Dwayne Boggs is a name known throughout the South Sound home inspecting world. Dwayne has been helping home buyers with his in-depth home inspections since 2004. His company, Boggs Inspection Services, was built from the ground up and is now one of the fastest growing inspection companies in the Pierce County community.
Dwayne spent his childhood in Brunswick, Ohio, a suburb south of Cleveland. As the third child in the Boggs family, Dwayne spent time with his family, two older sisters, and a younger brother, enjoying the outdoors hunting, fishing and camping — hobbies he still loves today.
During high school and the years following, Dwayne worked construction and odd jobs, beginning a career with the airlines in 1989. He started part-time in the freight division but it wasn’t long before his work ethic drew attention and he was promoted in 1991 to lead foreman, responsible for a crew of more than 40 people. “It was as a lead foreman that I really developed my multi-tasking skills,” he remembers. “Having to answer questions, knowing where people needed to be, and making sure the work was completed required a lot of quick thinking.”
Knowing he wanted to advance his career, Dwayne enrolled in Strayer University in 1995 and earned his BA in Business Administration in 2001, all while working full-time.
The very next year, United Airlines transferred Dwayne to SeaTac. He knew a bit about the area and choose to settle in Olympia where his older sister Nancy LaPointe lived.
It was on a quick trip to South Carolina not long after that Dwayne found himself paging through a magazine where he came across an article about becoming a home inspector. The airline industry was unstable at the time, just after 9/11, and Dwayne was ready for a change. “I read the article and got really interested,” he recalls. “I thought, ‘I can do this!’ So I rolled up my sleeves and got to work and the rest is history.”
While it wasn’t easygoing at first, Dwayne’s signature hard work and tenacity paid off. “It wasn’t easy the first few years, but I just kept plugging away and it began to grow,” he shares.
Dwayne’s work ethic, honesty and integrity were all assets in building Boggs Inspection Services. He acknowledges his family’s upbringing and summers spent with his grandfather, Ford Spinks, for solidifying these qualities in him during childhood.
“I used to visit my grandfather in the summers down in Alabama,” he recalls fondly. “We’d fish and go out on the lake together. It was a great time in my life and truly where I got my work ethic. My grandfather was from the Depression era and he didn’t really believe in being idle. There was always something to do.” One summer, Dwayne and Ford spent three months building a house together, a time he’ll never forget. “We’d work from 6:00 a.m. until noon, break for lunch, and then were back at it until 5:00 p.m. or 5:30 p.m., six days a week. Sunday was always for church,” Dwayne says.
In the off hours, Ford would hand young Dwayne a can of bent nails and a hammer, asking him to return them to usefulness. “My grandfather worked us hard, but taught us that hard work pays you back. He was big on integrity — doing what you say and taking care of people — and was one of my biggest role models.”
Boggs Inspection Services was a one-man show for many years, but today Dwayne’s business supports office staff and four additional inspectors. As an employer, he now divides his days between the field and office.
“I really enjoy the business part,” he explains. “I love the houses and building science, but I get a lot of satisfaction from providing good jobs for my employees and being in a position to give back to the community, too. I’m not just a home inspector anymore, but a business owner.” Dwayne takes good care of his employees, hosting holiday parties or organizing a group team building activity. He treats office manager Heather Rowell and the office staff to lunch out or a special event to show his sincere appreciate of their hard work.
Boggs Inspection Services was built on Dwayne’s hard work and integrity, delivering straightforward, unbiased reports. “I always represent the client, the buyer,” he says of his business philosophy. “I know from years of experience that it’s not the home inspector that blows the deal, it’s the house.”
Not only has Dwayne’s nature earned him business success, but a partner in life in Ana Ramirez. On a Friday night in 2005, Dwayne stopped into Costco on his way to a duck hunting seminar. “I was in camo shorts and a white tank top on a Friday night,” he laughs. “I saw this woman all dressed to the nines with some of her girlfriends and I just went up to her and asked her out to dinner. She said yes, and that was that.”
Ana and Dwayne make time in their busy schedules for relaxation and fun together, both enjoying the outdoors and the beauty of the Northwest. In 2015, the couple spent 16 days biking through Cuba, and this year the duo completed the STP together in celebration of Dwayne’s 50th birthday. Dwayne still hunts as much as he can, visiting Montana with his beloved hunting dogs for an annual trip each fall.
Those who know Dwayne will tell you that you won’t find a more dedicated, generous and humble guy. While he might not shout it from the rooftops, he’s proud of what he’s built at Boggs Inspection Services.
“I never thought, as a low-to-middle income kid growing up in Ohio, that I’d be able to give back to my community — sponsor dance teams, go to fundraising breakfasts, donate to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County — but I can. It’s what means to most to me, at the end of the day.”
To learn more about home inspections with Boggs Inspection Services visit them online or call 360-480-9602.
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