Here are the most frequently asked questions and answers about All Cape Patrol’s home watch services.

How many times will you check on my house while I am away from it?

Home watch inspections are typically performed once a week while the property is vacant. Some clients only want their houses checked every other week. Your homeowners insurance policy may require a certain inspection frequency while the property is vacant. The frequency of inspections will also depend on whether the property is winterized or not and your preferences. Severe storms and periods of extremely cold temperatures may require more frequent inspections during the off season.

What does each home watch inspection include?

Each home watch inspection consists of a complete property inspection and a full report delivered straight to your email from the property in real time. This includes a thorough exterior inspection of the entire property, the grounds and the exteriors of all buildings on the property as well as complete interior inspections of all buildings on the property including environmental, plumbing and mechanical system statuses.

What are your rates for contract home watch services?

All Cape Patrol’s regularly scheduled home watch service inspections start at $35 per visit. We may offer discounts for home watch inspections of multiple properties in the same immediate area. Please contact us for a custom quote.

What if I don’t want to sign a contract and I just want to have you inspect my home whenever I need you to?

No contract, on demand home watch inspections start at $45 per inspection. If we have access to a lock box or a key to your house, you can call us whenever you want and have us perform complete home watch inspections whenever you need them without being locked into a contract and a regular inspection schedule.

For example, maybe you have a home automation system that controls the temperature of the house and remotely alerts you of power outages, heating system failures, abnormal environmental conditions, etc. In that case, you may not need regularly scheduled home watch inspections, but you do need All Cape Patrol to be your on call local key holder in case of a power outage or an environmental alarm activation.

What if during the home watch inspection you find an issue at my house?

If we discover a problem at your property that cannot be reasonably resolved, we will contact you immediately to inform you of the situation and discuss an appropriate course of action. If you have a list of designated service providers on file with us, such as a local plumber that you use, we can contact them as well.

We have been on the Cape a very long time, so if you don’t have a local contact, or service provider to remedy an issue at your property, we can recommend service providers based on our experience and knowledge of the area.

How long will the inspector be on the property?

The patrol agent will perform a complete home watch inspection of the property and create a detailed report that will be emailed to you immediately from the property. The designated time for the home watch inspection and reporting will be up to thirty minutes on the property.

Any time over this allocated inspection time period will require additional charges as described in our home watch contract and terms of service. If there is an issue at the property, the patrol unit will attempt to contact the property owner, or an authorized representative to approve of additional time on scene. If no one can be reached, the patrol unit will take whatever action deemed necessary while keeping in mind the best interests of the property owner.

For example, a patrol may stay on scene to wait for police after the discovery of a break in or other property crime, or may stay on scene to secure the property until a contractor arrives after the discovery of an issue that compromises the security of the property.

What does the home watch inspection report look like?

Home watch inspection reports include details of the current property status, incident reporting and GPS and time stamped digital images of the interior and exterior of the property along with detailed images of any potential issues or problems that may be discovered. Click here to view a sample home watch report (PDF).

What are the terms of the contract for home watch services?

Contract home watch services are regularly scheduled per your requirements. There is no minimum term requirement. For example, you may only need home watch services for a week or two while you are away on vacation (vacation watch), or you may need home watch services for several months during the winter season.

How do I get started with home watch inspections for my Cape Cod property?

Call us at (774) 383-2030 or email us right now to discuss your home watch needs. Once we agree on what you need and the terms of service, we can either meet you at the property, or if you are not in the area, you can mail us the keys along with instructions and we’ll get started.