Lehigh Valley, PA and Surrounding Areas
Hearthside Home Inspections:
Your Home inspector for Life

Meet Your Inspector
With over 25 years of experience in home and commercial inspections, James is a seasoned professional dedicated to helping clients make confident, informed decisions. In 2022, he launched Hearthside Home Inspections, a company built on trust, integrity, and a commitment to excellence. Since then, James has proudly served thousands of satisfied clients and real estate professionals across the region.
Beyond his expertise in inspections, James is a longtime volunteer firefighter, always ready to lend a hand and support his community. He loves spending time outdoors, exploring new places, and traveling with his wife of 43 years. James brings not only technical knowledge but also a personal touch to every inspection—because to him, it’s not just about homes, it’s about people.
Certifications acquired through home inspector training from InterNACHI
Lehigh Valley's Premier Inspection Services
Every inspection comes with FREE thermal imaging so we can detect hidden issues like moisture intrusion, insulation gaps, and electrical problems.
Buyers Inspections
Buying a home is one of the biggest investments you will ever make. Before you buy, you should have a home inspection to avoid potentially costly repairs that would otherwise go undetected until they become even more costly. This is our typical home inspection that catches common defects so you understand the investment you’re making.
Pre-Listing Inspections
Some homeowners want to make repairs to their house before they put it on the market and will make repairs using their inspection report as a baseline reference. Please understand that most buyers will still want to perform their own inspection even if the seller has already had an inspection done.
Radon Testing
Radon is colorless and odorless, and it is extremely carcinogenic. According to the EPA, radon is one of the leading contributors to the development of lung cancer, behind only smoking. For this reason, regular radon testing is key whether you’re a homeowner, or you’re interested in purchasing a home.
Thermal Imaging
The purpose of an infrared scan is to find issues that may not be visible to the naked eye and catch them before they become a major problem. With the use of our infrared camera, we can help identify moisture, insulation, electrical, HVAC issues, and more.
Wood Destroying Insect Inspection
Getting a wood destroying insect (WDI) inspection will help you determine if there are pests in your home, and what the next steps will be.
Well Inspections
We provide thorough well flow testing services to ensure your private well delivers a reliable water supply. Our expert inspectors measure the flow rate in gallons per minute, assess water pressure, and evaluate the well's sustainability over time. We also examine the condition of well equipment, including the pump, pressure tank, and piping. Our detailed reports help homeowners and buyers understand their water system's capacity and reliability, ensuring it meets their needs.
Water Quality Testing
Water quality testing involves analyzing a water sample to determine the presence and concentration of various chemical, physical, and biological characteristics. These characteristics can include things like pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and the presence of contaminants such as heavy metals or pathogens.
Mold Assessments & Testing
There are over 400,000 types of mold, and while there are only a few dozen that are toxic, exposure to many molds can lead to health problems. It can also cause structural damage to your house.
Septic Inspections
Having your septic tank inspected can save you thousands of dollars from major septic repairs if issues are not caught early on.
Stucco Evaluations and Testing
We assess the quality, durability, and performance of stucco materials and applications to ensure compliance with industry standards and prevent potential issues such as moisture intrusion or cracking.
Lead Paint Testing
Lead paint is no longer widely used in America, but older homes may still have used it, which can break down and cause lead poisoning and toxicity in both adults and children. If you are interested in purchasing a home that was built before the 1970's and you have reason to believe lead paint may be present, lead paint testing is an essential home inspection step.
Schedule Online
Whether you're a homeowner, real estate agent, or builder, trust Hearthside Home Inspections for reliable, top-notch inspection services tailored to your unique needs.
The Best Modern Report in the Industry
The Best Modern Report in the Industry

While Hearthside Home Inspections encourages our clients to walk through the home with us, we understand that you may be too busy, and may not have time to do so.
Regardless of whether or not you attend the inspection, we will compile a comprehensive Spectora report, which includes all of the information you need to determine the condition of the home.
We will deliver our report within 24 hours of the conclusion of your home inspection, so that you can quickly access a full overview of our findings – and discuss them with us and your agent.
