How can we help you?

At Reckner Certified Home Inspections I like to say "Protect Before You Invest". As a Certified and Licensed Inspection Professional I have seen it lot in 25+ years of Industry experience and I pass that knowledge to each and every one of my customers at every home inspection I do.  Just like a dentist or doctor I feel a home inspector is always "in practice" learning on the job everyday.  I am able to help you identify potential issues with your future home purchase and save you Money and Heartache by seeing these issues before closing so they can be fixed or negotiated with the Sellers ahead of time so you can have peace of mind with your new home purchase.

What We Inspect

• Structure and Foundation
• Electrical Systems
• Plumbing Systems
• Roofs and Attics
• Basements and Crawl Spaces
• Gutters and Drainage
• Walls, Floors and Ceilings
• Porches and Decks
• Property and Site
• Sheds/Barns and other outbuildings
• Furnaces (year round)
• Air Conditioning (when the temp is 65 degrees or above)
• Plumbing Fixtures (in Kitchens, Baths, and Laundries)
• Water Heaters and Ventilation
• Lights and Receptacles (a representative number)
• Windows and Doors (a representative number)
• Built-In Appliances
• Pools (for an additional fee)
• Wells or Septic Systems (for an additional fee)

The cost of a Radon Inspection is $175 added to the inspection fee.

Why so much? 

First off this isn't high, this is a very fair price if you do any shopping around.  Secondly these monitors cost over $1,200.00 a piece.  Also we have to carry special insurance, take special classes, registering, licensing, and yearly calibration with the State of Ohio, all of which require a yearly investment on my part and needs to be taken into consideration.

Absolutely. As touched upon above, a sewer line is often one of the most costly things to repair in a home. Getting a sewer scope inspection can help you avoid investing in a home that has serious issues with the sewer/septic system.

The Main reason we recommend a sewer scope inspection is to let us know if the property’s sewer line and system is functioning as it was intended. Knowing the condition of your sewer line is important from not only a peace of mind standpoint, but also from a general home ownership standpoint. It is suggested the sewer line be reviewed every 5 years to ensure a costly problem is not forming. During a typical inspection year, I have on average, 150 clients a year out of 900 that fail to inspect the sewer line of their new home and have a backup issue. This literally means sewage backups in the home. These repairs are costly. This could leave you paying for expensive repairs if the sewer line is has shifted out of position, wasn't even installed correctly the first time, cracked or broken, has root invasion, or build ups that will eventually cause back ups. The average Sewer Line Repair starts at around $2,500 minimum and can go to $15,000.00.

One of the main reasons you can trust our diagnosis of the sewer line of the home is because ALL we do is inspect them . We have no money interest in the repair money or estimates. This helps ensure your are not being unfairly diagnosed by a repair company. Our inspector will use a color, state of the art video inspection camera into the sewer line through the sewer clean out. The clean out may be located in a basement, crawlspace or outside the home. If no obstructions are found, we will inspect as far as our video line will allow. If we do find problems or issues in the line, we are able to accurately locate of the trouble area.

Common Sewer Line Problems

Common sewer line problems are root intrusion, holes, pooling, cracks, foreign objects and pipe separation. A poor yet still functioning sewer line may have problems that do not currently affect the performance of the line. However, these problems may cause a future sewer backup leading to an unexpected emergency line repair or replacement after moving into your new home.

Not Just A Sewer Scope Inspection

You will receive a written report detailing the condition of the main line and if needed a link to the high quality, digital video recorded at the time of inspection.

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Being exposed to radon for a long period of time is known to lead to lung cancer. The radon gas in the air breaks down into extremely small radioactive elements that can then lodge in the lining of the lungs where they can give off radiation. This radiation damages the lung cells and can eventually lead to lung cancer. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer, eclipsed only by tobacco use and it is estimated that there are 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year related to radon. Exposure to radon gas and cigarette smoke is a combination that creates and even greater risk for lung cancer.

The answer can vary from property to property based on how involved the buyer, seller and agents want to be. The only person who has to be there is the inspector, obviously. Since real estate agents are often the ones who coordinate home inspections they often are present at the inspection, and can often act as the proxy for the buyer if they are unable to attend.

