Home Inspector Upper Darby, PA | Home Inspection & Mold Testing

All Seasons provides professional home inspections and PRO-LAB certified mold testing in Upper Darby, Delaware County. InterNACHI-certified owner-operator Bob personally performs every inspection — 20+ years experience, 4.9 stars on Google, 24-hour reports. Home inspections from $325, mold testing from $290. Call 610-348-6728 for a free estimate.

Upper Darby, Delaware County

What home inspection and mold testing services are available in Upper Darby?

Few places in Delaware County pack this much housing variety into this little ground. Upper Darby runs from the 69th Street Terminal and the Tower Theater out along West Chester Pike and Garrett Road, and most of what sits in between is brick and stone rowhome built between the 1910s and the 1930s, when the Market Frankford El pushed streetcar development west out of Philadelphia. Stonehurst and Cardington hold the oldest blocks, porch fronts and party walls, some of them still standing on stone or rubble foundations left over from the farm buildings that came first. Bywood, Kirklyn, and Highland Park fill in through the 1920s. Drexel Hill and Aronimink carry the bigger stone twins and center hall colonials along Burmont Road and Shadeland Avenue, while Westbrook Park, Garrettford, and Pilgrim Gardens are postwar, simpler, and tighter to the ground. Long Lane, Marshall Road, and Lansdowne Avenue each cross two or three of those building eras in the space of a mile. Grade drives a lot of what shows up in a condition report here. Naylor's Run and Cobbs Creek cut the township into slopes, and whole blocks of rowhomes sit downhill from a neighbor sharing the same century-old clay laterals and roof drainage. Party wall construction means one owner's failed downspout or skipped repointing becomes the next owner's damp basement. Add a hundred years of renovation on top of that, knob and tube buried behind newer drywall, attics converted to bedrooms, coal chutes bricked over, gas lines run off old coal and oil conversions, and you get properties that look thoroughly updated on the surface and read very differently once somebody opens the electrical panel and walks the basement with a flashlight.

The pattern I see most in Upper Darby is a rowhome that got flipped once, maybe twice, and the work stopped at the surface. New kitchen, new flooring, fresh paint over the original plaster, and behind all of it the knob and tube is still energized in the second floor ceiling with blown insulation packed right over the conductors. The other pattern is the basement. Stone and early block foundations under these rows were never built with a vapor barrier, and once the shared drainage between two attached houses backs up, the moisture has nowhere to go but into the wall and up. I have opened plenty of finished basements around Marshall Road and Westbrook Park where the paneling went up over a wall that had been wet for years. That is exactly why I do all three services myself. When a home inspection in Upper Darby turns up a damp crawlspace or a musty finished basement, I can pull mold samples and run air quality testing on the same visit instead of handing you a referral and a two week wait. Same inspector, same walkthrough, one set of findings that actually line up with each other. I have been working this township and the blocks running out toward Lansdowne for more than twenty years, and I am the person who shows up at your door, not a subcontractor with a clipboard. Call me directly at 610-348-6728 and I will tell you straight what homes on your block usually need before you ever book anything.

20+
Years of Experience
1910s–1960s
Primary Housing Era
4.9★
Google Rating (159)
2
National Certifications

What does a home inspection in Upper Darby include?

Bob approaches every Upper Darby inspection per ASHI and InterNACHI Standards of Practice. With 1910s–1960s housing stock dominant in Upper Darby, Bob pays particular attention to the era-specific issues that affect early to mid-20th century construction in Delaware County.

Block & Poured Foundations with Clay Laterals

1920s–1940s homes typically feature poured concrete or concrete block foundations — an improvement over stone, but still vulnerable to cracking and water intrusion after 80+ years. Bob pays special attention to clay sewer laterals common in this era, which suffer from tree root intrusion and joint separation.

Early Electrical Upgrades & Oil-to-Gas Conversions

Many homes from this era have had multiple electrical upgrades layered over original wiring — sometimes creating code violations where old and new systems connect improperly. Bob also evaluates oil-to-gas furnace conversions, checking that chimney liners, supply lines, and venting meet current safety standards.

Original Slate Roofs & Plaster-Over-Lath Moisture

Original slate and clay tile roofs from the 1920s–1940s may still be serviceable but require careful inspection for worn fasteners and deteriorating underlayment. Bob checks for plaster-over-lath moisture issues where exterior water intrusion saturates wall cavities behind intact-looking plaster surfaces.