Customer Reviews
Check Out Our Testimonials
Tony Alicea
I was fortunate enough to be introduced to Jim as a home inspector twenty years ago. I can honestly say over the tenure of my career, Jim has been my Home Inspector of choice. He is very knowledgeable, honest and at times called an inspection off, knowing the Buyer had seen something that did change their mind of purchasing the home. I know I can count on Jim to help the Buyer through an inspection. Not setting off alarms, just good clean information and guidance on how to maintain a home after a purchase. My Home Inspector For Life! - 8/06/2025read moreread lessTreesus
I’ve worked with Jim at Heartside Home Inspection three times, and each experience has been outstanding. He is incredibly thorough and efficient, and he always takes the time to answer my questions with patience and care. Jim genuinely cares about what he does, and it shows in every detail. He has gone above and beyond for me every single time, never cutting corners and always making sure I feel confident and informed. His pricing is more than fair for the time and effort he puts in. I trust him completely and will continue to recommend Heartside Home Inspection to anyone who asks. Jim is truly one of a kind. - 7/31/2025read moreread lessLynne DiDonato
I have been using Jim Summers as my home inspector for many many years. He always makes the time to get you into his busy schedule. Jim also manages to set multiple inspections within the deadline and delivers speedy results so we are not out of time. He is very informative and knowledgeable and makes the buyers understand the complex things and the little things. Kudo's to Jim a true professional - 7/29/2025read moreread lessNicolina
Jim did the inspection on a house that my husband and I are closing on. As first time home buyers, we were very apprehensive and unsure what the inspection might bring to the surface. Jim put all of our worries to rest and we were lucky to have nothing major wrong with this house. I have to reiterate the lovely things the other reviewers have said. Jim was so friendly and informative. His years of experience allowed him to anticipate what type of questions we'd have so we didn't have too many. But he still made sure that we had plenty of time to ask questions in each room should we have any. He also got us the report in less than 24 hours. Could not recommend him enough. - 7/11/2025read moreread lessColleen Mallon
Jim was wonderful! We worked with him because he was recommended by our real estate agent, who has been in the business for quite some time, had worked with him before, and would know a good inspector when she saw one. He arrived early and had already started the inspection of the outside of the house. When we got there, he reviewed everything he had gone over already. He was very descriptive and made sure we understood everything he was talking about. We really appreciated the fact that he encouraged us to ask questions throughout the inspection. He took his time to show us and explain what he was looking for and why it was important. He was so kind and friendly and we felt very comfortable with him. He also explained to us what type of ongoing maintenance would be required in the future to keep our house in good condition. He prepared our inspection report and sent it to us super quickly, which we appreciated because as anyone who has ever bought a home knows, the process is very fast. If we ever needed an inspection in the future, we would not hesitate to contact him again. We would recommend him to everyone we know. We couldn't have asked for a better experience! - 6/09/2025read moreread lessFrank
Recently had a home inspection performed by Jim at Hearthside. Jim is clearly an expert in the field and was very thorough. He spent a lot of time going through every inch of the house and made sure to answer all my questions. Would definitely use Jim again and recommend his services to anyone looking for an inspection! - 6/08/2025read moreread lessBen Friggle
Jim was a delight to work with. He is very knowledgeable and good at communicating all that he is doing and why he is doing it. I have had the pleasure of working with Jim on two of my transactions now and I will definitely be keeping his contact information to refer to my other clients. - 5/29/2025read moreread lessbryan stone
Jim arrived early to the inspection and completed work ahead of the scheduled time. He proceeded to share with me any findings and meticulously took me through my future home pointing out issues as well as how to properly maintain various items and what to keep an eye out for should issues arise. Jim gave me confidence in both identifying issues and as a homeowner to take better care of my future home. I highly recommend his services. - 4/22/2025read moreread lessDaria
Jim was amazing to work with for our home inspection! He was very thorough and made the process so easy. He clearly explained any areas of concern to us and laid out the options we may have to fix them (which we really appreciated as first time homebuyers). We got our report back within a few days, as promised, which was easy to read and very detailed! Thank you Jim!! - 4/15/2025read moreread lessBen Licona
Jim with Hearthside home inspections was incredible. He was able to get us a home inspection with very little notice and went above and beyond with his report and inspections. Throughout the entire process he was extremely helpful and knowledgeable and walked us through all areas of concern. He is truly passionate about his profession and it shows with how much care and time he takes with not only the inspection itself but the thorough and clear report after. He uses pictures, drones, diagrams and a lot of other useful resources that really show you everything you need to know as well as additional information to research further. I would highly recommend hearthside home inspections. We will certainly only be using them moving forward. - 4/09/2025read moreread lessBilly Edger
