Cantor Inspections

Matt was so helpful and so generous on the phone that we didn’t even end up needing his services. I called about a mold concern and Matt walked me through things patiently and calmly, reassuring me and showing me how to save a lot of money even without becoming his customer. Thanks Matt — honesty and great customer service!

Wow! We had a plumbing leak in the wall behind our kitchen sink. the plumbers acted like we had to get mold remediation in instantly, despite the fact that the leak was now fixed, after weeks of creating moisture under the house. The first company said they would charge $ 1800, without removing any moldy plywood, sheetr ock or anything else. The second one quoted me $ 2800 to seal the kitchen off for some number of days, pull the cabinet away from the wall, which he was confident would destroy the concrete counter top, pull the sheet rock and dehumidify… but we would be left with the cabinet sitting in the middle of the kitchen, plumbing disconnected, and no counter top. Matt just confirmed my suspicions that all these companies are fear mongering. that with the source of the water gone and an otherwise dry crawl space, we would keep things open until they are dried out… monitor the soaked plywood, the ground where the puddle had formed and so forth. Thank you!

picked up the phone right away. very generous with his time and deep, thorough expertise. super helpful guidance on how to navigate a complex water leak/​damage situation.

Matt is everything they say here. A true professional and rationalist. I called him with a concern about mold on furniture. My particular concern didn’t warrant a visit from him, but he still chatted with me, gave advice, and allayed my fears. There are a lot of mold «experts» who sell fear — Matt does the opposite. He’s honest and highly educated in the science of mold. My husband and I were sorry not to need his services. We wanted to meet him!

Matt is an exceptional contractor. He is well educated, intelligent, honest, insightful, and reasonable. We had a mildew problem and Matt identified the core issues right away. I would highly recommend Matt to anyone.

If there was an option for 10 stars, that’s what I would rate Matt Cantor! My husband and I are in the process of purchasing our first house, and feeling overwhelmed with everything that comes along with it! After searching for a home inspector, we decided to go with Matt based on all of the positive reviews. We were so very thankful we choose Matt to do our inspection — he lived up to everything in his reviews. He walked us through the entire property, offering explanations, clarifications, suggestion and personal opinions on every single potential issue in/​outside of the house. He was very sincere and made us feel that he truly cared about our personal home-​buying experience and more importantly, our safety. I would highly recommend Matt for a home inspection. Doing so will provide you with the confidence necessary for making one of the most crucial decisions in your life!

We hired Matt Cantor to take a look at the old family home we are moving back into after several years away. We knew there was a lot of deferred maintenance and wanted to make sure that all existing and potential problems were identified and prioritized. Matt was thorough and very professional. He was easy to talk to and generous when asked for advice and referrals. We would definitely use him again!

We hired Cantor on a recent home inspection on a home we were wanted to purchase. We searched far and wide, asking for recommendations from friends but came up empty handed so we were really glad we were able to find Cantor after some research ( Unilocal). Unfortunately neither my husband or myself were able to be there for the inspection (as previously experienced was a requirement), but Matt assured us we would not need to be present and would be able to provide a thorough inspection and would need a certain amount of time to do so. And all we needed to do was return to the property for him to give us a rundown of the findings. He was extremely detailed and clear on the inspection. He explained every issues/​non-​issues with each part of the home. no crevice was left un-​inspected. His pricing is pretty on point to ones we’ve asked around and have used previously so he’s not overcharging you. We would hire him again for any future home inspections we’ll have.

As a first time buyer, I couldn’t have been more pleased with the thoroughness of Matt’s inspection or his clear and helpful way of telling me what to prioritize once I move into my new house: what was important, less important, or expected to need repairs when. I don’t know the first thing about houses – especially older ones – but I now feel much more confident going into this purchase. Matt even gave us advice on things like the need to caulk windows every few years, which would have never occurred to us otherwise. Even if your agent tells you that sellers won’t make repairs based on such inspections, do it, anyway. You should know what you’re buying, no matter what, and Matt will give it to you straight. He was easy to schedule (even with a shortened contingency) and easy to talk to. Best $ 700 I’ve spent in the house buying process so far.

We hired Matt to inspect a property a few weeks ago. I didn’t really know what to expect as this is our first time purchasing a home. Matt was very quick to get back to us and the best part was it was mostly done through text (always easier for me). We met at the property and I was warmly welcomed by Matt. He was very professional, friendly and made the inspection process a breeze. He was very detailed and thorough. I would hire Matt again in heartbeat and highly recommend his services. Thanks Matt!

My husband and I used Matt to inspect a home we put an offer on in East Bay. Per his Unilocal reviews, he appeared to be the best inspector in the area. This was confirmed upon completion of the inspection on our future home.
Matt got us scheduled within a few days of our inquiry. He was very professional, thorough, and helped explain things in layman’s terms. Buying a home is a scary, big purchase, especially in the Bay Area. Matt not only returned his final inspection notes to us ahead of schedule (because of our time crunch with the contract), but he also assured us that this shouldn’t be a rushed process. We should take our time when making such a big purchase.
I would recommend Matt to anyone purchasing a home in the Bay Area.

