Working with Irvin at Prostruct Engineering was a breath of fresh air. After purchasing a new home…read moreand enduring my first winter, I was incredibly nervous to find significant water in my crawl space and cracks along the raised foundation. I initially signed a contract with Prostruct, but after Irvin reviewed my photos, he demonstrated a level of integrity that is rare to find. Instead of taking the job, he honestly informed me that my specific issues fell outside their scope. He took the time to explain what I was seeing, referred me to a geotechnical engineer who could actually solve the problem, and issued me a full refund. I greatly appreciated his transparency and professional guidance. I highly recommend Prostruct Engineering to anyone looking for an honest assessment--they clearly prioritize the customer's needs over their own bottom line.

DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY -- terrible communication and shady tactics…read more I reached out to ProStruct Engineering for a simple onsite structural evaluation at my home in Danville. They sent a 10-page contract and demanded the full $1,100 upfront the same day, before any work was even scheduled. After I signed and inquired, I asked the project manager multiple times for a firm date when the engineer could come out for the survey. Instead of giving a straightforward answer, they used clear delay tactics and kept putting me off with vague responses. When I finally decided to cancel before any site visit or report was started, their own contract (Section 5.5) clearly states I should only owe a $500 "setup fee." Yet they are now treating it as if I owe the entire $1,100. This is a classic "pay us everything first, then we'll drag our feet" operation with a heavily one-sided contract designed to trap customers. Save yourself the stress, the risk of a lien on your house, and the endless runaround. There are plenty of other licensed structural engineers in the Bay Area who actually communicate and don't play games with scheduling. Would not recommend. Proceed with extreme caution.

We had a fantastic experience working with Matt Cantor of Cantor Inspections. The level of detail…read moreand depth of knowledge he provides easily justify the cost of the inspection, which pays for itself several times over when deciding who and what work to do. Matt conducted a very thorough inspection and, more importantly, helped my family understand how to prioritize the work our home needed. His report gave us the knowledge and confidence to speak with contractors and make sure we were focusing on the right repairs rather than unnecessary work. What really stood out was that Matt didn't disappear after the inspection. He remained available for follow-up questions and was incredibly generous with his time and advice as we evaluated contractor proposals. His insight helped us navigate some very expensive recommendations and focus on practical, staged solutions instead. If you want a home inspector who is thoughtful, knowledgeable, and genuinely invested in helping homeowners make smart decisions, I can't recommend Matt highly enough. Working with him was invaluable for our family.

TL;DR - I had a wonderful experience with Matt and highly recommend Cantor Inspections. He is warm,…read moregracious with his time, and incredibly knowledgeable. He wears many hats--part inspector, part anthropologist, part design historian, and so much more. Matt was communicative and able to fit in an inspection of my home almost immediately. I also found his rate to be very affordable, especially given the quality of work and his attention to detail. Long Form Review - I live in Oakland and have a craftsman style house built in 1913. My wife and I bought the house in 2022 as first time homebuyers. We have been so happy in the home, but it has a range of issues and quirks, as I imagine all century-old buildings do. We have done several repairs and renovations on the home already and have many more projects planned. From the initial inspection report and after having lived in the home for 3 years, we thought we had a pretty good idea of what projects and repairs needed to come next. However, before committing any more time and money to any future projects, we felt that we needed an expert, third-party source to help us reevaluate the home, prioritize future work, and identify urgent repairs. This was the context with which I reached out to Matt at Cantor Inspections. I initially messaged Matt via Yelp, and he got back to me almost immediately. Even though he was traveling internationally at the time, he was incredibly communicative and was able to schedule me as soon as he got back from his trip. On the day of the inspection, Matt arrived on time and was more than happy to have me shadow him. The inspection took about 6 hours and I was probably able to follow Matt around for 80-90% of it, observing, taking notes, and picking his brain over a myriad of different issues. Matt is warm, kind, and patient. He answered all of my questions and provided me with quite the history lesson regarding Craftsmen style homes, as well as lessons on construction techniques, material science, engineering, and much, much more. I also found Matt to be empathetic and understanding of my unique situation, more than willing to talk through the issues that were most salient to me. In terms of the report itself and Matt's work, I found it to be very in-depth and comprehensive. In the Recommendations section, Matt does a great job of identifying an issue, describing why that issue is a problem, and outlining steps to fixing said issue. Overall, Cantor Inspections went above and beyond in helping my wife and I reevaluate our home, prioritize future work, and identify urgent repairs. Lastly, I'll add that Matt was great with our dog and cat, who also followed Matt around for most of the day.

I have worked with Reza and his team on multiple projects. They always make sure to provide best…read moreoptions for each project and ready to go the extra mile to accomplish the goals.

I was looking for a while for a structural engineering firm to help me with a project. Other places…read morewould ask a high up front fee and already had a plan without even visiting the site or getting details from me. Nova Structures actually took the time to work with my specific needs. Reza came out to the site and was able to come up with a solution to my structural engineering problem. Whenever I had questions he would hop on a video call and provide me with the details I needed. The engineering plans potentially saved me several thousands of dollars versus what other firms said the build out could cost.

