WeatherVane, Inc.

A property inspection from a reliable company is as an essential part of your protection as is a Title Search.  You need the knowledge and expertise of  a seasoned home professional to provide you the assurance that the representation made on your new home is factual.

Yes!  Charlotte County requires all persons providing home inspections in the county to be registered with them.  Additionally we are licensed with the state of Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.  Government websites often have glitches in them- if your license search did not find me, call or email and we will provide proof by directing you through their sites. At no time will we leave our clients nor ourselves unprotected without active licenses or insurance.

Usually it takes 2-3 hours to inspect the home depending on age, square footage, and the condition of the property.  Occasionally we may run into items that warrant further, detailed investigation.  A written report will be provided at the end of the inspection or shortly thereafter.

We are sensitive to the emotions present during a real estate transaction.  We pride ourselves on prompt scheduling, being on time, and timely delivery of the final report.  You will be provided with valuable information, giving you greater confidence in your home buying decision.  While this is not a cosmetics report, we will inspect your home for signs and symptoms of problems that could affect function or lifespan of component.  You will be reported on condition of item at time of inspection.  We know the difference between a serious problem and something that is not a serious problem.  We will convey this to you.

Inspection May Include:

Structure: Crawlspace, foundations, walls, floors, ceilings, and roofs.

Exterior: Sidewalks, driveways, grading visual,  soffits and fascias, walls, and siding materials.

Roofing: Will walk roof if possible to inspect soundness, materials, flashing, valleys, crickets, vents, and skylights.  Roof drainage systems.

Plumbing: Main supply line and shut off location.  Materials of construction.  Fixtures and functional flow. Drains, waste, and vents.

Electrical: Beginning from service entrance to receptacles.  Grounding checked, panel and sub panels, wire type.  Panel amp capacity. Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter’s tested.

Heating and Air Conditioning:   Description, components.  Ductwork and response to controls.

Interior: Walls, ceilings, and floors  Windows and doors.  Countertops and cabinets, bathrooms, etc…

Insulation: Attic, crawlspace, walls, and floors.  Will examine for vapor barriers.

Other Details too numerous to list!:

Other Systems & Component:                        

Fireplaces And Fuel-Burning Appliances

Residential Swimming Pools And Spas

I invite you to participate in the inspection of your new home!  By being a part of the process you will gain a better understanding of the property while gaining confidence in your decision-making ability. However, please remember that I need to concentrate on the job at hand!  I allow plenty of time at the end of inspection to go over the items found, explain components to you, and answer any questions that you may have.

Usually the last hour.  By then I have had a chance to go through the property and will be approaching the end of the inspection.  You can be there at the beginning if you like, just be prepared to wait for me to inspect the home before  I can answer any questions you may have or determine what may be wrong. 

It honestly does not matter if you cannot be there for the inspection.  We do not do anything differently when the buyer is present. For those who cannot make it, we will provide a free phone consultation to go over the inspection with them.

Yes!  Paul Brereton will personally perform the inspection on your property.  I do not just 'show up' to pop my head in while employees check items that could potentially cost you thousands of dollars.  I may utilize employees to assist me with the process but even then they are only checking minor items for me.  I personally handle any major component such as Roof, Structure, HVAC, Electrical Panel, etc.

I do not do mold testing as a standard part of inspection, however on all inspections we do check for visual signs of abnormalities such as staining.  If mold is a concern to you I can arrange for a mold test to be performed at my discounted cost.  I could also get the test kits that most home inspectors use to send to a lab but choose not to be involved with that. Mold is caused by moisture that is left unchecked.  Of the thousands of inspections I have been on, I have only encountered any serious mold concerns on several occasions and these again were due to active leaks.  This does not account however for any vacant home that was left with a dripping shower head that caused mold issues in the shower area- but again, this too was caused by active moisture.

Most of our clients first wait to see the results of our inspection before their personal decision to order a mold test.  If you are sensitive to mold or allergies you should automatically have property tested for mold.  For liability reasons I recommend all homes be tested for mold in Florida. 

See our VIDEOS page for a good clip on mold in homes.  This may help you with your decision.