Jim was a pleasure to work with and was both diligent and thorough throughout the home and termite inspection process. As a first-time home buyer, it was extremely helpful to have Jim explain everything he was looking at, why he was looking at it, articulated succinctly his findings (which made it easy to understand!) and even showed my wife and I how certain things worked (boiler, hot water heater, etc.). Jim's report he sent us was extremely detailed with pictures to accompany his explanations. It is also worth noting that A) Jim showed up early for the inspection and patiently waited while we were simultaneously dealing with other inspectors that day; and B) the payment process was seamless which was appreciated given the number of vendors we have been working with aside from Jim. I would highly recommend Jim/Hearthside Home Inspections! - 3/09/2025read moreread lessEvan Baum
Jim was great to work with for our recent home inspection. He took the time to understand our areas of concern and address our questions as we went throughout the property. His report comprehensively captured pictures and descriptions both of what was in need of being addressed, as well as what was found to be in good working order. We never felt rushed or felt like we had stupid question when working with Jim, which making the entire process very reassuring. - 3/09/2025read moreread lesskimberly wilson
Extremely knowledgeable, personable, honest, and thoroughly intelligent. James stopped by and inspected my house for safety and other inspections on the property that I had concerns about. He went above and beyond with the inspection of not only minor defects, material defects, major defects, but also other safety issues that I should keep in mind when selling the house. All inspection reports were made available to me through a secure website. I have now saved the report electronically, and have printed a physical copy. For those of you who have had to get a safety inspection would appreciate the level of service provided through a flat fee, and the convenience of getting your data. You would also appreciate the level of honesty and integrity provided. It's very difficult to find a company that is honest, thorough, and affordable at the same time. Lucky for me, these issues for the most part will be easy enough for me to resolve them by myself. I am now a permanent client of Hearthside Home Inspections. This is silly but even my cat approved of this gentleman and followed him around. THANKS JAMES!!! - 2/09/2025read moreread lessAbigail R. Brown
Jim was wonderful to work with for our home inspection! He took the time to explain everything to us step by step, pausing for all of our questions or concerns, and all with a professional and friendly demeanor. He was prompt (if not early) for our inspection and timely is sending the final report. We would love to give him more business in the future! - 1/09/2025read moreread lessLisa K
Jim is great! Jim inspected the first home I put an offer on and he made the process very easy. Jim was very thorough and made sure that I understood every corner of the home. Being a first time home buyer is already overwhelming, but with Jim made the inspection process less overwhelming. Jim took the time to explain everything and gave valuable advice on how to maintain the home. I would highly recommend Jim! - 11/09/2024read moreread lessJason Nguyen
Jim was great. Easy to schedule, on-time, and gave good insights. Let us know why something was good or bad, and even gave us comparisons to help us understand why something was good and bad. Helped give estimates on repairs too so we'd get an idea of what would be needed. The additional tips for home maintenance was greatly appreciated too. Worth the money. - 10/09/2024read moreread lessAnnaliese Allen
Fantastic experience and service. Jim is professional, prompt, and wildly helpful. He cares about his clients, and the work that he does, and it shows. The report received was comprehensive, and very thorough. I won't use any other home inspector! Thank you! - 9/09/2024read moreread less
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a home inspection?
A home inspection is an objective visual examination of the physical structure and systems of a house, from the roof to the foundation. Home inspections are designed to protect the buyer, by revealing problems they might not have noticed otherwise.
How much does a home inspection cost?
Our home inspections start at $375. The cost will vary based on the square footage of the home, the age of the home, and location of the home. Call, text, or email us for a quote today!
How long does a home inspection take?
Home inspections generally take 2 to 4 hours to complete. The duration of a home inspection depends on many factors such as the size of the home, the condition of the home, and the ability to access certain areas of the home (roof, crawl space, attic, etc.).
Should I attend the inspection?
Although it is not necessary, we do recommend that you attend the inspection so you can ask questions and learn more about the home. You will learn a lot from the inspection report, but we always encourage you to attend!
What if the inspection report reveals problems?
It is important to note that no house is perfect. At the end of the home inspection process, we will provide a detailed report that describes the physical condition of the property, with images and videos highlighting what may need repair or replacement. The information provided is to allow a potential buyer to make an informed decision about moving forward with the transaction. It is not pass or fail.
What Else Can We Answer?
At Hearthside Home Inspections, our job isn’t complete until you feel comfortable and all of your questions and concerns are answered.