Sherlock Homes Inspectors
Home Inspection Horrors
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Sherlock Homes Inspectors Home Inspection Horrors
Our Home Inspection Horrors showcase features photos from professional inspections and legal consultations throughout Calgary and Okotoks.
View real examples of new build defects, safety hazards, and contractor errors documented by our Alberta-based expert witness team.
Leaking Pump
During an inspection a stain was noted on a bathroom ceiling and traced to this sub-standard pump installation in the attic area. This is a very sub-standard install for a shower system.
House of Horrors
This client requested a sewer scope inspection which uncovered a collapsed drain and tree roots. The roots were removed and the drain pipes replaced.
$65,000.00 Hole!
A client who lived in Toronto contacted me and asked if I would check out a property he had purchased in Calgary NW. He had concerns that he'd hired contractors to develop a basement for him, paid them $45,000 upfront, 4 weeks went by and he'd had no update & they were not answering their phone. When I arrived on site, this was the state of things. The door, according to the drawing was in the wrong place, the tenant in the flat above said, the guys dug the hole and she'd not seen them since. Needless to say, my client was none-too-pleased when received this photo.
Spaghetii Junction
Discovered during an inspection. Breaks all electrical code from too many cables and Marretts for a 100 x 100 box with no fitting of a cover possible.
Basement development
Discovered during a home inspection how a builder developing a basement decided to leave a client with over 2 ton of rubble on the floor up against a gas heated hot water tank
House fire
This tumble Drier caught fire and caused severe damage to the property due to the vent blocked with lint. See image to the right >>>
Blocked vent
This blocked drier vent caused the actual appliance to catch fire, which in turn caused severe damage to the property. See image to the left.
Safety issue
Circuit breakers missing and no panel fillers fitted. This is a safety issue due to the live bus exposed
Botched cover plate
Why move the mirror when its easier to remove the receptacle cover plate and cut 15 mm off the left side?!
$12,000.00 Disaster
We were asked to provide an expert witness statement, regarding the quality build of this deck, whereby the client was charged a mind-blowing $12,000.00 by a carpenter in High River. The client sued the carpenter, we attended court and provided expert testimony
Main staircase
This was the side entrance staircase to the property, which upon investigation we discovered had next to nothing for a foundation. Inevitably it sank.
Poly-B Pipe
This is the dreaded Poly-B pipework. This style of pipework can rupture at any point in time. Some insurance companies will not cover any damage with this style of pipework, if not disclosed. Some will charge higher premiums, we've also had clients say they have insisted it be completely removed before they'll insure.
Nuisance tripping
A client of ours in the UK, complained of nuisance tripping. Upon testing, we discovered the fault was this dangerously wired junction box inside the plasterboard wall.
Chimney flashing
During a home inspection we discovered moisture internally when using carrying thermography of the property. It was discovered the moisture was due to the very poorly flashed chimney. When this was pointed out to the client, they informed us that a week before the inspection, they paid a local contractor in Turney Valley $750.00 to replace the flashing - this was the result!
Mould issue
This was all due to a non-working fan.
11 month warranty Inspection - Image 1
This was another witness statement prepared for a clients in his their brand new, $2.5 million dollar home. Incredibly, this was new build property and the builders - whilst still onsite, refused to do anything about this problem. My clients had tolerated this for 11 months!! Their defence was: "The plumber that was fitting these on site has now been fired?!" AND??
Image 2
With our help and report, clients started legal proceedings against the builder. A group action lawsuit was filed which included other homeowners due to the level of sub-standard work. The case was settled out of court due to the overwhelming evidence. My clients finally got to close the bathroom door 18 months after they moved into their new property! 🙂
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Areas We Serve:
As a proud local provider, we deliver top-tier, comprehensive Home Inspection Services across the greater Calgary region and surrounding Southern Alberta communities. Our fully mobile team travels directly to your property, bringing years of trusted expertise and reliable, detailed reporting to home buyers, sellers, and real estate agents throughout the YYC area. From urban neighbuorhoods to rural counties, we are dedicated to protecting your investment with prompt response times and exceptional attention to detail. See our comprehensive list of served areas below to find your community: