Reviews

As a Designer, Professor of Architecture, and someone who spends a lot of time around construction sites I can say, without question that Ross is one of the most capable and honest inspectors that I've ever worked with.

My design firm is about to begin a potentially complicated project in Chicago and thanks to Ross's attentiveness and experience we're going to move forward with the project with total confidence and clarity.

Beyond just the inspection, we intend to retain Ross and Domicile Consulting to stay on and consult for us during construction--that's how much we appreciated his vision.

Hire this person and your projects go better and you'll sleep better as a result of it.

Danny F.
Cliffside Park, NJ

Ross Neag of Domicile Consulting was our inspector. I needed his expertise on a house we were buying. I had NO idea who to choose so we went to YELP for the highest reviews and they came up!

When I talked to Ross on the phone he was very nice and when I asked him what sets him apart from the rest - he said he treats his clients as if they are family. And that was sooo true!! It was like having my well informed uncle or brother near our side.

He was able to tell us in person the problem areas - whether big or small what was going on with this old frame house in Chicago. There was never a point in the inspection that we didn't understand something - and if it was something challenging - he would break it down to terms we understood.

His finished report was available online and in full detail - including photos with either arrows or circled items. It was very thorough inspection of the house. Including the performance of the house and how best to optimize the house. Amazing.

In the end there was way too much stuff to do to the house - and learned it was basically the 'lip stick on a pig' house. So a big THANKS to Ross for finding all the hidden problems that this owner was trying to hide with paint and what not. We did not go through the process of buying the house.

NOTE: about 2/3rds way through his inspection he realized that everything was going to cost too much to fix - because he knew our budget. So he basically stopped the inspection after he got all the ammo we would need to pull out of our accepted contract. And in doing so he saved us money on his inspection. Smart!

The next time we need an inspector - we're using Ross again. He's super friendly and we'll recommend him to all our friends and family - as he did treat us as family!

Tom K.
Chicago, IL

We have bought and sold several places and have worked with a number of different inspectors... Domicile is by far the best we have used.



Ross was professional, patient and very thorough.  He not only pointed out issues with the property, but also provided helpful suggestions for potential courses of action.  Domicile's reports are sent electronically, complete with numerous photos, while some other companies still scribble hand-written reports.  The detailed final report can serve as the home owner's "punch list" of items for negotiation and improvements to work on both short and long term.



First-time home buyers in particular should keep in mind that no home is going to inspect "perfectly."   One of the things I liked about Domicile is that Ross began the inspection by reminding us of this fact -- that he is there to hold the property up against the ideal, which of course does not exist.

James S.
Chicago, IL

As a first time home...anything really, browser, finder, offerer, purchaser, I was recommended Domicile by my realtor.  And honestly, Ross couldn't have been nicer or more thorough.  

He went on the roof, in the attic, filled the tub for a bath and took pictures of absolutely everything.  I will probably be using my report for the next year as a guide.  What can I do to the house next?

I cannot recommend Ross enough, he made my scary first inspection fascinating and friendly.

Just wanted to add - I hired a contractor to do some work on the house (it's old, it had issues) and he is literally using the report as a guide.  He keeps a copy at the house and frequently contacts me about items he read in the report that his guys might be able to do.

Katie R.
Chicago, IL

I've had the opportunity to work with Ross on several projects and he is the most knowledgeable inspector I've come across. He truly understands the way a building should be constructed and has a gift for explaining it to you in a way you can understand. I would never consider buying a property without having Ross inspect it.

Aaron P.
Chicago, IL

Ross is the #23 Air Jordan of Home Inspectors.  Yes, I know that is a bold statement, and would seem like a shill review if it was not for all the other 5 star reviews here.  I have used Ross twice and referred him to countless others and everybody always walks away more than satisfied.  "Blown Away" is more like it.  Ross arrived at our inspection on time, and quickly got to work, inspecting every tiny detail and taking pictures of just about everything.  Ross explained a lot of details as he worked, showing me small projects I could easily fix myself later as well as identifying best practices.  At the end, Ross took a few minutes to talk to me and reassure me that I was purchasing a nice house.  He then delivered one of his extremely thorough reports electronically less than 12 hours after he was done.  



