Welcome... to Experience and Integrity

My name is Tom Francis owner of A Best Home Inspection and it's subsidiary Radon BeGone of CNY.                                                                                                       Click here for: "Radon Systems" or "Radon Information" 

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 about $325, a little more for homes over 2500 square feet and a little less for a condo and town home. Please call for an exact quote. A complete and thorough, full home inspection usually takes about 3 to 5 hours, and you receive a 45 page report in a 3 ring binder at the end of the inspection.  (You can get those other guys for a little less money who will do what they call a home inspection completing a check list or computer report in about an hour or less. So who gets the better deal, the home buyer who saves a few dollars on a discounted, quick report or the other guy who can do 8 discounted inspections in one day?) 

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 questions takes time. 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 45 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 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 included to clarify concern areas, and as records of fact.
• 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.
• All home inspections include one year of phone or email consulting, anytime, no fee charged, and a complimentary subscription to "Home Hints" an informational monthly news letter/eNews.                                       

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 finetuning.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.