A Valley home inspector has gone viral for his videos. Now a home builder is trying to stop him from posting them. (2024)

PHOENIX — A Valley home inspector has gained popularity for posting videos of his inspections on social media. He specializes in new home construction and his videos have led to hundreds of thousands of followers.

Those same videos have also led to a complaint filed against him by a large home construction company.

Complaint: "Stop posting any videos to social media about Taylor Morrison."

Cy Porter of CyFy Home Inspections began posting videos of his home inspections on social media years ago. He shares footage from his inspections of new builds in Arizona.

“My number one focus is I want everyone to understand new builds need inspections just as much as any other home," Porter said. "They don't just need inspection. They need someone to find all the issues that violate Arizona state standards or that go against the [Registrar of Contractors], which is the builders' governing board.”

His videos caught the attention of Taylor Morrison, one of the biggest home construction companies in the country. Porter conducts inspections of homes built by all companies, including Taylor Morrison.

Porter said he initiated contact with Taylor Morrison following an inspection that revealed problems. He said corporate reached back out to him and they created an open line of communication. Porter said that changed after he was stopped from inspecting a Taylor Morrison home while it was still under contract. He made a video about the experience.

The complaint alleges unprofessional conduct.

"Taylor Morrison would like Cyril Porter, on behalf of himself and his companies, to stop posting any videos to social media about Taylor Morrison," the complaint reads.

The complaint continues to request past videos be removed and for Porter to be disciplined for "harassing, falsified, and bullying" social media posts. It also claims Porter has made inappropriate comments to "female professionals" and questions his endorsem*nt deals done on social media.

Porter believes the complaint was filed because Taylor Morrison does not want negative publicity.

“They even agreed. They do agree with inspections. They just don't like the social media part," Porter said.

Porter added it will likely take months for the complaint process to play out, but said he is confident in his work. He said he's currently booked 14 months out and has no plans to stop posting to social media unless he is ordered to.

"A lot of these videos have actually gone to city officials that have led to investigations to make the builder fix things properly. Others have led to citations against the builders. So yes, there is accountability. But most more importantly, people are aware of what the builder is responsible for and what they're allowed to ask the builder to fix," Porter said.

Taylor Morrison denied 12News' interview request but provided the following emailed statement: “We want our customers and home shoppers to have faith in the care and quality we take in building their homes, and we absolutely allow them to hire third-party home inspectors for added peace of mind. Similar to many professions, licensed home inspectors are required to abide by codified rules of professional conduct. While we have no issue with the home inspections Cy Porter conducts, we do believe his advertising through sensationalist social media postings violates the professional conduct standards set forth by the Board of Technical Registration, which licenses and regulates home inspectors, and we trust the board to review and make an assessment.”

>> Download the12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.

12News on YouTube