Old Homes Fail Differently.
Inspect Them Differently.

⚡ Knob-and-Tube & Legacy Electrical

Active knob-and-tube wiring, ungrounded two-wire circuits, and uninsurable panels like Zinsco and Federal Pacific Stab-Lok. We trace what is actually energized — many carriers decline homes where these remain live.

🚽 Clay & Orangeburg Sewer Laterals

Original vitrified clay and Orangeburg laterals are at or past their service life across older Santa Barbara neighborhoods. We run our own CCTV camera down the line — a five-figure surprise caught for a fraction of the cost.

🔧 Galvanized Supply Piping

Sixty-plus-year-old galvanized pipes corrode from the inside out — falling pressure, rust-tinted water, and pinhole leaks inside walls. Fifteen years as a journeyman plumber taught Louis exactly where they fail first.

🏗️ Balloon Framing & Structure

Victorian-era balloon framing lets fire, moisture, and pests travel unobstructed between floors. We evaluate framing, post-and-pier foundations, cripple walls, and evidence of undocumented structural modifications.

🌊 Seismic & Foundation Era Gaps

Homes built before seismic codes need bolting, bracing, and sometimes full retrofits. We document what is present and what is missing — see our guide to Santa Barbara earthquake risk.

💧 A Century of Coastal Moisture

One hundred years of marine-layer moisture finds every envelope weakness. FLIR thermal imaging and professional moisture meters — on every inspection — reveal what paint conceals.

Why Trade Experience Beats a Checklist

Anyone can note "older plumbing observed." It takes someone who has cut out and replaced failing galvanized systems for fifteen years to tell you whether yours has five years left or five months.

Louis O'Connor is an InterNACHI® Certified Professional Inspector with a licensed contractor background and 15+ years of hands-on trade experience in plumbing and construction. That is the difference between documenting a symptom and diagnosing a system.

🏅 Selling a historic home?

Historic homes benefit most from inspecting before listing — era-specific findings scare buyers far more mid-escrow. Our Shield Certified pre-listing program bundles the inspection and sewer scope, and gives your listing a verifiable certificate page.