VT licensed home Inspector serving Bradford, VT and Orange County, VT
I’ve spent 20 years building homes. Now I inspect them.
Comprehensive home inspections in Bradford and the surrounding Orange County area.
Call / Text: (802) 289-0025
Radon & Water Testing – Thermal Imaging – Reports in 24 Hours
Why My Background Makes Me More Useful as a Home Inspector
A lot of home inspectors mention construction experience. In my case, that experience is current, hands-on, and verifiable.
For more than twenty years, I have owned and operated a contracting business, and that business is still active today. That means I have not just worked on houses — I have planned the jobs, written the bids, hired and managed all the other trades, solved problems when things went sideways, talked with customers, and stood behind the finished work.
That changes the way I inspect.
Materials, methods, codes, and building science keep evolving. Because I am still active in the trades, my perspective is not frozen in the past. When I find something during an inspection, I can usually give you a practical sense of what it appears to be, why it matters, and what a realistic next step might look like.
A home inspection is still a visual inspection. I cannot see behind finished walls or predict every future issue. What I can do is give you clear, practical information based on real construction experience.
I also do not perform contracting work on homes I inspect for 12 months after the inspection. No repair pitch, no conflict of interest.
Two Licensed Inspectors, One Appointment
Most of our inspections are done by two licensed inspectors. My wife and business partner Kayla has been building alongside me full time for years and we inspect together on most jobs. She’s meticulous and thorough, and two people never quite see the same house — every inspection we do together is better for it.
Every house is different, sometimes wildly so. A village house on Main Street and a farmhouse with a barn out toward Corinth are not the same job, and neither one tells you much about the next place down the road. What stays constant is the patience available. Past a certain point, everybody standing around a house starts wondering when the inspector will be done, and a solo inspector who walks into a property needing more time than that has two options: run long, or quietly stop looking at things.
Two of us covers roughly twice the ground in the same appointment. The house gets the attention it actually needs, and nobody’s afternoon gets wrecked.
Bradford, VT
Bradford sits at the confluence of the Connecticut and Waits Rivers in Orange County, about midway between White River Junction to the south and St. Johnsbury to the north. It’s a working small town — around 2,700 people, a real Main Street, and houses of nearly every age Vermont has to offer. The Bradford Village Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places, which tells you something about the age of the town.
What’s for sale here runs the whole range: brick houses in the village that have been standing for the better part of two centuries, farmhouses on acreage, ranches and capes from the fifties and sixties, and the occasional newer build in between. Often on private wells, often with wood heat, and frequently carrying the kind of layered history that only shows up when you know what you’re looking for.
I have a real fondness for rural areas, backroads, and old towns. This area has charm in spades, and a slower pace of life. It’s a great place to inspect, and a great place to think about buying a home if you find appeal in the same kind of things I do.
What I Look For in Bradford Homes
The oldest homes in Bradford predate modern materials in almost every category. Stone foundations are common, and their condition varies enormously depending on how the drainage around them has been managed over the years. Water that finds its way in patiently exerts its forces over time. Sills, framing, and finished spaces below grade can be silently failing in ways a quick walkthrough won’t catch.
Electrical systems in older Bradford properties frequently tell the history of the house. Original knob-and-tube wiring that was never fully replaced, additions wired to the standards of different eras, service panels that were fine under the codes of their time but don’t meet current expectations — and crucially, don’t always meet the requirements of homeowners insurance carriers. If you’re buying a pre-1950 home and planning to insure it, this is worth understanding before you close.
Roof systems in Vermont take a specific kind of punishment. Ice damming is a regular occurrence in this climate, and it’s not just a cosmetic problem — it forces water under shingles and into eaves in ways that produce rot and interior damage over time. Evidence of past ice damming is usually visible if you know where to look. The fix often involves insulation and ventilation as much as it does roofing material.
Newer construction in the area brings a different set of concerns. Faster builds sometimes produce installation shortcuts — flashing that wasn’t finished correctly, ventilation that doesn’t meet current standards, drainage grades that look fine until the first hard rain. These things don’t always fail immediately, which is exactly why they need to be caught before you close.
Out of the village, most properties are on a private well and a septic system. I can test water directly if you opt for that service. Septic is separate work — I’ll note visible conditions and tell you if something suggests the system deserves a closer look, but the tank and leach field need a licensed evaluator with their own equipment, and out here that evaluation is worth arranging during your inspection period rather than skipping. I’m glad to refer you to someone good.
Radon and Water Testing
Many homes in Bradford and the surrounding Orange County area are on private wells. That means water quality is your responsibility from the day you close, and you need to know what you’re buying. I offer in-house water testing for bacteria, nitrates, and other parameters commonly required by lenders. I can also test for arsenic, radon in water, hardness, and additional contaminants depending on what the property warrants.
Vermont has elevated radon levels driven by the same geological reality as New Hampshire — significant granite bedrock, limited ventilation in older foundations, cellars with stone walls and dirt floors, and a climate that keeps houses closed for a good portion of the year. Radon testing is something I recommend on most inspections I do in this region, and bundling it with a water test saves you money. Ask me about the bundle discount when you schedule.
For Buyers, Sellers, Investors, and Realtors in Bradford
For buyers: Bradford draws people who want a real Vermont town — not a resort town, not a commuter suburb. That usually means older houses with real character, and real character comes with real inspection findings. What you want to know is whether what you’re looking at is routine wear or something that requires serious attention before you commit. That’s exactly what I’m there to help you sort out.
For sellers: A pre-listing inspection gives you the clearest possible picture of your property’s condition before a buyer’s inspector finds it for you. Addressing issues on your own timeline, with your own contractors, at non-emergency pricing, is a much better position than negotiating under deadline with a buyer who just got a report they don’t fully understand.
