InterNACHI certified
Home inspections by a certified inspector who is also a licensed builder
Mike Murphy is an InterNACHI certified professional inspector, certification #NACHI20042907, serving Sterling Heights and the rest of Macomb, Oakland, and Northern Wayne counties. He's also a licensed Michigan residential builder, license #242500021. The top-ranking inspector in this market leads with the same InterNACHI credential, which tells you it's a real thing buyers check for, not a nice-to-have. What sets this inspection apart isn't the certification alone, it's that the person writing your report has actually priced and performed the repairs he's flagging, hundreds of times, on real houses in this same market.
Licensed MI builder
#242500021
InterNACHI certified inspector
#NACHI20042907
Rated on Google
5.0 stars, 5 reviews
Serving
Macomb, Oakland, N. Wayne
Pre-purchase inspections
Before you close on a house in Rochester Hills, Troy, Royal Oak, or anywhere else in Macomb, Oakland, or Northern Wayne county, you get a full inspection covering the roof, foundation, structure, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and everything in between. You'll get it in plain language, not a checklist of jargon you have to Google after the fact.
Most inspectors can tell you a panel is outdated or a roof has 5 years left. Mike can tell you what replacing that panel or that roof actually costs in this market right now, because he's built and priced that work directly. That number changes how you negotiate, and sometimes whether you move forward with the house at all.
Pre-listing inspections
If you're selling, a pre-listing inspection tells you what a buyer's inspector is going to find before they find it. That gives you the choice to fix it, price around it, or disclose it on your terms instead of scrambling during a buyer's inspection period with a closing date already on the calendar.
Because Mike builds as well as inspects, a pre-listing inspection can come with a real number attached to each finding, not just a description of the problem. That's useful when you're deciding whether it's worth fixing something yourself before listing or better to price the house accordingly and let the buyer decide.
New construction inspections
New construction isn't immune to problems. Framing gets missed, flashing gets skipped, mechanical systems get installed out of spec, and builders don't always catch their own crew's mistakes before your final walkthrough. A new construction inspection, done before your builder's final walkthrough or before your one-year warranty period closes out, gives you an independent, licensed-builder-level look at the work.
This is where Mike's builder license does the most work. He's not guessing whether something was framed or wired correctly, he's evaluated against the same code and the same trade standards he builds to himself.
What a builder's eye catches that a general inspection might not
A generalist inspector is trained to identify that something is wrong. Mike can usually also tell you, on the spot or shortly after, roughly what it costs to fix, because he's priced that exact repair a hundred times as a builder. Foundation crack that needs monitoring versus one that needs structural repair now. Roof that needs a patch versus a full tear-off. Electrical panel that's outdated but functional versus one that's a genuine safety issue. Those distinctions carry a real dollar difference, and you'll hear it from him directly.
Here's the boundary, stated plainly: Mike will tell you what a repair costs. You are under zero obligation to hire him, or anyone he recommends, to do that work. The inspection and the estimate are two separate transactions, and treating them that way is what keeps the inspection honest. Get a second opinion on any repair estimate from an inspection. That's exactly what you should do.
Inspection questions
How much does a home inspector cost in Michigan?
Pricing depends on the size and age of the home and the type of inspection (pre-purchase, pre-listing, or new construction). Call (248) 988-0099 with your address and square footage for an exact number. There's no charge to ask.
What are red flags during a home inspection?
Active water intrusion or staining that suggests a leak, foundation cracks wider than a hairline or that are actively shifting, an electrical panel with signs of overheating or non-permitted work, signs of prior water damage that were painted over rather than repaired, and any major system (roof, furnace, water heater) at or past the end of its expected life. None of these automatically kill a deal, but they change what you should be negotiating on price or repairs.
How long does a home inspection take?
A typical single-family home takes two to three hours on site, depending on size, age, and accessibility of the crawlspace, attic, and mechanical systems. Larger or older homes can take longer.
Can I attend the inspection?
Yes, and it's a good idea. Walking the house with the inspector lets you see issues firsthand and ask questions in the moment instead of trying to interpret them later from a written report alone.
Do you inspect new construction before the builder's final walkthrough?
Yes. A new construction inspection is most useful when it's done before your final walkthrough with the builder, while there's still time to get items corrected before you sign off and close.
If you find something wrong, am I obligated to hire you to fix it?
No. The inspection tells you what's wrong and roughly what it costs to address. What you do with that information, including who you hire, if anyone, is entirely your call.
Need an inspection scheduled?
Call and we will find a slot. Reports come back fast because deals do not wait.