James Kolke

I am the senior inspector and handle the Pinnacle Property Inspection Team, and I really love construction. I’ve been in the construction business for 25 years. I started in the housing business as a concrete worker. I found this challenging but needed to learn more. I became a carpenter and for 3 years I worked on commercial and residential projects. I had an opportunity to become a plumber with Local 130. I served a 5-year apprenticeship in Chicago. I was a journeyman plumber for 6 months when I was asked to run work. I ran work in commercial and commercial/residential high-rise buildings. I missed the building portion of construction, so I started buying homes in the North Shore area of Chicago, where I renovated 10+ homes a year. I soon started spec building and I really liked that! I partnered up with other tradesmen and formed a group that could build and renovate homes. I now am involved with all types of charities to help people gain homes of their own.

I’m one of the few inspectors who has a plumber’s license. This means that if you’re looking at a foreclosed or bank-owned home, I can legally turn on the water. If the water isn’t turned on, you’ll never know if there are any plumbing issues throughout the house. This is something you definitely want to be aware of. If the home inspector isn’t a licensed plumber, they cannot legally turn on the water. This gives me an incredible advantage over other home inspectors.

I am also licensed to test for Radon. We have a webpage that describes what Radon is and why you should be concerned about it here.

The other difference between me and many other home inspectors is that I am licensed by Snell to perform home inspections with a thermal imager. The thermal imager enables me to look “inside” the walls and literally see things that might cause you expensive repairs if you buy the home being inspected. Without a thermal imager on a home inspection, the inspector is just “guessing” what’s in the walls, in the circuit breaker, and throughout the exterior of the home. I don’t think that’s what you’re paying a home inspection company for now, is it?

You can view or read a few of my testimonials here.
One common comment you’ll see or hear from my past clients is that I am different. My knowledge and passion for construction are second to none. My fees are competitive, they have to be, but my service is outstanding. All this means is that you’re getting more for your money with Jim Kolke.

Thank you for your time.