The Premier Kansas City Home Inspector. Offering Complete home inspection services for Kansas City and the Johnson County Kansas area.

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CLIENT REVIEWS

"Thank you for the thorough and informative analysis of our new home. My family and I greatly appreciate your expertise"

C. Reynolds
Raymore, Mo.

In deciding whether
to use Bulldog^®, consider our
Mission Statement:

"Our mission is to provide our clients with the highest level of professionalism and moral integrity, requiring all inspectors to meet and maintain rigorous training and standards of practice.

We also strive to exceed the needs & expectations of our clients and exemplify the best that the home inspection industry has to offer by delivering the very best service at the best value, staying abreast all
current industry developments,
and consistently seeking performance reviews to continuously improve service & client loyalty. We commit ourselves to elevating consumer confidence in our s ervices by always demonstrating smart, honest, reliable, & ethical business practices.

Client service & loyalty is always our #1 priority."

The Premier Kansas City Buyers Inspection

The only way to know for sure if you're buying a dream home or money pit is to hire an experienced, certified Kansas City home inspector.

Newcomers, part timers, and family members simply don't have the ability to provide the comprehensive inspection and report that you'll need and trust to take to the sellers.

By the way, discover how to avoid the costly mistake of hiring the wrong home inspector by signing up for our FREE report "5 Secrets To Selecting The Right Home Inspector."

And while the average home inspection covers a little over 400 items, A Bulldog^® inspection covers 1600+ items inspected in and around the home. Our Premium Kansas City home inspections exceed industry standards and are among the most thorough in the industry, exposing unknown defects and advising you about future maintenance or recommended improvements.

As your Premium Kansas City Home Inspection Company, we perform a 100% inspection – no representative sampling. If it's accessible, we inspect it, test it & report on it. We even GUARANTEE our inspections!

We cover the following areas:

Property and Site
Exterior
Roof & Attic Structure
All Living Areas, including :
• ceilings
• walls
• floors
• windows
• doors
• lights and ceiling fans
• outlets
Garages
Electrical System
Heating & Air Conditioning System
Plumbing System
Kitchens
Bathrooms
Health, Fire, and Safety

Property and Site

Inspection of the property and site will include items such as grading for drainage, patios, porches, decks, trees and bushes which may have an effect on the home and all other items as they relate to the grading and landscaping of the house. Patios and the surrounding soil should be pitched away from the house to keep water from collecting at the foundation and possibly undermining the foundation. Trees and bushes need to be trimmed away from the exterior to prevent wear, damages, an easy path for wood destroying insects, and interstitial mold.
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Exterior

The exterior of the home protects the interior of the home. These exterior components of the property include the foundation, retaining walls, siding, trim, windows, chimneys and related items. Each of these items are inspected for its condition and how it relates to the dwelling. Defects in exterior components such as the foundation, windows or siding can affect other components of the home.
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Roof & Attic Structure

The roof and attic structure provide primary protection for all the components of the building envelope (the separation between the interior and the exterior environments). There are numerous roof styles and finish materials. Each style and material is inspected carefully for wear, leaks, defects and other deficiencies. Roofing problems that go undetected can cause serious harm to other components of the building. Styles and types of roofs are dictated by location, age, and preference. Your inspector will carefully evaluate the condition of the material used and note defects. The attic of the home is the uppermost portion of the dwelling, which still remains on the interior. Attics are often used by homeowners for storage and sometimes finished for additional living space if construction style allows (or sometimes even when it doesn't). An attic that is unfinished and accessible can be inspected for quality construction, insulation type and thickness, water penetration, venting, pest or rodent entry and exposed electrical hazards. Your inspector will be looking for signs that may indicate hidden problems as well as a safety concerns.
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All Living Areas¹

Interior components of the house include the various rooms and related items. Your inspector will go through each room including all visible and accessible areas of the house.This is an important part of the inspection because symptoms of larger problems are often visible in these areas. Settling can be noticed in the floors and walls. Roof or plumbing leaks may be noticed on the ceilings. Poor installation of outlets and the HVAC system may be visible. Your inspector will go through each room making notes of relevant defects.
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Garages