For investors: Bradford and Orange County offer the kind of pricing that makes buy-and-hold math work, and there’s real multi-family property here. I can give you a clear read on what’s been maintained, what hasn’t, and what the work actually looks like — without any follow-up repair interest on my end.
For realtors: See the inspection support page for agents for details on how I work with transaction timelines and what my reports look like.
A Practical Inspection Report
After the inspection, you receive a digital report with photos, clear explanations, and notes organized around what matters most. The report separates safety concerns and significant defects from routine maintenance items, and flags anything that appears to warrant further evaluation by a specialist or contractor.
The report is written to be useful after the appointment is over. You should be able to share it with a contractor, revisit it during a price negotiation, or refer back to it six months later and still understand what we found and why it mattered.
What Does It Cost?
Pricing follows the size of the home. Condos and homes under 1,000 square feet are generally $500, and 1,000 to 1,500 square feet is $600, stepping up by $100 per size tier from there. Homes over 3,500 square feet are quoted individually, as are multi-family buildings and properties with unusually extensive systems or multiple structures.
Homes built before 1950 carry an additional fee for the added time involved, which around Bradford covers a good share of what’s for sale. An attached garage is part of a standard inspection; detached garages, barns, and outbuildings are optional add-ons, quoted based on what’s on the property.
Radon and water testing can be added to any inspection, and bundling both saves $100 off the combined total. For a firm number, use the online scheduler or send the address, square footage, year built, and any add-ons you want included. I’ll confirm pricing before anything goes on the calendar.
Serving Bradford and the Upper Valley
From Bradford, we serve nearby communities throughout the Upper Valley and Orange County, including Fairlee, Newbury, Thetford, West Fairlee, Corinth, Topsham, Vershire, Chelsea, and Wells River. We also cross the Connecticut River regularly for inspections in Hanover, Lebanon, Lincoln, Plymouth, Lyme, Orford, Littleton, Piermont, and surrounding western New Hampshire towns.
For broader Vermont coverage, we also serve areas farther south and west, including White River Junction, Woodstock, Rutland, Killington, Windsor, Springfield, Chester and Ludlow, Bellows Falls, and Brattleboro.
For the full list of towns we cover, visit the Service Areas page.
Schedule Your Home Inspection
If you’re buying in Bradford or one of the surrounding communities, reach out and connect with me to figure out what scheduling looks like, or use the online tool to book.
Call or text: (802) 289-0025
Email: connect@resonanthomesnh.com
Frequently Asked Questions About Bradford VT Home Inspections
What fails a home inspection in Vermont?
Nothing technically fails a home inspection — that’s not how it works. An inspection produces observations, not a pass/fail grade. What I’m doing is giving you an accurate picture of the property’s condition so you can make a decision with real information. Some findings are significant enough to affect your negotiation or your decision to proceed. Others are routine maintenance items that any house of a certain age will have. My job is to help you tell the difference.
How long does a home inspection take?
That depends on the house. Older Bradford properties often have more to look at — systems from several eras, additions, outbuildings — and that changes the answer. What I can tell you is that two licensed inspectors cover roughly twice the ground per hour, so a property gets the time it actually needs without the appointment dragging on. Ask when you’re scheduling and I’ll give you my best estimate for that particular property.
Do I need radon testing in Vermont?
I recommend it for the vast majority of inspections we do in Vermont. The state has elevated radon levels relative to the national average, driven largely by granite bedrock and the construction patterns of older homes. It’s an inexpensive test relative to what it tells you, and the peace of mind is worth it either way.
Can a buyer back out after a home inspection in Vermont?
Generally yes, if your purchase and sale agreement includes an inspection contingency — which most standard Vermont contracts do. The contingency gives you a defined window to have the inspection done and to negotiate, request repairs, or walk away based on the findings. Your real estate attorney or agent can walk you through the specifics of how your contract is written.
Do you inspect homes with knob-and-tube wiring?
Yes. Knob-and-tube is common in older Vermont homes, and I inspect it as part of a standard inspection. What matters is its condition, whether it’s been overloaded or modified unsafely, and how your insurer is likely to respond to it. Some carriers won’t cover homes with active knob-and-tube; others will with conditions. It’s one of the things worth knowing about before you’re under contract.
What about water testing for a private well?
I strongly recommend it. Private well water in this region can carry bacteria, nitrates, arsenic, and other contaminants that aren’t detectable without lab testing. Many lenders require at minimum a bacteria and nitrate test, and I’d often recommend going further depending on the property. Adding water testing with your inspection is the most efficient way to handle it.
How much does a home inspection cost?
Homes under 1,000 square feet are generally $500, and 1,000 to 1,500 square feet is $600, stepping up by $100 per size tier from there. Homes over 3,500 square feet, multi-family buildings, and unusually complex properties are quoted individually, and homes built before 1950 carry an additional fee for the added time. Radon and water testing are priced separately, with a discount for bundling both with the inspection. Send me the address, square footage, and year built and I’ll give you a firm number.
How is your inspection different from a basic checklist inspection?
After a lifetime building and repairing houses, I have a different perspective than many home inspectors. We may follow the same standards of practice, but I view the things I’m reporting on through the lens of experience, as somebody who has actually designed, built, and managed all the systems I am reporting on.
Do you serve the towns around Bradford?
Yes — I cover Bradford, Fairlee, Newbury, Thetford, West Fairlee, Corinth, Topsham, Vershire, Chelsea, Wells River, and the broader Upper Valley on both sides of the Connecticut River, including nearby western New Hampshire towns like Hanover and Lebanon.
Also see: Home Inspections · Investor Inspections · Realtor Inspection Support