I hired SF Bay Engineering for seismic retrofit plans under the Earthquake Brace and Bolt program…read more I was told architectural drawings were required before they could proceed, so I hired and paid an architect to prepare them. After multiple back and forth and with SF Bay Engineering admitting they aren't familiar with the requirements, they terminated the contract. They refunded their engineering fee, but the architectural cost remained my responsibility. I brought the matter to small claims court, and the court ruled that because I retained the plans, reimbursement was not warranted. I recommend future clients clarify in writing how architectural costs will be handled if SF Bay Engineering terminates the contract. Happy to provide additional details upon request

Excellent service. Requested a structural evaluation for some cracks across areas of drywall at my…read moreresidential home. The onsite engineer walked my partner through the damage and inspected the foundation. Provided a thorough report with recommendations for structural improvements. Competitive rates. I appreciate their quality, service and price.

They came out to do an estimate for French drains and other things, then never came through with…read morethe estimate as promised. Haven't heard from them even after we texted for follow up. They were not helpful at all. Flakey and non communicative.

Jari Construction worked on my balcony repair and seismic strengthening project. They replaced 2…read morebalconies and strengthened my foundation and some of my walls. I'm very happy with the work which is also a great investment in my home's value. The balconies look beautiful! Everything was handled professionally, and the project was finished on time and without any issues.

We used East bay retrofit construction for re-framing my house structure in Montclair, Oakland,…read morebecause the house got unfortunate building structural damages by termite and Dry rot. The Construction work includes replacing wood beams & joists, concrete work with new French drain, stucco, exterior painting, and many others. Martin and his team did outstanding professional work with honest fair price. Their fee was best among 5 other contractors. Multiple professional staffs had worked over 3 weeks on a great amount of work. I surprised they work extremely efficient and beautifully. Even they were willing to take care of fixing unforeseen undesired condition. Their hard work and knowledge of what they are doing is outstanding. Martin is a great communicator and extremely reliable. I can not be happier the result what Martin and his team brought to us. I've recommended the Martin and his team to all my friends. You will be pleased if you get to work with them. Wishing all the best to Martin and his team. Sincerely, Yuji N

Martin and team are the unicorns of the construction world. They're top notch in every particular:…read morequality, communication, and speed from start to finish. Not only do they do absolutely fantastic work - fast but never rushed, thorough but never onerous - but they also excel at communication. Martin responded clearly and quickly throughout the project. We could not be happier with their work. The team was also cheerful - a surefire sign of a healthy work environment. The price was very competitive, and we are extremely satisfied. Our project included raising an entire section of our house, and installing a new foundation below it, with a retaining wall and piers. They also did a full retrofit on the new foundation. I wish we could hire Martin and his team for every project!

Stay away from them at all cost…read more After just two months, our house has leakage problems. The fixtures were falling off. The walls are damages. Oh, did I mention that the second half of the project was just sitting there untouched for over a month now despite all our efforts to continue this project?

KLC stepped in on a residential project (garage and utility room+bathroom) and did an excellent job…read moreon the drawings. They also did an amazing job coordinating a very challenging permitting process with the city of El Cerrito. Ron, Maria, and Edwin genuinely cared about helping me through my first construction project, and I'm very satisfied with their service and quality of work.

Peiman and Laleh have been a phenomenal help. They are patient, kind, knowledgeable, and willing to…read morego the extra mile, when extra questions or issues arose with our contractor. We wouldn't be more thrilled to recommend them. Peiman's team's professionalism and skill make them a rare find for home remodeling projects in the Bay Area.

I contacted more than 20 structural engineers in attempting to even get someone to take my call,…read morelet alone to make my choice of whom to work with for seismic calculations for my home remodel project. Mr. Peiman Ghaffari of S&P Structural Engineers clearly stood out above the rest. He was the fastest to respond; the best communicator -- patient, clear, and easy to work with; and was the one who completed my project with integrity, high technical competency, and professionalism, exactly on time. I have to say I count myself fortunate for finding and choosing Mr. Ghaffari / S&P for my work and I would hope to hire him again if ever a new need arises.

Engin was very communicative and patient when describing to me the kind of work that needs to be…read moredone to reinforce retaining walls. He detailed what services may be necessary (such as soil reports), referred me to several geotechnical firms, and promptly gave ballpark estimates so I can have a good idea what to expect. I appreciate his professionalism, knowledge, and kindness.

We hired ECR Engineering for a seismic retrofit design and build project in our Pacific Heights…read morehome, and we couldn't be happier. Navigating SF building codes is a nightmare, but Engin and the team made the structural side of things seamless. They provided cost-effective design solutions that saved us on construction costs without compromising safety. They were incredibly responsive to our contractor's questions and helped us get through the permitting process faster than expected. If you need a structural engineer in the city who actually understands old SF buildings, this is the firm.

They did so well with our foundation repair. They were kind and courteous during installation and…read morecleaned up everything. Their price was the most affordable and we compared 4 companies.

was very nervou about an older home we were looking to purchas. we set up an appointment with…read moreGroundworks for 4/1/26... The inspector that came out was Enrique Vera. He was punctual, prepare and communicated well about the appointmen. when he arrived, he explained in detail what he was gonna do and look for. He was incredibly professional and friendly the entire time. He spoke to me in detail about everything that he found and gave me his expert advice on it. Enrique was incredibly thorough and had great knowledge of the job in the end. He found nothing he felt was in need of immediate repair. I was absolutely not expecting that. He also provided me a time line of what to look for in the future. if given the opportunity to get an estimate would highly recommend Groundworks and especially Enriqu.