Barry Stone

Contributor

Barry Stone began his career in 1969 overseeing and partaking in the building and design aspects of residential construction projects. In 1978, having received his general contractor's license, Barry ventured into his own construction and remodeling business. During this time, his exposure to indiscriminate violations and loose interpretations of the Uniform Building Code by tradespersons and contractors heightened his awareness of the vulnerability of consumers in these areas. For Barry, these unacceptable practices cried out for public exposure and remedy. In 1987, having been certified as a building inspector by the International Conference of Building Officials, (the authors of the Uniform Building Code) Barry left the construction field and established Action Home Inspection Service, the first business of its kind on California's Central Coast. During the past fourteen years, Barry has inspected close to 7,000 homes, hotels, shopping centers and other commercial buildings, establishing a firm reputation as the pre-eminent property inspector and an expert in the field of building construction. His expertise has led to numerous spots on the NBC television affiliate KSBY TV reporting on environmental conditions and how they effect the integrity of the home as well as radio interviews. His knowledge of nationally recognized building codes is vast and covers all areas of construction, including electrical, plumbing, heating, roofing, fire safety, gas, propane, asbestos, radon and much more.

Homeowners board adopts hands-off stance on snow removal

Sidewalk-clearing leeway may snowball into bigger problem

Apr 11

House vs. barn question at issue in renovation

Architectural compatibility can be arbitrary

Apr 4

Gauging severity of undisclosed defects

What to do when minor problems are discovered after sale

Mar 29

Look for encroachment issues before buying

Getting neighbor to remove storage shed a lesson in futility

Mar 22

Disclose old inspections reports -- or else

Sellers beware: Devil's in the defects

Mar 15

When home inspectors need outside help

Don't mix professional activities with personal concerns

Mar 8

Best protection for garage water heater

Raised platform meets code, but isn't enough

Mar 1

Don't lose real estate buyers over minor fixes

How to gauge what are reasonable repairs, what aren't

Feb 22

Must-knows when buying home with gas fixtures

3 ways to minimize chances of explosion

Feb 16

2 major red flags in home inspection report

'Minor' issues will cost thousands to fix

Feb 8

What to do when sellers hide defects

Agent shares blame for failure to provide report in timely manner

Feb 1

Decoding mysterious inspection report

Is inspector liable for vague advice?

Jan 26

3 steps to resolving new-home defects

When builder won't return calls, issue ultimatum

Jan 19

REO buyers should expect the unexpected

Forgoing home inspection can be costly mistake

Jan 12

Foundation, tile cracks raise red flag

3 steps to protect your position

Jan 4

Beware of home inspection red flag

If agent won't provide report in a timely manner, think twice about purchase

Dec 29

Recourse for failure of 8-year-old roof?

Find out statute of limitations in your state

Dec 22

Buyer to builder: no inspection, no deal

Use leverage to gain access to property pre-closing

Dec 14

A fixer-upper to-do list

Gas fixtures take precedence over leaky pipes, roof

Dec 7

Buyers burned by furnace defect

Was inspector negligent in overlooking crack?

Nov 30

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