Hello, I am Matt Fletcher President of Belle Isle Engineering LLC and Matt Fletcher Home Inspections LLC. We perform residential and commercial inspections all over the metro area. My father was a contractor and I grew up working on old houses. I put myself through college rehabbing homes. I graduated with honors from Macomb Community College with an AA Degree. Then received a BA degree from The University of Detroit, and a Masters degree from Wayne State University and have been involved in construction education and inspection business for over 20 years. Homes and commercial buildings in St. Clair Shores and Macomb County have some unique and not so unique issues that I look for during an inspection. For instance, clay soils in the area can cause basements to leak and block foundations to bow inward. Damp soils in Macomb County may attract wood destroying insects in basements and crawl spaces. I think I tend to see more rot and insect damage in crawl spaces with clay soils in Macomb County homes near the water. The high water table combined with the clay soil which holds more water in areas like St. Clair Shores and Harrison Twp can mean trouble. Add in high humidity wtih inadequate venting in crawl spaces located on water front properties and that all combined can cause structural problems to homes. Older homes like we see in Saint Clair Shores and Harrison Twp typically have the original clay and cast iron sewer lines. Most homes in st clair shores inspections have old sewer lines. |
I am a home inspector and state certified construction teacher, and taught construction trades at Roseville High School in Macomb County Michigan where we built real homes. I now own Matt Fletcher Home Inspections LLC. I am also a licensed builder, Certified Mold Inspector & Remediator, certified in radon measurement, certified in Lead Inspection, and certified in Attic ventilation.
I am also an experienced home rehabber and restoration expert. Having been a real estate investor for over 25 years and have been fortunate to be featured in a few books on the subject. This book by real estate attorney, Robert J. Hill (www.RealEstateStories.com), features stories about myself and my partners on pages 30, 77 and 79. |
Our Rates for single-family homes are as follows:
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We also perform inspections on commercial buildings all over metro Detroit. Visit our commercial inspection site HERE . We perform facade inspections to ASTM standard, E2270-05)
as well as full inspections from foundation to roof-top. We can do a full inspection to ASTM standard, E2018-08, or a cursory, less involved inspection. However, Matt Fletcher is a general inspector and not necessarily an expert in any single filed of construction. We always recommend a full inspection to ASTM standards where we bring in a team of experts to evaluate the building. An inspection like this may include: Matt Fletcher as
inspector and team leader along with a structural engineer, commercial electrician, commercial plumber/boiler expert, commercial heating and cooling professional, flat roof extert. Also, if the building has
maintenance staff, they should be on the site the day of the inspection to answer any questions and unlock secured areas. Any items we cite as "marginal" or "defective" should be reviewed by a qualified contractor in that field. We do not claim to be experts in every area of contruction and a expert in a particular filed may find expensive issues that we did not.
In the photo to the left we are on the roof if a commercial building in Detroit. We bring ladders to gain access to the roof or make arrangements to gain access to roofs too high for extension ladders. Most commercial buildings in Detroit have the HVAC system on the roof. When doing a commercial inspection we like to have the building maintenance staff there so we can consult with them on various issues. |
I have been in a lot of crawl spaces over the years. This is a picture from a crawl space in St. Clair Shores Michigan. The joists were so rotten I could push a screwdriver right through it. Crawl spaces can have a lot of issues in St. Clair Shores because there is a lot of clay soil which holds water resulting in a wet crawl space. Dampness attracts wood destroying insects and causes rot.
When looking for an older home to purchase, the buyers should look for an inspector who is familiar with these homes. Many times these homes have steam or hot water boilers which may contain asbestos on the boiler or pipes. Other issues in historic Detroit Homes include: lead paint, flooring containing asbestos and asbestos vermiculite insulation in the attic and walls. Old clay and cast iron sewer lines that can cost $5,000 to $15,000 to replace. |
When we inspect a building we do a visual assessment for mold. However, mold testing is not part of a standard inspection. We have done
environmental testing in homes and commercial buildings all over the Detroit area.
Mold is a natural part of the environment and EVERY building we have tested, has contained mold. Typical molds in normal amounts are generally not harmful to healthy people
and are not a concern.
We restrict our mold business to testing only. We do not do any sort of mold
remediation, removal or clean-up. Since we only do testing, there is no conflict of interest and we have no reason to try and scare customers into expensive clean-ups which they may
not even need.
Outdoor Detroit area mold testing reveals that mold levels are typical to the mid-west. The mold inside your building should equal to or less than the outdoor levels.
In the photo at left I am taking a sample of the air for mold in a hundred year old building in the Detroit area. Ideally, the mold spore count will be in the hundreds, not in the thousands. When you can see large amounts of mold on surfaces as seen in the photo, the mold spore count will generally be in the tens or hundreds of thousands. We also test buildings for radon gas. The Detroit area does have pockets of radon gas and radon is the number two cause of lung cancer in the United States. |
I have been a guest on ABC's "Detroit Radio 97.1 FM Talk" discussing the home and commercial building inspection process, construction and the real estate market in the Detroit area. Although we do environmental testing such as mold, radon and lead, we are not in the environmental clean-up business and do not try to scare customers into expensive clean-ups. All test results are presented with comparison data and EPA guidelines so you can make informed decisions. |
I was also featured in Deals That Make Sense
by Harvard MBA, John T. Reed (www.JohnTReed.com). There is a story about a rehab project I did on page 32 called "$80,000 Rehab Profit."
I was also featured in John T. Reed's news letter, "Real Estate Investors Monthly" October 1999 issue.
I have noticed that most people rehabbing homes underestimate the cost of repairs by HALF. In other words, if buyers think they can rehab a home for $20,000...it will probably cost more like $40,000. I use my renovation experience and software to give buyers rough estimates on "cost to cure" the properties they are considering. |
I am a certified Construction Trades teacher and volunteer my time to high school building trades programs. I was a judge at the 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2018 MITES competition.
Please view the photos of homes I've personally restored in and around Detroit. When I am not inspecting or renovating I use my teaching degree to instruct building and construction courses. |