Plaster Walls, Hardwood Floors & Early Insulation

These homes feature quality craftsmanship — hardwood floors, plaster walls, built-in cabinetry — but often lack adequate insulation by modern standards. Bob evaluates whether past insulation retrofits were done properly and checks for moisture trapped behind plaster from exterior or plumbing leaks.

How does mold testing work in Upper Darby?

Homes from the 1920s–1940s combine aging infrastructure with building practices that create persistent moisture pathways — clay sewer laterals, minimal foundation waterproofing, and plaster walls that mask moisture damage.

Clay sewer laterals with tree root intrusion causing backup and sub-slab moisture

Oil-to-gas conversion furnaces with condensation issues from improper chimney liner sizing

Plaster-over-lath walls that hold moisture for extended periods without visible exterior signs

Basement window wells with deteriorating drainage directing water toward foundation walls

Clear Results & Honest Recommendations

Bob walks you through exactly what the lab results mean — no jargon, no panic. All samples go to a PRO-LAB certified lab with results in 2-3 days. Mold testing starts at $290.

What are common issues in Upper Darby homes?

Based on 20+ years inspecting early to mid-20th century homes in Delaware County, these are the issues Bob finds most often in Upper Darby's 1910s–1960s housing stock:

  • Clay sewer laterals with tree root intrusion and bellied sections
  • Layered electrical upgrades with code violations at old/new connections
  • Oil-to-gas furnace conversions with improper chimney liner sizing
  • Original slate or clay tile roofs reaching end of useful life
  • Plaster-over-lath moisture damage hidden behind intact-looking walls
  • Inadequate insulation and single-pane windows driving high energy costs

Schedule in Upper Darby

Same-week appointments available. Bob personally oversees every inspection — you always know who's walking through your home.

610-348-6728

Mon–Sat, 7am–7pm • Urgent pre-closing available

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Pricing for Upper Darby

Home Inspection
Full inspection + 24-hour report
From $325
Mold Testing
PRO-LAB certified lab analysis
From $290

Every home is different. Call Bob for your specific quote — he'll give you an honest number on the spot.

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Nearby Areas Also Served

Havertown Drexel Hill Lansdowne
"24-hour report. You always get Bob. My name is on every inspection I do."
InterNACHI Certified • PRO-LAB Certified Mold Testing • No Conflict of Interest
610-348-6728 See Pricing

Why Choose Bob

Why do Upper Darby homeowners choose All Seasons?

01

You Always Get Bob

When you hire All Seasons, Bob personally oversees your inspection — start to finish. No corporate dispatch, no unknown inspector. You know exactly who's walking through your Upper Darby home.

02

InterNACHI Certified

InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector with 20+ years of specialized expertise in Delaware County's 1910s–1960s housing stock.

03

24-Hour Reports

Your detailed, photo-rich inspection report delivered the same day. No waiting — so you can make decisions within your contract timeline.

04

Early to mid-20th century Expertise

Bob has deep experience with 1920s–1940s construction — homes built with real craftsmanship but aging infrastructure. He knows the common failure points: clay laterals, layered electrical upgrades, oil-to-gas conversions, and plaster moisture issues that other inspectors miss.

Get in Touch

How do I schedule an inspection in Upper Darby?

Same-week appointments available throughout the Philadelphia region.

Serving Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Chester & Delaware Counties. All major credit cards accepted.

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Common Questions

What are common home inspection questions in Upper Darby?

Questions buyers and sellers in Upper Darby ask us most often — answered directly.