Perhaps the best endorsement for Ross's services is this:  I watched the seller of the house I was purchasing ask Ross for a business card because she would consider using him later.



I can tell you from experience that you should always get any home you buy inspected and you should always use Domicile.

Adam L.
Chicago, IL

I have bought two properties now, and thank the maker I have found Ross.  Ross is everything you could ever want in an inspector--honest, smart, thorough, hard working, reliable, and for the record, pretty FRICKIN cool.  I emailed Ross in a tizzy a couple days ago, "Holy crap dude, the seller accepted my deal.  Can you get out here...Saturday morning?

"

Ross not only agreed and met me at the property--but he asked if he could bring his contractor through the following day just to make sure that my contractor's numbers were reasonable.  No extra charge.



Amazing.  Ross is the only game in town for inspections.  Don’t be a fool.  Call him immediately.

Jon F.
Chicago, IL

No question, FIVE STARS.  Ross Neag is the most thorough inspector we could have hired.  He spent three+ hours looking over our smallish condo, wrote a 57-page DETAILED report and saved us a lot of money because he gave us the knowledge to ask for a reasonable credit to get lots of small repairs done.  And he charges a reasonable fee!!



Will he scare you about everything that could go wrong?  Maybe.  But I'd rather know going in than after having bought a place.  And when we asked him if it was a safe buy, he gave us his honest opinion and gave us to go ahead.  We're making all the little repairs now and saving even more money than if we waited for problems to present themselves to us.



He even hung out with my mom (who works in construction) and showed her everything he was looking into and why.  He's just the nicest guy and brilliant too.  I would recommend him 100 times over.

Mara S.
Chicago, IL

I chose Domicile Consulting because of the Yelp reviews, and I'm glad I did. I can't recommend Dan at Domicile Consulting highly enough. Not only did he provide a thorough, professional inspection and report, but he has gone out of his way to respond to my many follow-up questions about how to address some of the report findings. Literally weeks after he was paid for his inspection and report, he is still graciously providing guidance that is invaluable to this first-time owner. And he has never tried to spin my follow-up questions into me spending more with him or anyone else. Quite the opposite: he's steered me away from paying for work or more inspections when it was something I could do myself or something that he could explain over the phone or in email.

It's rare in this world to simply get what you paid for, so having Dan go above and beyond is really appreciated. If you want an inspector that will not only find problems but help you navigate the bumpy road of fixing them, finding reputable contractors, etc., call Domicile.

Andy C.
Chicago, IL

Dan was great when we used him for our home inspection a couple of months ago.  His report was extremely thorough, great photos, and he was very knowledgeable and definitely made us feel at ease during the stressful time of purchasing a home.



I would definitely recommend Domicile Consulting if you want a trustworthy, reasonably priced, and thorough home inspection.  I'd call them in a heartbeat if i had any future house issues that needed a careful eye.
J.C.
Chicago, IL

We're moving out from Los Angeles to Chicago (the usual response we've been getting is, "Why in the hell would anyone do that?") in early 2010 and we just got our offer accepted on a condo in Old Town.  Since we are "out-of-towners" for the time being, choosing an experienced, trustworthy, non-biased home inspector was of the utmost importance.



After searching around for a while and reading the good Yelp reviews, i decided to go with Dan Cullen at Domicile Consulting.  Ohhhh Yelp has never let my foodie tastebuds down before in L.A., and so far in Chi-town it has proven itself worthy yet again!



Dan rocks and is worth his weight in gold.  He is patient, smart, and you really get the sense that he is your advocate in the whole terrifying home-buying process.  It meant more than i can express to know that I had someone competent inspecting my potential future home, since we couldn't be there in person.



