Welcome... to Experience and Integrity

Hello, my name is Tom Francis, owner of "A Best Home Inspection" a full service inspection company, we pride ourselves in providing the best inspection services possible, serving all of Central New York.

For radon information and services click here.  Much of Central NY is designated as a radon hot spot by the department of health.  Every home inspection in New York State should include an accurate, unbiased radon test. We also provide expert radon testing and solutions with a full range of services including: radon testing in both air and water (if on a well), and radon mitigation system installations.

Home-Inspections:  Besides inspecting hundreds of homes, I have worked for over 28 years in almost every area of the construction industry, and owned my own construction company for 18 years. This background gives me the "real" experience and expertise to not only inspect your home but to give you solutions and ideas to remedy concerns that may have became apparent during the inspection. In the report you will also receive ideas on how to make your new house more comfortable, energy efficient, and valuable. I will also give maintenance and safety recommendations. Don't settle for any inspector, insist on the best.

Our average Home Inspection costs $329, a little more for homes over 2500 square feet and multifamily homes.  Condo's and Town Home's start at $279.  We also do commercial inspections.  Please call for an exact quote. A complete and thorough, Full Home Inspection takes time, about 3 1/2 to 5 hours, and you receive a 51 page report in a 3 ring binder at the end of the inspection.  (Be aware, You can get those other guys who may charge less money, sometimes more money, who will do what they call a full home inspection, completing a simple check list or computer template reports in about an hour or less. These are not thorough and usually not a good value, there is not much time or opportunity to answer your questions and the report is rushed at best.  Honestly, a complete and thorough inspection and the completed full report of a home can not be done in that amount of time.)

A Value Option:  If you do not need a complete and thorough, full home inspection, I can do a general evaluation and answer your questions or if you only have concerns about specific components of the structure I can give you a detailed evaluation and answer your questions. This usually takes 1 to 1 1/2 hours and costs $200, you receive a written summary report. 

Here is what a few of our Clients have to say: 

     “Mr. Francis performed a very thorough inspection and was very clear as to the minor issues the property had. He answered all questions asked by me and gave me an in depth explanation as to why the issues occurred and how to cost efficiently fix them. The report is/was very helpful in attaining the results we wanted in regards to the minor repairs our home needed. Please pass on our most sincere appreciation to Mr. Francis. My family and I are greatly appreciative of his attention to detail and unbiased opinions and recommendations. We have recommended your company to 2 of our friends that are in the process.”                    

Jose and Karla Ortiz, Rome, NY

 

“We’re highly satisfied with the qualified inspection and pinpointing advice by Tom Francis. We chose the house during a very short visit in Syracuse... Tom inspected the house while we came back to Dallas, Texas. Tom did a very thorough inspection and prepared the Building Inspection Report with very logical organization, a very easy-to-read, indicative presentation and illustration by applying the digital photos. Tom is also very helpful and patient to answer all our questions and give us very suggestive recommendations. If we know any of our colleagues and friends who need an inspection we’ll not hesitate to recommend Tom whatsoever. If he is not the best building inspector in town, who else can be?”

Sincerely, Mrs. Xiaowen Wang and Dr. Xinje Chen

“Tom’s experience, professionalism and thoroughness was very instrumental in the sale of our house, (he gave us a second opinion after we had received a faulty home inspection from an inexperienced inspector). We appreciated his timely response and honest evaluation.”

Margaret Sanchez, Liverpool, NY

Over the last decade I have spent thousands of dollars on different types of report writing software and and have used many trial versions of report systems of various types and combinations, check list, narrative, computer generated, audio/video, etc. and none could even come close to delivering a half way decent report in an hour or less. After inspecting nearly 1000 homes I keep coming back to my own custom report, which I continue modify, not to make it faster to do a report but to give a better report. I strive to deliver the best home inspection report that is possible and that simply requires attention to detail, coupled with the knowledge and experience to report those details that are important to you the buyer, all of this takes time, and answering your questions takes time, I won't rush you through. Any really good home inspector will say "you can't really do a full home inspection in less than 3 hours" and for me that would be rushing it, in most situations. See  "Sample 50 page report"

Central new york is a high risk radon area and it is recommended to get a radon test if one has not been done on the home, which normally cost $150, but when done at the time of the home inspection the 48 hour radon test is $100. When high radon is found normally it is the seller who pays for a system to reduce the radon to a safe level. The national average for a radon removal system is about $1200.