Called about getting an inspection, Matt and I spoke for 10 minutes and he helped determine that for my particular case it wasn’t needed at this time. He answered all my questions and and was very helpful.

Matt was great. Thorough, professional and very polite.

Recently Matt did an inspection for me on very short notice. He was very detailed, systematic, and thorough. The inspection included crawling under the house via a very small crawl space where he found signs of foundation damage. This led to a second inspection and successful negotiations with the sellers. His architecture background helps him in his work. He has been generous with his time after his work concluded — and is an excellent communicator.

A week ago, my friend invited me to have a look at the house he was negotiating to buy. So I went. And it was the same day he’d hired Matt Cantor to come inspect it.
Matt arrived on time, of course, introduced himself, explained what the inspection process entails and approximately how long it would take, and then quickly readied for work.
Now, I’ve done years and years of remodel work, and my skills are fairly extensive. But in all those years, I’ve never witnessed a formal home inspection. So I was thinking that my knowledge and insight into construction would pretty much qualify me as having at least a reasonably good ability to assess a home’s condition. So I was quite curious as to what a pro home inspector would do. I asked Matt if he wouldn’t mind me tagging along with him, and he warmly welcomed me to join him.
I don’t want to bore you with the details, but here is the bottom line:
Matt’s keen knowledge, his brilliant intellect, his focus, his insight… all these things and more are ASTONISHING. He is kind, thoughtful, and a great teacher, AND humble… He outclassed me like I can’t even begin to tell you! And I’m not ashamed to say it because all I have after the experience is awe and admiration, and I left that day a better person from having gleaned some insight from a veritable master in his field.
There probably are some great home inspectors out there. But I would put my money on this guy, no doubt. He is the KING in my book. Before I do my next remodel job, I’m going to seek his counsel about it. And (as if it weren’t obvious enough) when I need a home inspection, he’s the one I’m calling!

Matt did our pre-​purchase home inspection on April 2^nd, 2015. The appointment was at 12:30 and I met him around 2:15 to see what he had accomplished. I was immediately impressed with his professional appearance and demeanor. I was confident in his abilities and was not disappointed. He was thorough and concerned that I understood everything he was reporting to me. He was knowledgeable about all aspects of the inspection, in my opinion. You can’t go wrong with Matt. I wholeheartedly recommend Matt for your home inspection needs.

We used Matt to inspect a House we were looking at. He picked up almost everything from the sellers inspection and several more important things we should look at.
I loved the time he took to not only do a great inspection, but to tell me a quick ball park estimate or how to fix the problem myself. As I prefer a DYI approach to home ownership. He wasn’t afraid to give advice or admit when an estimate might be better qualified by a professional and was able to give references for a small niche Electrician.
He was the perfect mix of personable and professional. I felt we made a very sound choice with choosing him as our inspector. He’s a Great inspector and a good teacher.
Thanks Matt.

It’s Friday at 8PM and the seller has just accepted our offer on their house.
We went in with a 5-​day inspection contingency because 1) it’s a seller’s market, 2) everyone in the Bay Area seems to have way too much cash, and 3) we just can’t stand the thought of another blown weekend going to open houses.
We call Matt 30 minutes later and he actually answers his phone. We tell him what we’ve done, he looks through his schedule, and for a small additional fee, makes time for us the next morning to come and do an inspection.
It’s the next morning and Matt is already looking around the outside of the house as we pull up. For the next 2 ½ hours, he’s everywhere: backyard, crawlspace, attic, garage, faucets, switches, dishwasher, stove, just everywhere. And he’s sharing with us everything he’s seeing, what we should take care of immediately and what we can wait on, and the whole time, it all actually makes sense.
Afterwards, we sit down and Matt goes over the major things, and it still continues to makes sense. As we’re leaving the house, we’re not concerned: yes the foundation needs work, but we know what our options are, and we’re ready.
In the end, working with a professional like Matt Cantor really provides a level of sanity; a perspective that, in a market like this, is invaluable.

Definitely THE Bay Area Home Inspector.
Matt’s professionalism and personality was beyond what I expected for a home inspector. He treated the home I was interested in purchasing as if he were buying it himself. He knew I was a first time home buyer and went above and beyond to explain everything he was doing and what it meant. As a female first time home buyer, he really impressed me in that he spoke to me directly (not my Dad who was there for support). For a second inspection, I had to go with someone else because Matt was on a very special anniversary vacation and wow, what a difference. Matt clearly is a gem in this industry and worth every penny. Another five star inspection. Thank you so much Matt!

Matt provided me with a roadmap for the work needed on a 90+ year old Berkeley home. His detailed report covered areas of concern and provided reference data on health and safety issues. My wife and I found the consultation very helpful.
One of the many benefits of Matt’s extremely personable consultation was a multi-​hour walkthrough. Matt educated me as he went through every area of the house inside and out. The wide ranging discussion was an opportunity to take notes and learn.
We’d hoped to have an ongoing relationship with Matt. He offered connections to other professionals and a willingness to follow-​up that simply hasn’t happened.