R Michael Gray PE, Houston home inspector for 25 years, author of Homebuyer's Guide to Slab-on-Ground Foundations and webmaster for www.houston-slab-foundations.info, specializes in providing home buyers with...

HOUSTON TEXAS HOME INSPECTION REPORTS FOR NEW HOMES IN 12 HOURS

R Michael Gray PE      281-358-1121

HOUSTON HOME INSPECTIONS           FOUNDATION INSPECTIONS

NEW HOUSTON HOME INSPECTIONS      OTHER ENGINEERING SERVICES

 

Free Reports for Houston Home Buyers

Tips For a Faster, Easier and More Thorough Inspection

Should you retain a Texas Licensed  Houston Home Inspector or a Texas Professional Engineer?

What You Should Know About C.L.U.E. Reports

Who is R Michael Gray, PE?

Over 25 years experience as a Houston Home  Inspector/Texas Professional Engineer

Texas Professional Structural Engineer, #72949.

SBCCI Registered One and Two Family (code) Inspector, #4700

Author of the book, Buyer's Guide to Slab-on-Ground Foundations.

Has inspected over 13,000 homes as a Houston home inspector and Texas Professional Structural Engineer

Author of two professional papers regarding evaluation of  slab-on-ground foundations.

Coauthor of Guidelines for the Evaluation of Foundation Movement for Residential and Other Low-Rise Buildings published by the Foundation Performance Association

What They Say About R Michael Gray, PE

"We have bought 9 homes during  our adult life.  We have never seen an  inspection this thorough."   

"We started a foundation watering program and installed root barriers for three trees a year ago.  The root barriers solved the problem.  Your advice saved us at least $15,000."

"I know when my buyers pick you they will get a thorough, detailed report.  When I am the listing agent and I hear the buyer has selected  Michael Gray, I just cross my fingers."

"I did not like you at all when you inspected the house I was selling.  Now that I am the buyer - I want you on my side."

Companies My Clients Worked For

Exxon-Mobil, Shell Oil, Conoco-Phillips, Chevron, Houston Port Authority, Brown and Root, Kellogg Brown and Root, Halliburton, Delta Engineering, Forensic Engineers, Inc., Friendswood Development, Village Builders, Newmark Builders, Shaw Group, DPIS Engineering, Fluor, Wells Fargo,  City of Houston, MD Anderson, Momentum Energy, Memorial Hermann, Occidental, Bayer Chemical, Arco, The Offshore Company, Administaff, Holloman Engineering, Klad Manufacturing, Rice University, Bechtel, Kitchens and More, Texas Childrens Hospital, Cintas Corporation, IBM, Continental Airlines, University of Houston, St. Thomas University

Terms of Service

Privacy Policy

Texas Engineering Firm Registration Number
F-2171

 

We are committed to emailing your new home HOUSTON texas ENGINEERING HOME INSPECTION report within 12 hours of the inspection

Engineers commonly take 3 to 5 days to email a written report.  After over 13,000 inspections, I know how to organize my work to get you a thorough, accurate engineering home inspection report within 12 hours.  There are no secrets.  Here is how we do it.

  • I inspect only one house per day.  Not two, not three, just one. Your home has my full, undivided attention. 

  • A state-of-the-art digital recorder is used to save time and create more accurate reports.

  • A state-of-the-art digital camera results in a more accurate, thorough and informative report.

  • I use a lap-top computer at the house so I can enter my inspection observations directly into the computer. This saves time and allows me to double check the information for accuracy and completeness. 

  • I use a copyrighted report format that I designed to facilitate producing accurate, timely inspection reports.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT MY HOUSTON texas new home ENGINEERING INSPECTION reportS 

  1. Why do I need to inspect a new home? Buyers are usually not qualifed to judge the quality of the materials and workmanship on the structrural, mechancial and electrical systems in new construction.  For new construction, I visit the house to make a very detailed survey of the materials and equipment used in the fabrication of the house. I also note the visible workmanship in key components and systems in the house.  These observations are used to make a judgment of the overall quality of the house and the quality of each major component or system. I report on the quality and workmanship of the roof covering, the roof framing, the foundation, the structural trim and finish, the electrical system, the plumbing, the heating, the air conditioning, the water heater(s) and the kitchen appliances. 

