Veteran-owned home inspections in Royal Oak and throughout Oakland County. Twenty-one years of military inspection discipline, applied to the biggest purchase of your life.
Based in Washington Township
Photo-rich and easy to act on
Retired Coast Guard Chief
E&O and general liability
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Royal Oak Home Inspections
Royal Oak is the oldest housing stock I regularly inspect, and it demands a completely different approach than a 2005 subdivision. The core of this city is 1920s through 1940s bungalows, Tudors, and small colonials on narrow lots, many within walking distance of downtown. These are charming, well-built homes. They are also nearly a century old, and everything mechanical in them has been replaced, modified, or is overdue.
Electrical is the headline. In homes from this era I look for active knob-and-tube wiring, cloth-insulated conductors that are brittle at the terminations, fuse panels still in service, and — most often — a modern panel that was installed without replacing the branch wiring behind it. A new panel on old wiring looks like an upgrade and frequently isn't one. I document exactly what was updated and what was left alone.
Then there's the sewer lateral, and in Royal Oak I consider a sewer scope close to mandatory. Original clay tile laterals, ninety years of mature tree roots, and a street grid full of large canopy trees is the worst possible combination. This is a repair that routinely runs four to five figures and it is completely invisible during a standard inspection. Add to that the volume of flips in this city — cosmetically beautiful, occasionally hiding rushed mechanical work — and the case for a thorough inspection here is as strong as anywhere I work.
On The Ground
Five patterns that show up again and again in this community — and exactly how I check for each one.
Active or partially abandoned, often behind a modern panel that made the house look updated when the branch wiring never was.
Ninety-year-old tile under a canopy of mature trees. A sewer scope in Royal Oak is one of the highest-value $199 you will ever spend.
Gorgeous finishes over rushed plumbing and electrical. I inspect what's behind the work, not the work you can see.
Fuse panels and 60-amp services still in use, running a modern household's load.
Stone and block foundations, minimal basement height, and moisture management that was designed for a different century.
Serving all of Royal Oak including the downtown and Main Street neighborhoods, the Woodward corridor, and the areas between 11 Mile, 12 Mile, and 13 Mile.
Services in Royal Oak
A practical top-to-bottom evaluation of the home's major systems before you close.
From $399Learn more →Identify concerns before buyers do and reduce surprises during negotiation.
From $375Learn more →A second set of eyes before final walkthrough and warranty deadlines.
From $325Learn more →Continuous-monitor radon testing with written results. Michigan sits in an elevated-risk zone.
From $149Learn more →Camera inspection of the lateral sewer line — a costly defect a standard inspection can't see.
From $199Learn more →A return visit to verify the seller actually completed the agreed-upon repairs — before you close.
From $249Learn more →Focused inspections for condos, townhomes, and proactive homeowners.
From $375Learn more →Nearby