Dan's report was extremely thorough and the photos were awesome.  It makes it really easy to shop around to get estimates from out of state.  Talking to Dan post-inspection was also great.  He is friendly, honest, doesn't rush you, and gives extremely helpful suggestions on how to deal with issues found in your inspection.

Use Domicile Consulting, you won't regret it!!!!!!

Allie S.
Chicago, IL

First of all....DO NOT CALL ANYONE ELSE OTHER THAN DOMICILE....they are very reasonably priced and I have shown there report to at least 4 General Contractor's and several Real Estate Brokers, all of them unanimously said this was the most thorough home inspection they have ever seen. Not only were Ross Neag and his team on time, cost effective and exceptional, but was extremely available for follow up questions and insight. I received thousands from my seller due to their hard work and dedication. I actually had them inspect my Green Home is Chicago and they did an exceptional job testing the air quality and energy efficiency of my new home. This is my 3rd home in Chicago and my 3rd inspector, I will NEVER recommended anyone else besides Domicile. Without a doubt far exceeded my expectations.  Thanks Guys!

Michael G.
Chicago, IL

Great service from Dan Cullen. The inspection was very thorough, as were Dan's explanations of the findings and possible solutions. His knowledge of energy use and energy efficiency just add to the value of the inspection - in addition to noting any code violations, repairs, etc, he also gave us plenty of suggestions as to how we could make the home more efficient. Over the next few years, I wouldn't be surprised if we as much $$$ in energy as the inspection itself cost!



He's got a keen eye, and for what his eye misses, he's got the arsenal of tools (including thermal imaging lol) to spot potential issues. Will definitely call Dan for any future inspections I need, and would confidently refer/recommend to anyone.

Will H.
Chicago, IL

We had a significant amount of water damage in our condo due to a recent rainstorm, and I had no idea where to start.  I got a recommendation to call Domicile Consulting and spoke to Ross Neag.  Ross was able to come to our place the very same day to investigate the problem.  The service we got was above and beyond my expectations considering the inspectors I have worked with in the past.  Ross's attention to detail was fantastic, and the detailed analysis he provided on the water leak helped me find the cause of the problem and come up with a plan to fix this.  This likely saved me hundreds of dollars!



We will be using Domicile for all of our future inspection needs.  I can't recommend them highly enough.

Mike L.
Chicago, IL

Dan was our inspector and did a fantastic job. For the first property, we called on a Saturday and he accommodated our request to perform the inspection Monday since we were leaving town on Tuesday. The building manager was not available so he kindly returned that Wednesday to complete the roof portion of the inspection. The report was extremely thorough and included even very minor things, like the fact that a peephole that can see the entire hallway would be preferable to the one currently installed. That property fell through, and my husband and I were out of town and on a deadline, so we put an offer in on another condo in the same building sight unseen because we knew we could trust Dan to do a thorough job, and send a report with lots of pictures. Dan was very patient with us as first time home buyers, always responded quickly to questions, and gave us estimates on what things would cost to fix or replace. He looked out for our best interest, even checking in with us on some issues with the structure to ensure we didn't overlook some very expensive repairs.

I used Dan Cullen and his firm, Domicile Consulting, when I originally bought my condo several years ago. Since that time, our Condo Association has hired him for routine common-area inspections every few years and to give his professional opinion in dealing with issues related to our roof and flashing. In the past few months, I have contacted Dan regarding an issue with my condo (i.e. slight slope to the floor in a small area within my condo).

Dan was very helpful with both his evaluation and his recommendation of how to remedy the issue. He came to my condo several times to run various tests and came up with a solution that was acceptable to me and the other condo owners. Dan looked at the specific issue at hand in relation to his knowledge of the building over the last 8 years. In doing this, he was able to eliminate possible causes and put the issue in context (i.e., it was a fixable issue at a reasonable cost). I had a few vendors out before calling Dan and everyone had a different opinion and I was not sure how to handle which was why I turned to Dan. I had a very positive experience dealing with him and would highly recommend him based on my experience in working with him for 8 years. He is always open to a phone call or email and follow-up questions. He has also been very patient in dealing with my many questions and putting things in layman’s terms.