Home inspections in Upper Darby with All Seasons are starting at $325. The exact number depends on the size, age, and condition of the property, so a 1,200 square foot Stonehurst rowhome and a large stone twin off Burmont Road in Drexel Hill will not price the same. Older Upper Darby housing stock takes longer to inspect properly because there is simply more to document, from stone foundations to original electrical to slate roof sections. Every inspection includes a full digital report with photographs, and you normally have it within 24 hours so you are not sitting on your hands during a tight contingency window. Bob gives honest quotes over the phone rather than making you fill out a form and wait. Call 610-348-6728 and describe the property, and you will get a real number on the spot.
Three services, all performed personally by Bob. Home inspection is starting at $325 and covers structure, roof, electrical, plumbing, heating, and the interior and exterior condition of the property. Mold testing is starting at $290 and uses PRO-LAB certified laboratory analysis rather than a guess based on what a wall looks like. Air quality testing is also starting at $290, which matters in a township full of pre-1920 and early 1920s homes with coal dust history, aging plaster, and lead paint on original trim and windows. There are no subcontractors and no rotating crew. Bob is InterNACHI and ASHI certified with more than twenty years inspecting Delaware County properties, and he is PRO-LAB certified for mold work. If an inspection turns up something that warrants sampling, he can handle it on the same visit instead of sending you to find a second company.
Yes. Upper Darby is a core part of the service area and has been for more than twenty years, including Stonehurst, Bywood, Kirklyn, Highland Park, Cardington, Drexel Hill, Aronimink, Garrettford, Pilgrim Gardens, and Westbrook Park. Bob is based in Wyncote and covers Delaware County regularly, so scheduling in Upper Darby rarely runs into the delays a buyer hits with a franchise chain routing inspectors across three counties. Same day and next day appointments are often available, which matters when you are working against a ten day inspection contingency on a competitive rowhome listing. He also works the surrounding boroughs and townships, so if you own more than one property in the area you are not juggling different companies. Call 610-348-6728 to check availability for your date.
It is one of the most common significant findings in the township, and it is frequently missed. Homes built through the 1910s and 1920s across Stonehurst, Cardington, and the older Bywood blocks were wired with knob and tube, and plenty of it is still live behind plaster and inside second floor ceilings. The real hazard is not the wiring alone, it is the blown-in insulation that later owners added on top of it. Knob and tube was designed to shed heat into open air, so burying it in insulation creates a genuine fire risk. Bob checks the panel, traces what he can access in the attic and basement, and documents where original circuits are still carrying load versus where they were properly abandoned. He also flags the related issue in these houses, which is a modern panel installed on top of unchanged original branch wiring, giving the appearance of an update that never actually happened.
The older Upper Darby rows and twins sit on stone or rubble foundations with lime mortar joints, and a century of freeze and thaw erodes those joints from the inside out. Water wicks straight through porous stone because there is no vapor barrier, which is why so many finished basements in the township smell damp even when nothing is visibly leaking. Bob looks for shifting stones, washed out mortar, efflorescence, and the seepage pathways that tell you where water is entering. The other half of the story is underground. Original clay sewer laterals under these blocks crack, belly, and take on tree root intrusion, and on the slopes running toward Naylor's Run and Cobbs Creek a failed lateral can push moisture back toward the foundation. Both issues are fixable, but they cost very different amounts depending on how far they have gone, so you want them identified before closing rather than after.
Add it any time the property has a finished basement, a persistent musty smell, past water intrusion, or a recent renovation in a home built before 1940. That covers a very large share of Upper Darby. Attached rowhomes share drainage and party walls, so moisture from a neighbor's failed downspout or repointing gap can surface in your wall rather than theirs, and finished basement paneling hides the evidence for years. Air quality testing is worth considering separately in these houses because of what the century left behind, including lead paint dust from deteriorating original trim and windows, coal dust remnants in basements from the original heating systems, and converted attic bedrooms that were sealed up without adequate ventilation. Mold testing is starting at $290 and air quality testing is starting at $290. Bob can run either one during the same visit as the home inspection, which saves you a second appointment and a second trip fee.
They need a different focus, yes. On a detached house most defects belong to that house. On an Upper Darby row along Marshall Road, Long Lane, or the streets off Garrett Road, your roof, your gutters, your party wall, and often your drainage are physically tied to the neighbors on both sides. Bob pays particular attention to the flat and low slope roof sections common on these rows, the condition of the shared parapet and flashing, and whether the downspouts on either side of you are actually discharging away from the building. A neighbor's neglected roof drain regularly shows up as a stain on the inside of somebody else's third floor wall. He also checks the porch structure, since the covered front porches on these blocks sit on their own footings and settle independently of the main house. None of that shows up in a generic checklist inspection.
Any time works, but different seasons show you different things. Late winter and early spring are the most revealing for moisture, because saturated ground on the slopes above Naylor's Run and Cobbs Creek pushes water against foundations, and a basement that stays dry through a wet March is telling you something real. Summer is the better window for evaluating cooling systems and for spotting attic ventilation problems in converted third floor bedrooms, where trapped heat and humidity in these older Upper Darby homes go on to create mold and comfort issues. Fall is useful for roof and gutter condition on the older slate and low slope sections before leaves and ice take over. If you are on a contract timeline you inspect when you inspect, and Bob will note the conditions that the season is hiding rather than pretending the picture is complete. Call 610-348-6728 to schedule.
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