    Builders who sell the sizzle may be cutting costs on the steak. I focus on the steak. You can download a sample report by clicking here.

  2. You say your home inspection includes foundation measurements - what is that? I make foundation measurements to document the levelness and curvature of the foundation across structually significant foundation profiles. Should future foundation movement damage the house, the measurement data can be very helpful in assessing the cause of the damage and the severity of the foundation movement.

  3. How is your inspection different from what a real estate inspector does? Licensed Real Estate Inspectors are trained to find and report on things that are broken, do not work or are worn out.  They are also trained to report on cerain safety issues. yt indd  en .  ot ;  and orken d d oinm 44ql My inspection is much more detailed. To take one very important example, if there is an apparent problem with an item, a real estate inspector must report the item as "deficient."  I do not think that is very informative. Does it need repair? Should it be replaced? Is it a safety item? Is it something the buyer should be aware of but which requires no immediate action?  Calling something "deficient" does not answer any of these questions. My report is written and formatted so you can see at a glance what you need to know.

  4. How much is your fee? The fee depends on what level of service you need, how large the house is, and the type of construction (production, production-custom or custom). For a quote, call 281-358-1121

  5. Do quality of materials and workmanship engineering inspections cost more than other inspections? This is a confused question. Given the rules under which a Licensed Real Estate Inspector has to operate, I do not see how can produce the type of inspection report that I produce. They can certainly inspect the house and write a report on the form they are required to use. But the rules they work under and the form they are required to use are intended for resale houses; the rules and the mandated form do faciitate a quality of materials and workmanship inspection.

    I know of only one other person in the Houston market who does quality of materials and workmanship inspections. He is another Professional Engineer and my fees are competive with his. 

  6. Are there any special qualifications I should look for in a Professional Engineer? There are engineers who are code certified.  A code certified Professional Engineer has demonstrated his ability to apply the International Residential Code for One and Two Family Dwellings in a written examination. The test is very comprehensive and difficult to pass. The ICC refers to these engineers as Combo Inspectors.  The SBCC calls them Registered One and Two Family Inspectors.  Anyone who has this "certification" or "registration" has the necessary knowledge to make a quality and workmanship inspection so long as he or she has extensive field experience. I have a Registered One and Two Family Dwelling Inspector.  My SBCC registration number is 4700.

  7. Is it okay if I come to the inspection? Yes. Your attendance and participation will make the report easier for you to understand. It will be time well spent. 

  8. How fast do I get the report? I take pride in the fact that I can normally deliver you a professional typed report that includes digital photos and video links within 12 hours of finishing the inspection. Most inspectors and engineers need days, not hours, to deliver a report.

  9. Who gets a copy of my report? I do not send a copy of the report to anyone other than you unless you direct otherwise. I always encourage you to allow me to email a report to your real estate agent, but that is your call.

  10. What are your qualifications? I have 39 years experience in the construction and structual engineering business and over 25 years experience  in the home inspection business.  I have published two peer reviewed technical papers on structual engineering foundation inspections and I have inspected over around 13,000 homes. I have taught numerous seminars on foundation evaluations, plumbing, electrical and other aspects of home inspections through such organizations as Texas A&M and the Texas Association of Real Estate Inspectors. Also, I am the webmaster for the website www.houston-slab-foundations.info, easily the most informative and comprehensive website devoted to slab-on-ground foundations in the Greater Houston Area.

  11. When did you start inspecting homes? I started inspecting homes in 1986. I have provided engineering foundation inspections since 1992. I worked as a builder for US Homes in the early 1970s.  

  12. Why should I retain you as opposed to another engineer?If I had to pick one reason, it is that I can email you a competent, detailed, sealed and signed written engineering report within 12 hours of the inspection.

  13. Do you require that I sign a service agreement?  Yes. To avoid any misunderstandings, I require that you review and sign my Consulting Service Agreeemnt.  Click here to download a copy.  

  14. How can I get on your schedule? Give me a call at 281-358-1121.