Ross checked everything in the house from the light fixtures to the roof. He brought a variety of professional tools and a camera and carefully documented all of his findings in the home. He then gave us an in-person debriefing and sent us a published online report for future reference. Ross followed up with a list of contractors in every field to help us fix and repair as needed.

Our experience with Ross and Domicile was wonderful. We couldn't have asked for more. He showed up on time, did a thorough job, charged a fair price and has been consistently available for follow up work and conversations. Ross is a true professional who takes pride in his work and takes great care of his clients. I have used him again and will continue to do so as required in the future.

Great. Inspector showed up a little early, extremely thorough, showed me everything. He was helpful in telling me the good things about the house, explained the expected life of the roof, furnace, etc., explained what needed to be fixed and what type of contractor would need to fix it, and whether this was a small fix or a big fix. He was so thorough that the seller of the house who was present during the inspection asked for his card so they could use this company in their new house. They emailed the report with great photos of the problems they identified with red arrows pointing to the problem in the picture. The report came earlier than expected. We are buying at the end of the tax credit, and there is a flurry of houses being inspected right now, but they were still timely and professional in the report. They have an angie's list coupon - 5% off, nice but I would pay full price because they were so good.

I have made several real estate purchases in the last few years and the inspection by Dan Cullen was by far the most thorough inspection that has been performed on my behalf. I called several inspectors to determine how they would examine the radiant heating system in the house and most simply planned to turn on the system to make sure it worked. Domicile consulting used technology, specifically a thermal imaging tool, to address the issue. Their tools enabled me to see where the heating pipes were in the building and to check for leaks. Although I was impressed with the technology, the best part about the inspection was Dan's attention to detail, thorough documentation (including pictures of every issue) and his patience with my questions. All in all, a top notch inspection.

I used Inspector Dan Cullen at Domicile for 2 home inspections this spring. Dan was very thorough; even the seller's agent as well as my agent commented on his thoroughness. He takes his time and looks at everything. The first place I bid on had many safety issues - the worst being a furnace setup that was out of city code and could have had fatal consequences. There was also issues with a gas leak in the kitchen, which Dan was able to confirm with a hand-held gadget, and water behind the walls in the tub (I never would have seen it) which he also confirmed with a different hand-held gadget. Dad was very candid about the state of the property, and I truly appreciated that. He let me know that I could have been getting myself into a property with lots of big issues. He saw things I could not have, and let me know. You can tell he knows his stuff about what good construction should be because he explains what the roof should look like, how things should be installed, etc. He also calls out safety hazards. After the bad house, Dan inspected my dream home and although it was newer construction, but he still did a detailed walk through of everything from A to Z and gave me tons of maintenance tips. He is frank about what needs to be fixed or replaced and I feel more comfortable as a first time home buyer because of his advice. He takes digital photos of everything and provides a detailed report. The prices are very reasonable. I would use him again and will recommend him to my friends. I found Domicile and Angie's List and there are good reviews there as well.

Dan and his assistant performed an inspection of a home that we are planning on purchasing. The home was built in 1906, and they made sure to look at everything -- and provided us with a detailed report *full* of photos and documentation.

They were personable, hard-working, on-time, honest, and, most of all, very detail-oriented. Using their report, we have been able to get the sellers to give us a $5K credit at closing for various items they inspected. Our realtor, who has been working in the industry for 20+ years, told us that if he were a seller, he'd be "nervous about seeing this report" because everything was so well-documented and described. Dan submitted the report within 24 hours after the inspection and was a pleasure to work with. While we're not planning on buying another home any time soon, we would definitely call Dan if we were doing so. I can't recommend him highly enough.

Dan arrived early, worked late, thought hard about his advice and was genuinely interested in helping me make the best decision I could.

Complete building inspection of a condominium.

Dan Cullen made a preliminary inspection and his knowledge and professionalism were evident. I scheduled a formal inspection and shortly thereafter he delivered his report. I requested a presentation of this report and he revisited our building to do so to the full condo association. We are very pleased with his thoroughness and intend on partnering with him on our improvement projects.