Buyers often attend and we encourage them to walk the house with us and see it how we do, to help make an informed decision. On rare occasions the seller will also join during the inspection process but it is not typically advisable to have the buyer and seller both present for the home inspection.

The average home inspection in Ohio ranges from 2 to 2.5 hours, however when you consider the intricacies of modern homes, the multiple systems, complex structure and many issues a home can be facing we feel that this average is insufficient.

We take a different approach to inspecting your home; we work in teams. For most property inspections we send 2 to 3 certified inspectors to focus on your property together, sharing information, comparing notes and assisting each other to ensure the best home inspection in Ohio. On average our teams spend 2.5 to 3.5 hours at each home and 1.5 to 2.5 hours at each condo we inspect. When you multiple the time we spend by the number of inspectors we send, you'll see you get far more peace of mind for your money with the Reckner team!

In most situations the home buyer will pay for the cost of the home inspection which is done as soon as an offer on the home has been accepted by the seller. Bear in mind though that when buying or selling a home everything is open to negotiation so a buyer could ask the sell to pay for the inspection costs, but that is not typically done. The seller may also include the cost of the home inspection as part of the overall closing costs.

Home Inspector now serving ALL of  Northeast Ohio  Akron, Cleveland, Canton, Medina, Fairlawn, Bath, Copley, Massillon, Youngstown, Warren, Jackson Township, Wadsworth  Norton, Brecksville, Avon, Westlake, North Olmsted, Strongsville, Parma,  Euclid, Mentor, and much more......

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We do! We offer a $30 HERO discount to all Fire, Law Enforcement, Teachers, Active Military, and Medical Staffers. Thank you for your service and we look forward to working with you.

I have found my drone to be more useful than I ever thought possible for my home inspections.  While I make every attempt to "walk" every roof during a home inspection, there are times when second story houses and very steep pitches of roofs and weather make it impossible and unsafe to be on.

Weather such as ice, snow, rain, or high winds are a home inspector's worst enemy, but I have found that by using the NEW DJI Phantom 4 camera drone, I can see high resolution pictures and videos of the roof safely during these conditions.

It also allows me to see on the tops of chimneys and gables that I might not otherwise be able to inspect even when walking a roof during a home inspection.

Apps for our iPads and iPhones are one of the best ways we have to help ensure we inspect all of our items by giving us a very good detailed list during my home inspection.

These programs help me insert photos and add proper home inspection comments into reports easily so you can see upfront any issues I find. They also help ensure accuracy, and a lot more speed.

Reports can be emailed, so you can get your inspection report faster and eliminate the delay in the purchase of your home.

This technology has saved a lot of paper usage and helps make sure if you were to lose your reports them they can be resent to you quickly.

You will see a lot of inspectors "only" use a little outlet tester when inspecting outlets, those are OK but they do not show anything except if it's wired correctly. I take things a step above most by using an outlet tester that is also a circuit analyzer.  

Using an Electrical Outlet Detector lets us know if the circuit that outlet is on is properly grounded which is very important for safety It also shows me if the outlet is getting proper voltage or not enough. Every home inspection I do lets me know the house is wired properly and has plenty of power before recommending the home through my home inspection report.

During a home inspection of course our noses are our first line of defense when it comes to possible gas leaks.  But they can be very minor and dissipate too quickly for humans to detect on our own so I rely on an electronic gas leak detector.

They are far more sensitive than my nose and provide me with  a sense of security when checking connections that they are safe and sound during my home inspection.

As a father and a husband, nothing is more important to me than the safety of my family.  I treat every home inspection as if it were my own.

That is why I use gas leak detectors, thermal imaging cameras, borescope inspection cameras, and electrical outlet detectors that go above and beyond what normal home inspectors do during a "visual inspection only".

Radon, carbon monoxide, and other testing are made available at additional costs (and when required).

This is one of the most amazing pieces of technology I have invested in for doing home inspections.  

