorough.  But most importantly he explained his findings in a manner that was understandable and helpful in our making a decision on purchasing the home.  James is friendly and was open to questions.

James is very knowledgeable and thorough...as others here have indicated,
I would highly recommend them.  Thanks!

James provided outstanding service and documentation (photos, written details) to describe inspection findings.   He is very professional, punctual, patient, and goes the extra mile to bring desired results.  We were contemplating additional work on the house after discovering shortcomings in previous work by contractors.  His inspection results and detailed explanation helped us with decision-making on expensive alternatives.   He discovered melting insulation from a wire that was overheating in a main service panel - a potential cause of fire.  We are grateful for his help and highly recommend his work. 

This is my second home inspection with James, and he has been stellar, helpful, objective, and thorough both times.
James did a radon test and home inspection at one home I was interested in buying, had put the offer in, and he found severe structural issues. The reports he does are detailed, with photos and explanations of what he  found, as well as having categorized the findings into recommendations:  satisfactory, monitor, monitor & repair, or repair. Or something like that. He also made himself available to talk by phone with me after he  submitted the report for any questions and clarifications about what he found.
At the second house, James also helped me out tremendously by helping me to sift through the information he provided in the
inspection report and prioritize what I would want to have fixed  immediately, versus what I would want to monitor and fix on my own.
I was traveling - as you can see, it's over the holiday weekend - and he made himself available to consult with me on Sunday afternoon so I could then consult with my realtor and start the repair addendum process. We're on a tight timeline, everyone's going on holiday, so I really appreciated his availability. As a first time homebuyer, and looking at older homes, I appreciated that he also couched the inspection findings in that context.

Very nice and informative. He arrived early to get started on the outside before our appointed time. Returned feedback the next day and replied promptly to emails.

Performed comprehensive home inspection.  Very thorough.  Very detailed inspection w/pictures.  Clear, concise language.

James has inspected numerous clients' homes for my clients over the years (I am a real estate broker), we met him as a result of a buyer's friends' referral to him.  He inspects things that other inspectors don't check and is not afraid to go on a roof (some inspectors "inspect" from the ground with binoculars! 
He is always on time or early, ready to work and energetic.
I tell my clients that no inspector I have meet is more thorough or knowledgeable than him.  He has numerous certifications in an industry when only one or two certifications are required.  He stays on top of national and local changes and is very on top of various manufacturer defects for heating systems, wiring, plumbing, roofing, siding, etc. 
For this inspection, he inspected a client's home in Vancouver, Washington and whereas I thought the home looked to be very clean, he found that all of the siding was defective and needed the be changed.  None of us (buyer, seller, buyer's agent [me] nor seller's agent) was looking for this to happen, but seller agreed to fix the problem, thankfully.  James will be out to re-inspect the work when it is done, to make sure it is all fixed too.
He finds issues that other inspectors do not find and will defend the position to sellers and seller's agents.  He is an excellent advocate for buyers, even in a seller's market. 
Highly recommended.  One of the best inspectors in the Portland Metro Area.

James was there promptly and had already coordinated with the homeowners on the placement of a radon test kit well prior to the inspection date so we could have the results that day.  He worked with us on a quick turnaround for a report as well.  We stayed with him during the inspection and he was great at answering all of our questions and concerns as well as making sure to discuss initial concerns we had that he could inpsect while he was there.   Overall just a great experience and really easy to work with.

My husband and I are buying a home in SE Portland and called around to check on rates of the top rated inspectors in Angie's List.  James' rates were the most competitive, and since he had many positive reviews we hired him.  We were not disappointed.
James arrived early and was happy to answer questions and show us issues as he found them.  James was extremely thorough (he spent about 3.75 hours doing the inspection of a 2000 sq ft house).  He found many issues that could easily have been overlooked and was willing to look things over more than once to make sure he caught every little thing.  When we mentioned that we were thinking of creating an accessory dwelling unit in the basement, he took special care to point out changes we would need to make (to the electrical, the window etc.). 
His report came the next day and was extremely helpful. This is the fifth home we've purchased, so the fifth home inspection we've had done.  James' inspection and report were definitely the most thorough.  This is the first time it felt to me that the home inspector was working for our interests, rather than working in the interest of getting the deal done.  Highly recommended.

The home inspection when buying a home is got to be the most inportant thing to me. Therefore i wanted a good service that I felt would inspect the whole house. I needed to have confidence that the inspection would uncover any problems that I wouldn't see. Angie's list was a help in this manner. Associated Inspection Firm filled the needs for me. They really did check the whole house top to
bottom, side to side. They did not mind that I walked around with them when they were done to show me the spots that were questionable. Some of the spots I could easily fix, and some would cost me more money to repair. 
When I got the report, it was very complete, with descriptions, photos, and summary.
I had some work done by the seller and Associated Inspection came back to check the work. Very nice to have the same folks come back. This company is top notch.

After having put on new siding and a new roof, water was penetrating through walls and into the basement.  James came out and identified and documented defective work by the siding contractor.  The Oregon Construction Contractor's Board validated his findings and incorporated his work by reference into the State's official findings which is the basis for a pending suit.  
James is very personable and professional and I would recommend Associated Inspection Firm.

Excellent!  Jim is a professional and it showed in his inspection, documents, and recommendations.

James was awesome.From the first phone call he was professional, patient and very responsive. He met us on time at the property and did a thorough inspection. Due to all of questions and multiple interruptions by the realtors the inspection took 3 hrs, even though the property was fairly small and straight forward.  No time was wasted, he was simply thorough. He tested everything. He even made a couple of notes on concerns noted in the condo commons areas so that I could be fully informed when making my purchase decision.He freely shared his expert knowledge with us and our realtor.  It was clear to me that James stays abreast on home inspection science, following him around during the inspection was a great learning experience. He was patient and very thorough. He took the time to make sure I understood items of concern he was finding. We were on a really tight time line and he didn't blink an eye at our time restraints. He said we would have the report in the morning, and sure enough the report was in my email box before 8 a.m. My realtor  is a past home builder and he's been selling homes for more than 25 years, he commented that he'd never seen such a thorough and well done inspection and report. James protected our interest, and yet didn't try to up-sale us either. We had some mold found and he didn't try to talk us into adding on mold assessment, he gave us straight forward guidance, I wish all contractors could be such a dream to work with.

Uneasy.