Paul Gibson

Building Inspector
STATE OF ILLINOIS
HOME INSPECTOR LICENSE #450.0000895

Reporting Background Testimonials Conclusion

My Motto: "Do every inspection as if it were for family"

Everyone should have the ability to know the exact condition of what they are contemplating for a purchase, therefore, they need to be able to hire a competent, experienced inspector. I believe each and every inspection should be performed like it was for a loved one. I would not want my mother to purchase a home without knowing the house inside and out (I would not want her to try and do it herself either). My job is to make sure you know as much as possible about the house so you can make an educated decision on what is important to you.

My inspections are very thorough and professional. It is not required, but I recommend that my clients accompany me through the entire inspection. This is your opportunity to discuss any concerns, in addition to learning about the operation & maintenance of the main building systems.

Reporting:
At Harmony we use a professional home inspection reporting software. We can create the reports on site upon request; however, we feel time is needed in preparing the details resulting from the inspection. We find it provides more accurate results if we prepare the report off site where we can concentrate on our findings. We will e-mail the results to you in a PDF format that can be easily stored and printed. This type of file is also easy to forward to other interested parties that you may elect to have a copy.

The first few pages of the report are the summary. This will list the items that were discovered as safety issues, significantly deficient or important enough to have further evaluation requested by an expert in the field. The report itself will follow with the findings from the inspection. At the end of the report we include the agreement that is signed by you, the client, prior to the inspection.

You can e-mail me for a sample of the report that I would send to you after a completed inspection. This would allow you to see how a report looks and how fast the download would be.

Background:
The state of Illinois passed a law requiring home inspectors to be licensed as of January 1st, 2003. I completed the required, state approved Home Inspection course at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, and immediately completed the exam required for the state license.

Since the mid seventies I have gained experience in the trades through various means. I have completed many building and remodeling projects for clients, friends and family. These include plumbing, electrical, HVAC, room additions, garage building and roofing.

Some of my major accomplishments over the years are:
Purchased and moved three houses across town. These houses were relocated several miles to vacant property, placed on new foundations and completely remodeled.

The remodeling included:
Changing the electrical from the old knob and tube to EMT conduit with new service and panel. Installed new black steel pipe (cut and thread) for the natural gas supply. Installed cast iron waste pipe in the basement floor before the final concrete poor. Replaced galvanized water supply lines throughout the houses with copper pipe (with sweat fittings). Replaced the cast iron piping with PVC for the Drain, Waste and Vent piping. Removed the masonry chimneys and replaced with “B” vent to exhaust the furnace and water heaters. Stripped the roofs of the old shingles, repaired bad areas and installed new asphalt shingles and flashings.

Purchased a 100-year-old home and completely remodeled the entire structure. The house had the main floor extended many years prior to my purchasing it. The second story was not extended so I completed the following: Built a new roof two feet higher than the original roof and later removing the old structure from within, extended the second floor over the addition on the main floor, demolished the garage and breezeway and replaced them with a vaulted ceiling family room and a two and a half car garage. Replaced the electrical and plumbing in the entire house, replaced a gravity fed furnace with a more efficient forced air furnace, removed the original cedar siding, covered the exterior walls with house wrap and installed new cedar siding and new windows throughout the house in addition to completely remodeled the entire kitchen.

Purchased a vacant lot in a recreational/retirement community. Built a two-story home (including framing, electrical, plumbing, heating/cooling, gas supply lines). Contractors were hired for the excavation, forming and pouring of the concrete foundation walls, and roofing due to the steepness and time constraints involved. Some additional items I installed were: Radiant heat in the lower level, concrete floor of the house (that feels wonderful). Central vacuum system, Circulating hot water system to allow instant hot water at all outlets throughout the house, Fireplace, Sauna, Hot tub, Multi-level deck and Spiral staircase.

Testimonials:
Paul was very thorough and helpful when inspecting our prospective home. He met me on a Saturday, and together we went through the house from top to bottom. Paul pointed out things that should be fixed immediately, as well as things that should eventually be repaired or updated. He also offered suggestions of ways to make the necessary improvements. By the time we were done, I knew everything about that house and what needed to be done. I highly recommend Paul Gibson.

Mike Govert (Elk Grove Village, IL)

Hey Paul,
Just wanted to drop you a note of thanks for your efforts. I've seen so many home inspectors run through a house and when they hit something they think is wrong they just mark it or skip it based on if they can fool the client into believing their guess. My new home gave you several interesting challenges and on each one you took measurements and notes and went back to the office to research it. I really respect and appreciate the time and attention to detail. Thanks again!

- Sean O. (Algonquin, IL)

Paul,
I talked to Julie last night and she was incredibly impressed and pleased with the work you did. She told me she would definitely recommend you to anyone that needs an inspection done. She mentioned that you were, by an order of magnitude, much better than the inspector she had when she
purchased her first house a couple of years ago. Thanks for helping out a friend.

Mark B. (the client is Julie S. of Arlington Heights, IL)

Conclusion:
I truly love working within the building industry and performing home inspections. I am confident you will be pleased with my skills and ability to answer any questions you may have regarding your new home purchase or current home you may be preparing to sell.

The state requires licensed home inspectors have at least six hours of continuing education classes per year. I make sure I go above and beyond this requirement by going to seminars, joining forums and subscribing to as many trade groups and magazines as I can manage. There is something to be learned every day in this business.

Please don't hesitate to call or e-mail with any questions or concerns. Or feel free to contact me to make an appointment for your next home inspection.

Call 1-847-340-0402 and ASK FOR PAUL! You won't be disappointed.