Thermal imaging not only shows me hot and cold zones so I can help make your home more energy efficient, but it also gives me vision to things you can't see with the naked eye during my home inspection.  For example, wet spots behind walls and leaks that could cause future damage and create harmful mold, pet urine under carpets, insufficient insulation, seeing rodents in wall cavities, termite detection, and possible harmful electrical issues.

Thermal Imaging is a $225 value that I include for FREE with every inspection.

My Borescope is a huge help during my home inspections.  It allows me to look into areas that our flashlight and eyes cannot see.  It has the ability to not only take pictures but it can also record video when needed along with inspector commentary to help make your home inspection report even better.

A minimum of 48 hours is required by the State of Ohio, this is unless the test is ruined or interrupted do to seller interference or tampering by someone or something.

This is up to my discretion.  It is a question of who is at fault.  

If it is determined the tampering was incidental then I will retest at no charge. Otherwise the machine is outfitted with many different tampering indicators to ensure a clean fair test.  

If it is determined that a seller has interfered with this test in any way shape or form, then the test will be billed in full and REBILLED again at full charge to whomever ordered the initial test.  

This is not a negotiation; the State of Ohio will require another test and appropriate parties will be billed accordingly.

The only requirements is that the property be completely closed up (no matter what time of the year) for a minimum of 12 hours before and during the full duration of the test. Also that no fans or air circulation devices be used during the testing cycle.

The EPA requires we suggest mitigation system be installed if the test results in a reading of 4.0 piC/L or above. piC/L is the standard unit of measurement used by the State of Ohio to determine if a mitigation (removal system) is needed never worry about the unit of measure just if the number is 4 or above or 3.9 or below.

​Are we safe if the numbers aren't 4.0 (or higher)?

Here is what I tell people.  The average reading outside in the open air is normally 0.4 piC/L , the average home in America even in low danger areas usually has a reading of around 1.3 piC/L.  a MITIGATION system installed in a home can on average reduce the radon number from a significant result number to one below 1 piC/L. I like to ask people in these situations of reading from 1.3 piC/L to 3.9 piC/L,  if something in your home has to be radioactive and dangerous to your health wouldn't you prefer it be at the lowest possible dosage it can be?

It is a scientific fact that being exposed to low levels of radon for longer periods of time is more dangerous than high levels for short periods of time.

YES I Do and you are welcome to come see it for yourself anytime.  Our home was tested (not by me) but a different home inspector when we purchased our home in 2011.  Our levels were found to be at a very high dangerous levels (22) and we had the mitigation system installed immediately.

People always ask me, "Why do you post your prices online? Aren't you afraid your competition will see it? Aren't you afraid price shoppers won't call?"​

The ANSWER is simple NO! At Reckner Certified Home Inspections we feel Pricing should be fair and upfront.

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We believe in Fair Pricing Practices and respect the prices set by our competition.

We do not do any price matching.

We wouldn't want our competition undercutting us so we do not undercut our competition.

Our pricing is based on the square footage of your home.

I don't like when my competition waits to give you pricing based on your answers to the size of the house or your income levels, what your occupation is or any other discriminating factor that lets them raise the price.

‍We believe in transparency and up front pricing that's easy to understand.

We are not the cheapest Home Inspector in all of Northeast Ohio because we believe you get what you pay for. We utilize only commercial grade equipment to provide the most accurate assessments possible.

If you're looking for the cheapest home inspection, we understand.

We are not the most expensive home inspector in all of Northeast Ohio.

Because we base your inspection price on the square footage of your home, we do not consider other factors (your income, your occupation, where you live) to modify the price. This practice is very common and it goes against our belief that pricing should be upfront and fair.

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When its dark enough in certain areas of a house I like to use a UV Black light whenever possible during my home inspections.  It can show pet stains and detect human waste products as well.  

These are important to see if trying to negotiate new carpet or money off towards the purchase of the home.

Black lights will also show anything that is fluorescent such as mineral deposits, particulate contamination, and is sometimes used in mold detection.

Being able to possibly see things that my normal vision cannot help make me a better home inspector.