Your Trusted Partner For Home Inspections
A Real Estate Agent provides knowledge and expertise when navigating the complex process of buying or selling a home. Part of that complex process is helping the home buyer or seller find a dependable and thorough home inspector. That’s why building strong relationships with real estate agents is important to Dogwood Home Inspection. As your trusted partner for home inspections, we can work together to reduce the fears of our clients and provide peace of mind to move forward.
Dogwood Home Inspection provides quality, comprehensive Home Inspections, as well as Pre-Listing home inspections and Chimney Inspections. As an experienced and licensed home inspector, I realize that time is of the essence in real estate transactions.
Inspections available 7 days a week. Quick turnaround for scheduling inspections. I know there’s a limited time for contingencies and can normally get out the next day or the following day. Schedule on-line, email, call or text.
Most reports go out same day or next morning. Nobody wants to wait when deadlines are looming. If I ever run late (weather, emergency, an unusually complex inspection), you’ll get a text with a specific ETA.
I encourage you and your client to attend the inspection, at least the last hour if possible. I welcome questions on site and will show clients items of concern in person. This allows me to provide context in a calm and productive manner. This is much less stressful than being blindsided by new information the next day on a report.
I don’t lump every finding into “fix this” or “don’t fix this.” That’s a false choice, and it’s the kind of black-and-white reporting that turns a routine inspection into a deal-killer. Every finding in a Dogwood report gets one of seven specific labels, and the labels are what let you, your client, and the seller have a real conversation about what actually needs to happen — without anyone assuming the whole house has to be torn down and rebuilt.
Major concern. Safety hazards, structural issues, or active failures where waiting genuinely makes the problem worse. A cracked heat exchanger leaking carbon monoxide. A roof actively leaking into the attic. An electrical panel with corroded bus bars. These are the items that drive negotiation and need a contractor on the phone in the first week of ownership. Most reports have one or two of these; a meaningful share have none.
Repair. Something that’s broken or failed but isn’t dangerous and isn’t getting worse quickly. A non-functioning outlet, a leaking shut-off valve, a damaged section of trim. Fix it at your convenience — these aren’t urgent, but they’re not “leave it alone” either. They’re work orders waiting to happen.
Recommended maintenance. Items that are wear-related and that any responsible homeowner should address as part of normal upkeep. Re-caulking a tub, cleaning gutters, replacing a furnace filter, repainting weathered trim. These are not defects in the alarming sense — they’re the natural cost of owning a home. Every report has dozens of them, and that doesn’t mean the house is in bad shape.
Due diligence. Items where you should investigate further — usually with a specialist — before you sign closing papers. A damp spot in a basement corner that needs a moisture-intrusion specialist’s read. A 30-year-old septic system that needs a licensed septic contractor to pump and inspect. A foundation crack a structural engineer should evaluate. “Due diligence” doesn’t mean “scary.” It means I’ve taken the finding as far as a generalist inspection should, and you need a domain expert to tell you the rest before you commit.
Monitor. Stable today, but worth watching over time. A historical foundation crack that hasn’t moved in decades. A roof at year fifteen of an estimated twenty-five-year life. A water heater that’s working at twelve years old. The action here isn’t a repair — it’s a calendar reminder to check on this item annually so you see the change before it becomes a surprise.
Improve or upgrade. Working as originally designed, but the design is dated. An original 1985 electrical panel that’s safe but undersized for modern usage. Single-pane windows that function but bleed energy. Cast-iron drain lines that work but won’t last another twenty years. These aren’t defects in the report-writing sense — they’re decisions about what kind of house you want to own five years from now.
Efficiency. Specific items where adding insulation, replacing a fixture, or modifying a system would meaningfully reduce your monthly utility bills. Attic insulation below recommended depth. Air leaks at exterior wall penetrations. Usually low-cost interventions with fast payback, and I flag them because most inspectors don’t bother.
Questions don’t end when the inspection does. If you or your client has questions or concerns about the house, the report, or anything about your experience let me know. I’m here to help!
