JM Rodkey Inspections

I used John Rodkey twice, because my first purchase offer ended up falling through. Both times John’s service was every bit as expert and helpful as everyone says.
John showed up a little early and immediately greeted me with a big warm smile and a disarming manner. This was more important than it might seem – learning all the problems with the property you plan to buy is anxiety-​provoking, and John put me right at ease immediately. I immediately felt as if I was getting expert advice from an old and caring friend.
John very systematically went around the property and his keen eye immediately spotted all kinds of details. He pointed them all out to me and explained what he was seeing while he photographed them with a digital camera (I didn’t think much about the photography until I saw the report, which was fully illustrated with very helpful photos). Often he put my mind at ease by pointing out that a given issue was minor or could be fixed easily (often telling me what the fix would entail), other times he emphasized when an issue seemed small but needed attention to prevent something more serious from developing. He made sure to point out what was right with the property as well as what was wrong.
John climbed into attic spaces and crawl spaces and opened service panels to make a completely thorough inspection of everything. In one house, he even detected a minor structural issue in the basement merely by walking across the living room floor and noticing a tiny change in pitch – it was like the story of the Princess and the Pea! John also knew what were typical building practices at the time these properties were constructed and explained how certain features or shortcomings were typical of the period.
I received John’s report in less than a day both times (emailed as a link to a pdf). The reports were fully customized. He creates a readable narrative that explains every point of concern in every part and system of the property, along with annotated photographs where he uses arrows and circles to show you exactly what he’s talking about.
John also collected a well-​water sample for testing and conducted a radon test. I received both test reports within a couple of days. The radon test was particularly impressive – the levels were continuously monitored and their fluctuations over time were graphed. John also provided me with a helpful manual that explained all the various parts and systems in a typical residence, enrolled me in a «recall check» service that alerts me if any of the appliances or major equipment in the property are recalled by the manufacturer, and referred me to programs that would assist me with improving the energy efficiency of the property
And for all of this five-​star white glove service, John’s rates are highly competitive. Quite frankly, anyone considering a home purchase in the Pioneer Valley would be crazy not to get an inspection from John Rodkey!

I chose John Rodkey for a home inspection based on the reviews here on Unilocal,and he was every bit as good as everyone said.
He is extremely thorough, photographs everything, and gets the report back to you extremely quickly.
We’ve now hired him on two occasions, and the experience the second time was just as great as the first.
On top of the fact that he does great work, he’s good company and fun to talk with during the process, which I think is important — if you’re going to get a long list of all the things that are wrong with the house you are going to buy, it’s nice to go through it with someone cheerful, who isn’t going to make you feel miserable for the rest of the day.
If we need another home inspector in the area, he’ll definitely get the call again.

John Rodkey recently inspected a house that we are planning to purchase and we couldn’t be happier with the service we received from him. Frankly speaking, he is one of the most professional contractors I have ever worked with.
Here’s a quick summary —
He arrived ten minutes early and got right to work.
He talked me through the inspection and he happily answered my questions as he went though the house.
He documented the entire inspection with a digital camera.
On the day after the inspection he sent us a detailed 49 page inspection report.
His inspection report was extremely thorough and included a incredible amount of detail.
If you have any doubts just visit his web site take a look at the sample reports.
I would be very happy to use John Rodkey again.

My husband and I recently hired John Rodkey to inspect a property we are purchasing locally. This is the 3^rd home we buy together and so our third experience with an inspector.
Wow! is the best way I can describe Mr. Rodkey’s inspection and customer service. Head and shoulders above the rest. We lucked out into hiring him because he was available on short notice, and what a piece of luck that was.
The arrangements and pre-​inspection preparation were very thorough and professional.
On the day of the inspection, Mr. Rodkey arrived right on time and proved to be a very pleasant, courteous and knowledgeable person. He spent well over two hours reviewing the exterior and interior, nuts and bolts, of our prospective home. As we went through it with him he took care to explain everything he was looking at and gave us many useful ideas and pointers. It was the most thorough inspection we’ve ever had.
We were delighted to receive his report within 24 hours via email. The report was the best inspection report I have ever seen. It was extremely thorough — almost 50 pages. The report is organized into sections that make it easy to understand what is being explained, and accompanied by numerous excellent color photographs. It highlights in red the problem areas and recommendations. At the end of the report, a very useful summary page that refers to the main body of the report makes your job as a Buyer even easier. We used this summary page to communicate and negotiate with the Sellers and it proved to be super useful.
In addition to all this, Mr. Rodkey went over and beyond the call of duty in being available after the inspection and report had been completed. I had several questions that came up and he made sure to answer them all promptly and thoroughly. This is so important when one is in the process of buying a home, where time is of the essence. He even went so far as to email me a picture of another home where a renovation similar to one we are contemplating was done, so we could visualize it.
Mr. Rodkey made us feel that there is someone with us in this process who has our best interests at heart and truly cares that all goes as well as possible for us. I give Mr. Rodkey my highest recommendation.

This was not our first home buying experience, so I’ve met several inspectors now. By far, of all my experiences, JM Rodkey did the the best job. He was on time and incredibly thorough.
We were having a home built in the 1980s inspected. John was knowledgeable about the materials and methods used during the time period, could explain how the house was constructed, what was good, bad and indifferent about the work. He worked his way through the house methodically and spent nearly 3 hours with us! He employed current technology, such as a thermal imaging camera and continuous radon monitor to provide the best quality possible.
Despite all the extra service and work John did, he was not notably more expensive than any other inspector. He’s simply better at doing it. My agent was so impressed he asked for his business card so he could recommend John to future clients as well.
Although our deal fell through with the house we made the offer on (thanks to John’s thorough inspection job, we found major issues), I will be using JM Rodkey’s services again! He’s not an inspector who simply tells you what you want to hear, and as frustrating as that can be, in the long run it will save you a LOT of heartache.

John came very highly recommended to me by my agent. I see why. John made this process very easy. He returned my call promptly to set up an appointment and sent an appointment confirmation to my email address. I was able to sign the agreement for his service online so that I had time to review and understand what the home inspection would be covering, rather than being rushed to read and sign in person. He showed up on time for the inspection and I was able to see what he was looking for and ask questions. John identified problems in the house, but always looked to see if he could find the source of the problem and whether that had been fixed or not. The day after the inspection I received a 41 page report with pictures he had taken that day. He briefly described problems he had identified and rated their urgency for repair. This report alone is well worth the inspection’s price. Going into the purchase of my first home, yes I have completed the required home inspection, but now I have a to-​do list for when I move in. The comments throughout the report are organized and understandable to all. It’s immediately clear that John enjoys what he does, and after seeing his work it’s clear that he’s very, very good at it.