Dan Cullen (and his son) did a thorough home inspection on a 21-yr old, 3500 sq ft colonial house we were buying.

I called a couple inspectors to get a couple bids, and decided to go with Dan. He was very professional, and I liked that I could go online to schedule a home inspection. He was available to come out the next day, and even when I rescheduled (online) for the following day, he was able to accommodate. He also clarified via email that I was indeed cancelling the original date, which I appreciated. (I always like when someone makes an effort toward clear communication). Dan and his son showed up on time (even a few minutes early), as they were already at work when I arrived. Dan had already been on the roof and was in the process of inspecting the rest of the exterior while his son was inside inspecting other areas. Dan also inspected the entire interior of the home, from the attic (both the house attic and the attic above the garage), as well as throughout the 2-story home and basement. He took photos of everything he saw noteworthy, and even noted that there was evidence of mice in the attic. We received the inspection report less than 48 hours later, accessible online (you can also print it), complete with detailed photos, comments and suggestions. It indeed was extremely detailed, which we liked, of course. (e.g. Comments on the sprinkler system, possible water leaking in the bathroom previously, the mice, comments about the furnaces and how they were set up/structured, crawlspace, etc). We were also able to forward the report to our attorney, and I think the report is available for a year? Dan was really nice, laid back yet very professional. During the inspection, he took time to point out and explain to us the things he found and answered any questions we had. He also made himself available to answer any questions or concerns post-inspection. We did contact him a day or two after receiving the report, as we felt a little overwhelmed at all the issues that were addressed and weren't sure how to digest it all. He helped ease our concerns, put things in perspective, and helped us to understand which things might be priority from his point of view. We would definitely hire him again (should we move again).

Ross was great, he showed up on time, and planned his inspection efficiently to take advantage of the daylight for the exterior inspection while he still had it. He was very informative, we learned quite a bit during the process to help us maintain the home and some good tips to make it more energy efficient. He walked the roof and the garage roof, went in the attic and generally looked over area of the house. He ended up spending almost three hours on the inspection, which we thought was absolutely great, since it demonstrated his professionalism and commitment to quality. Domicile Consulting was more expensive than any other company we looked at, but they were also the most professional. At the end of the day, it was worth every penny! Our realtor had good things to say as well...he said that a few weeks prior to ours, Ross had done an inspection that (unfortunately for our realtor) killed the deal, which is definitely what you want to hear as a buyer. I would definitely Ross to you.

We have been using Dan's services for the past 2 years or so and he has NEVER failed us. Dan did a home inspection for us once again on the listed date. His attention to detail far surpasses that of past inspectors that I have used. He is punctual and takes the time to explain the issues that he uncovers. His reports are detailed and easy to understand. In a nut shell, Dan inspected a potential home purchase for us and found many issues with the house. After reviewing the inspection report, we decided that purchasing the home would have been a mistake. Dan's report saved us from a HUGE potential money pit. I am grateful to him and will use him again...

I would highly recommend Domicile Consulting Services. I have worked with both Dan Cullen and Ross Neag. They are extremely honest, ethical, and intelligent professionals. They use the latest technology to diagnose building problems and recommend remedies. I hired Domicile Consulting Services to help me pin point problems in my new construction townhouse. Dan Cullen has gone above and beyond his duties. He does not hesitate to come out to my house to do inspections and write out reports. Dan has been a bright light in a terrible warranty situation. You can't go wrong by hiring Domicile Consulting Services!

We asked Dan Cullen at Domicile to perform a full inspection of our three-unit condo building. We primarily wanted some outside, objective guidance on how to deal with masonry/waterproofing issues but we also wanted the inspection done in order to help us build a "to-do" list of future projects. Dan did a walk-through of the entire property with all three condo owners and then prepared a 16-page written report for us complete with pictures. It was a great learning experience for all of us and the report will help us with getting bids and working with potential service providers.