Our Services

• Home Inspections
• New Construction Inspections
• Consulting & Investigations
• Radon Inspections

Home Inspections

Your house is your biggest investment. You don't want to be surprised by problems after you move in and you need the best inspection available. We can help you with that. Whether the house you're buying is big or small, 1 year old or 100, we will help you understand its condition and how the systems operate. Our goal is for you to feel confident making an informed purchase decision.

A home inspection is a visual evaluation of the major systems in the house including roof, exterior, foundation, structure, settlement, grounds & drainage, heating & cooling, fireplaces, appliances, plumbing, electrical, kitchen & laundry, bathrooms, interior rooms, garage, attic, insulation, ventilation, basement & crawl spaces, and materials of construction. See the Inspection Process section for more information of components inspected. As long as it's safe and accessible we will walk on roofs, enter attics and crawl spaces, remove access panels and operate equipment. We will look at every room in the house using the Standards of Practice of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI®) and the state of Massachusetts standards.

The inspection will be summarized in an easy-to-read electronic report, including photos of the property with arrows indicating areas of note and/or concern and a summary e-mailed to you within 24 hours of the inspection. In addition with every inspection you receive a 300 page Homeowners Manual. This manual is backup material for your inspection report as well as a reference guide to your home.

See the F.A.Q. section for more information about home inspections.

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New Construction Inspections

Think there couldn't be anything wrong with a brand new house because it's already passed a municipal inspection? Think that the builder's 'quality control' person is going to catch all the mistakes?

More home buyers are having Northeast look a property over before they sign on the dotted line. We will look at the house from top to bottom, inside and out, inspect for quality of materials used & quality of workmanship and present the findings in a detailed report. Often, the cost of the inspection is less than the cost to repair just one item.

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Consulting & Investigations

Unfortunately, things don't always go as planned. We provide specialized consulting services such as evaluating structural condition, documenting construction defects, identifying moisture problems, expert witness, litigation support, etc. Our findings will be presented in a well-documented report. Please call and we will be happy to discuss your situation and how we can help.

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Radon Inspections

You can't see radon. And you can't smell it or taste it. But it may be a problem in your home. Radon is estimated to cause many thousands of deaths each year. That's because when you breathe air containing radon, you can get lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.

Testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon. EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon. Testing is inexpensive and easy - it should only take a few minutes of your time.

For more detailed information about Radon, please refer to the U.S. EPA site on Radon

If the Home Has Already Been Tested for Radon...
If you are thinking of buying a home, you may decide to accept an earlier test result from the seller, or inform the seller that a new test will be conducted. We recommend a radon test for all real estate transactions.

Before you accept the seller's test, you should determine:

• The results of previous testing.
• Who conducted the previous test: the homeowner, a radon professional, or some other person; and whether the person was certified to conduct the test?
• Where in the home the previous test was taken, especially if you may plan to live in a lower level of the home. For example, the test may have been taken on the first floor. However, if you want to use the basement as living space, test there.
• What, if any, structural changes, alterations, or changes in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system have been made to the house since the test was done. Such changes may affect radon levels.

If the Home Has Not Yet Been Tested for Radon...
Make sure that a radon test is performed prior to closing. Make sure that the test is done in the lowest level of the home suitable for occupancy. This means the lowest level that you are going to use as living space which is finished or does not require major renovations prior to use.

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