The garage inspection will include an attached or detached garage. A few of the items to be inspected will be the proper installation of any electrical service (including ground fault circuit interruption (GFCI) protection at outlets) and any heat source (wood stove, space heating or central HVAC system). It is also important to inspect for auto-reverse mechanisms on the garage doors, lighting, and any structural movement. For attached garages, the inspector will also inspect for specific items, including proper firewalls and auto-close mechanisms at the access doors. This just names a few.
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Electrical System

The type, condition, and complexity of the electrical system will have much to do with the age of the home. The older the home, the more complex and time-consuming the electrical inspection tends to be. In particularly old homes, the inspector will often come across knob-and-tube wiring or 60-amp service (both of these conditions will often prevent the new homeowners from attaining homeowners insurance). The inspection will involve inspecting electrical outlets and switches, lighting, any visible electrical wiring in the attic and basement, and the removal of the dead front cover to the main distribution panel. This system is often the most complex to inspect in any home.
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Heating & Air Conditioning System

A safe and comfortable living environment is provided by the mechanical systems of the house. Each system has many components and there are also many different types systems (for example, a heat pump –vs- central heating and a/c). Your inspector will evaluate the safe and proper operation of each system and report any defects. The mechanical systems include all interior and exterior components.
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Plumbing System

The plumbing systems include all piping, fixtures, appliances and accessories (both water and natural gas) together with the sanitary or storm drainage services, venting systems and public or private water supply systems. The plumbing system consists of three systems: (1) water supply, (2) drain and waste disposal, and (3) mechanical (toilets, showers, tubs, sinks, etc.). Your inspector will inspect and operate all fixtures and run several gallons of water through the plumbing system, thoroughly exercising this system. Leaking pipes, dripping valves, clogged pipes, corrosion, reversed hot and cold water supplies, limited hot water or inadequate water pressure are indications of a defective plumbing system.
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Kitchens

The kitchen is the heart and soul of the home. This is where most Americans spend their time when home and not sleeping. Kitchens, which were often installed using sub-standard materials and products, will be a source of expensive future upgrades and (and often just as profitable is the return on the investment). Poor quality or worn cabinets and countertops may require expensive upgrading or repair and recent cosmetic repairs will be looked at carefully to determine the quality of work and whether or not they were done to mask a more serious problem. The inspector will look for water damage around the sink, dishwasher and refrigerator as well as for safety hazards.
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Bathrooms

Besides the kitchen, the bathroom is normally one of the most expensive areas to replace or refurbish. With simple maintenance, such as caulking and grouting of tub and shower areas, expensive repairs can be avoided. Many future homeowners badly underestimate the cost of bathroom replacement because of the underlying defects, which require repairs. A well maintained, but outdated bathroom can often be updated at a reasonable cost by replacing wallpaper, shower doors, sink vanity and other minor items. The inspector will carefully check all areas including the sink and vanity, tub and shower, and around the toilet. These areas are more prone to hidden water damage. The inspector will advise you of visible defects and alert you to potential hidden defects such as leaking shower pans, which can only be checked in a limited capacity.
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Health, Fire, and Safety

Under health, fire, and safety are items such as emergency egress windows, hand railings, smoke detectors, Carbon Monoxide detectors (including their operation and proper placement), the presence of Radon gas², mold², ventilation and combustion air in rooms with gas fired appliances (fireplaces, furnaces, and water heaters), along with many other safety items. These areas are all inspected, operated, tested, and reported on by your inspector. And since they are very important for your family’s safety, rest assured that they will all be take very seriously by your inspector.
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We also test and inspect:

Central heating in heating season
Central cooling in cooling season
Plumbing fixtures in kitchens and baths
Water Heaters
Built-in Appliances

^1. When unobstructed and accessible
^2. These tests must be ordered separately and additional charges will apply

So, who should you call to schedule Your Premier Kansas City Home Inspection? There's only one choice to ensure that you get The Peace of Mind you're looking for...that's Bulldog Professional Inspection Services.

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