What You Should Know About Your Home Inspector, And Your Home Inspection
The industry standard home inspection includes a two to three hour visual inspection of your property, and a report. It does give you a general overview of the condition of the property and its many components, which is really all that most people want, or really need - with one caveat.  Generally, your typical home inspector defers in rendering any analysis of the real problems observed (usually involving foundation and other structural issues), and typically recommends the following..... 

                                                   "Please consult with the appropriate - Architect, Engineer, Contractor"..... to further evaluate this condition. 

The problem is, you now have your report in hand, but you don't necessarily have a definitive opinion or recommendation for repairs, for some of the more important issues
that may have been identified during the course of your home inspection.          Read on to understand how and why an AIS Home Inspection offers you more.

Not offering repair recommendations for foundation and other structural issues is the correct protocol for the typical home inspector that is NOT a Licensed Architect or Engineer. Since in fact, most Home Inspectors - by definition - are generalists (not specialists). The Standards Of Practice established  by CREIA (California Real Estate Inspection Association), NACHI (National Association of Certified Home Inspectors), and ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) - prohibit the typical home inspector from offering any analysis of an observed structural deficiency.  Furthermore, California State Law prohibits anyone - except a Licensed Architect or Engineer - from offering such analysis. As an experienced Licensed Architect and General Contractor, AIS can and does offer appropriate repair recommendations for such observed foundation and structural issues, and not only that, we provide cost estimates for your recommended repairs. Now THAT is a report that not only can you rely on, but it means that in most cases you don't have to go to another specialist or authority to get the answers you need to really understand the implications of any observed deficiencies, allowing you to confidently move forward with your purchase!

The typical home inspection is not a technically exhaustive, coordinated home inspection involving experienced specialists: However, your AIS Home Inspector offers you a very thorough, and high quality, home inspection. A home inspection which draws on the extensive, years of experience Patrick Burger (your AIS home Inspector) has had as:
                                     Architect, (designing many beautiful bay area homes, and also serving as a technical consultant for other bay area Architects) 
                                     General Contractor, (building - from the ground up - not only all of his own home designs, but other notable Architects designs as well)
                                     Expert Witness (qualified as an expert witness - as both an Architect AND a General Contractor, in California, by Special Masters at Settlement, 
                                                                   and Judges at Trial - to give testimony regarding construction deficiencies in single family residential construction)
                                     Residential Building Inspector (Certified by the ICC - International Code Council, as a residential building inspector - the same certification 
                                                                                          required by most municipalities to qualify as a Building Inspector)                                                                            
                                     Certified Home Inspector   (American Society of Home Inspectors and California Real Estate Inspection Association certified)
                                    
This comprehensive background, allows me to deliver a report with no missing parts, and...it comes with estimated costs - for all required repairs. A Detailed, Narrative, Summary Report identifying the condition of the property, containing all of the pertinent findings - with helpful illustrations - so you don't get lost in the sometimes necessary technical construction terminology. Furthermore, not only can you call me after you have reviewed your report with any questions or concerns, you can call me anytime in the future to discuss your options and related costs for any of your homes necessary repairs.

I provide professional home inspection services throughout Alameda, Alamo, Albany, Almaden, Antioch, Aptos, Atherton, Belmont, Berkeley, Brentwood, Brisbane, Burlingame, Campbell, Castro Valley, Claremont, Clayton, Colma, Concord, Corte Madera, Cupertino, Daly City, Danville, Dublin, East Palo Alto, El Cerrito, El Monte, Emeryville, Foster City, Fremont, Greenbrae, Hayward, Hercules, Hillsborough, Lafayette, Livermore, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Menlo Park, Martinez,  Millbrae, Milpitas, Mountain View, Newark, Oakley, Orinda, Oakland, Palo Alto, Pleasant Hill, Pleasanton, Piedmont, Pinole, Point Richmond, Portola Hills, Portola Valley, Redwood City, Redwood Shores, Richmond, San Bruno, San Carlos, San Francisco, San Jose, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, San Mateo, San Pablo, San Ramon, Santa Clara, Saratoga, South San Francisco, Stockton, Sunnyvale,  Tracy, Union City, Vallejo, Walnut Creek, Woodside, Woodacre