Chinese Drywall is a problem mainly because of the toxic and corrosive gasses that it emits.  These can pose health hazards as well as damage copper components of a home.  There is also the expensive removal, remodel, and mitigation required to fix this problem in homes.  Please see our video page for more information on this topic: VIDEOS

No, I do not do radon testing.  I have never heard of any radon concerns in SW Florida.  These are usually typical with home in rocky, hilly areas and not too much with Florida type environment.  I have never had any issues with my inspections or my expert witness service concerning radon. For liability reasons, I recommend a full radon test to confirm.

See my VIDEOS page for a good clip about radon.

Technically exhaustive inspections are always recommended to our clients, even though they are cost prohibitive for most. Technically exhaustive inspections can include everything you can think of related to the property. Fees for this service start at $10,000.00 for smaller homes and go up from there, depending on the lot, location, and components of the home being evaluated.

ASHI Standards of Practice defines Technically Exhaustive Technically as 'An investigation that involves dismantling, the extensive use of advanced techniques, measurements, instruments, testing, calculations, or other means.

The technically exhaustive inspection can include most of the professionals involved in building a home; i.e. plumber, electrician, HVAC, general contractor. Typically included are evaluations by a structural engineer, moisture intrusion expert, termite inspector, infrared thermal imaging professional, main sewer line videoscoping professional, lot survey expert, radon testing professional, phase-1 environmental screening professional, lead hazard screen professional, and any other professionals deemed necessary for your home. This may also include, retaining wall experts, geotechnical engineers, soils engineers, stucco experts, brick masons, roofing professionals, electromagnetic fields experts, and any other expert for the major component needing to be evaluated.

Sometimes our clients will be greeted by a voice mail.

Why did you call WeatherVane? It is most likely because you were referred to us by a trusted friend or responsible professionals willing to put their reputation on the line with us. WeatherVane is not a volume based inspection company cranking out quick 'walk thru' inspections. We perform one inspection at a time catered for each individual clients' needs.

Give us the opportunitty to return your call when we have returned from the field and are back in our office. I return all phone calls at by end of the day or the latest first thing the next. I do not need a secretary or an answer service to schedule an inspection and I like to personally speak with the client to find out their specific needs and concerns so that I can tailor the inspection to them. I also do not like to have my jobs interrupted and I extend the same courtesy to your inspection by not making appointments while working for you. You can always schedule on line and that's why that option is available!

You likely desire to have your property inspected by an inspector with an extensive background in the construction industry,  years of experience, thousands of inspections under his belt, real credentials related to building construction knowledge, and ability to handle complex jobs. I can assure you that the possible short wait for our reply will be well worth it to you rather than trust your investment consideration in the hands of a volume based or less experienced company simply because you received an immediate response. 

Why would you want me to match their price instead of just using them? 

You obviously choose our experience and credentials but like the price of a company that doesn't have the same. Do you want to base your decision to choose an inspector on lowest price?  An inspector's entire merit is based on their experience and knowledge and no school can teach them what is acquired from years of performing inspections along with a strong background in the construction industry. 

Homes and buildings are usually the single most expensive purchase most people will ever make.  To try and save a few dollars by hiring a less experienced cheaper inspector or to cut corners on an inspection to lower the price is not a wise option.  Do not let anyone convince you that a lower priced inspection is a bargain.  An inexperienced home inspector can cost you a lot more than the few dollars you save on the day of the inspection.  I know this- one of my services that I provide is expert witness for court cases.

Additionally, a typical home will have even minor items that need to be corrected that cost more than the price of the inspection.  Coupled with the fact that because of our contractor licenses, it is highly unlikely that you will have to pay for any additional inspections to 'reevaluate' components that most home inspectors cannot sign off on.

Yes- Bank Checks or Cashiers ONLY if received prior to inspection.

We accept MasterCard, Visa, & PayPal as well.                We can also accept cash.

The reasons for not accepting personal checks is due to the issues, time, and expense of dealing with personal checks that do not clear either intentionally or unintentionally. Periodically we have clients who after the inspection results change their minds on the home purchase and feel they shouldn't be required to pay the inspector when they did not buy the home. This might even be after the inspection revealed an expensive roof replacement needed.

By accepting credit cards through PayPal, there is no time wasted, allowing me to focus on inspections and not office work.  Today everybody uses credit cards or PayPal including elderly people so this should not be an inconvenience. Ours is a secured site.