What do you get from me? A lot more than just an inspection.

 You will receive:

• A comprehensive and detailed inspection by an experienced professional. Click to see what "my full inspection" includes.
• Your questions are answered as you walk through the inspection with me.
• Additional services offered: Click FHA pest inspections, radon, lead, mold, water, well, and septic dye tests.
• Same day report, on site after the inspection, or by email/archived web site. See "sample report".
• Digital photos and or video clips included to clarify concern areas, and as records of fact when required or for computerized reports (usually for buyer's not present at the inspection).
• Updated safety code information and recommendations for your specific house. Click "example".
• Maintenance recommendations and schedules for building components and mechanicals.
• Suggestions on how to make your house more comfortable and energy efficient.
• Free consulting by phone or email for previous clients, for any problem or questions on their home for as long as they own the home, (non clients pay $125 minimum fee for consulting service).                                        

To get the Best Inspection... You need the best inspector. 

Choosing the right Inspector:

• Caution, all home inspectors are not equal, consequently, home inspections vary greatly. 
• As a contractor I have done work for new homeowners who had home inspections and were told everything was fine,  later to find out, sadly, their home inspectors missed or did not report major code violations and other problems which led to costly repairs. They were either not qualified or did not bother to report the findings. 
• Let the buyer beware. Consider the source of your referral. Some inspectors in central NY are known for, "He will pass anything, and he only takes about an hour." Some people might refer this same inspector to you saying, "This guy is really good." Ask yourself, is the referral in your best interest or theirs?
• How many inspections has the inspector personally performed? This is important! An inspector may have been in business for 5 years but inspected less than a dozen homes. Your home buying decision is far too important to be a practice place for a part-time inspector.
• Ask when the report will be delivered. Often the buying decision is time critical, you want to be sure you will receive your completed report in time to read, review, and respond. The best companies can deliver the report to you right at the home as the inspection is completed.
• Does the completed report include photographs? Often the report will contain descriptions of damage or defect in locations of the home that only the inspector was able to access, like rooftops or crawl spaces. You will want pictures of these areas to make your understanding of the scope and location of the damage clear. It also makes repairs simpler to get estimated when a photograph is available.
• Lastly, be sure to attend the home inspection, watch the process, and ask lots of questions. As a home inspector what I like most about my job is helping new home owners to become comfortable, by answering their questions. Most your concerns can be addressed by ideas and solutions which can remedy the problem. This is where a properly experienced inspector can be invaluable.

Click "My qualifications" for a list of my qualifications and more than 28 years experience in the construction industry. For more information on choosing a home inspector, Click "Is your inspector qualified."

Everyone knows that home ownership is the American Dream. That dream can quickly become a nightmare, however, for uninformed buyers (or buyers with careless inspectors). Even newly constructed homes can harbor costly mistakes - mistakes that may not be visible to the untrained eye.

                                               from "Inspect before you Invest" article on fine tuning.com

Your home is a major investment. Whether you intend to stay in it forever or plan to move someday, chances are good that you will spend the next several years in your new home. Why not take the time up front to get a quality home inspection for your new purchase, to ensure you won't come across any unexpected surprises down the road? 

I can provide you with the professional home inspection or you deserve, in any of the following areas: 

City of Syracuse Auburn Camillus Canastota Cazenovia Central Square Chittenango Cicero Cortland Clay

Fair Haven Fayetteville   Fulton Homer Ithaca La Fayette Liverpool Manlius Marcellus   Mexico

Oswego   Parish   Phoenix Pulaski Rome Seneca Falls Solvay Skaneateles    Utica Watertown

Onondaga Co. Madison Co. Oswego Co. Oneida Co. Cortland Co. Cayuga Co. Lewis Co. Jefferson Co. Tompkins Co. Wayne Co.

NACHI-certified home inspectors have the education and experience it takes to ensure that you will receive a professional and thorough home inspection. Click here to read more about NACHI certification requirements. 

Homeowners, whether you're buying or selling, here's a collection of resources and articles that may be of interest. 

If you are in the market for a home inspection, check out what I inspect, and what you can expect from me. If you would like to know more, please contact me for a personal consultation, or to schedule an inspection today.