Sentinel Inspection Services

We neeeded a home inspection to follow up on some problems that were indentified and fixed in previous inspections that we had done years ago. We have also always been concerned that termites might make an invasion, although we have had minimal problems with termites in the past. Sentinel arrived at the job on time, and their cost was less than what I expected it would be. They took extra time to explain their findings, and were quite responsive to my requests and suggestions for additional things to inspect. They found a few problems that needed fixing, and made recommendations for contractors to do the repairs.

We decided to try these guys out during a rather rushed inspection period on a house we were looking to buy. Another reviewer mentioned they do a package deal (roof, termite, and home) for inspections so we were really hoping we could get them since many of the individual inspectors we called weren’t available on the days we wanted (Thursday and Friday) and were pricier combined. Brian returned my call later on in the day (around 6pm) and he was able to schedule an inspection for us on a Friday at 2pm for $ 595 which we thought was a good price. Mind you, we called him on Tuesday so we were happy to get a time this week at all. He also said he can get the reports completed by the weekend, which was critical for us.
Around 5 to 10 minutes before the scheduled time, Brian and Brandon arrived and went to work right away. Seeing as this was our first inspection, we took the more cautious approach and waited in the house until they were done. They were professional throughout the entire process and were still approachable. When they were done, they went through what they inspected in great detail and we thought they covered everything we needed them to cover. Paying them was super easy and like what Brian said in our initial call, we got all three reports by Sunday mid-​afternoon (actually, that was the just the termite inspection report; we got the home and roof report Saturday night) which was just excellent.
We read through the reports and were very satisfied compared to the reports we checked out from other inspection services that our agent recommended. Brian and Brandon’s reports were easier to read, had more detail, had more pictures, and were overall simpler (but in a good way). We won’t hesitate to schedule another inspection with these guys in the future. They got one satisfied customer.

I had Brian and his team come out and do the pre-​purchase inspection on my home. It was a thorough inspection and did not feel rushed at all. I felt like no stone was left unturned, and I have pictures of all issues big and small (mostly small). Brian went through and showed me anything he felt was even slightly more significant than «minor». All in all very pleased and would recommend them. Very much wanted to keep the work I needed on my house inspection, painting, hardwood floor refinishing all with local and small businesses.

This review is long overdue. Brian and Brandon performed a home inspection for me for a fixer upper investment property last summer. I have worked with other inspection companies in the area before. I would sum up my experience with Sentinel as complete satisfaction of work from true blue professionals. They were very methodical and very detailed in all aspects of their report. They pointed out many problems with the house that I had not anticipated– unexpected dry rot, plumbing problems, electrical code violations, etc. All masterfully reported, section-​by-​section on a PDF file with photos. On top of everything, they are really down to earth fellas, with excellent communication, responsiveness, and punctuality. The overall experience was like having a very good, vastly experienced friend, making it very clear what you are/​were getting yourself into with a potential home purchase.
On this same property, I needed them to return a couple more times to re-​inspect, subcontracted repair work done by the seller. And Sentinels quality and professionalism shined with each encounter– masters of their craft.
I highly recommend Brian and his team for any home inspection.
You can’t go wrong with Sentinel. Thanks again fellas!

We worked with Brian when we were purchasing our new home. He was friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and extremely detailed oriented… which is of course priceless for an inspector. He was very quick to respond to our emails and calls. He sent us the inspection report within 24 hours, we thought at the time we could not have been more appreciative.
However, Brian did something for us that we could never repay him for. Our lender (
) really put us in a horrible position at the very last minute. Brian came to our rescue and did a last minute inspection AND turned in the necessary report back to us… within 12 hours… on a WEEKEND!
If it wasn’t for Brian I am sure we would have lost our loan rate lock. He really came through for us and there are no words to express how grateful we are. Brian is a true professional who honestly cares about his clients.
We are so thankful that Sentinel made this portion of our home buying process so smooth.

We liked Brian and his son. They showed up on time and returned calls. The issues I have with them are: they were more responsive to our Realtor when it came down to getting the report. I suppose they could get business that way, but I wonder why not also make the paying customer fully satisfied? Also, I did notice that they are not thorough with their inspection. They didn’t point out the crack on the 2^nd floor near our sliding door which was due to water leaking in from the arbor bolt that is attached to the exterior wall. Also, there are many outlets in the new house that are not working which are not mentioned in the report. Again, I think they do not put too much discouraging findings on the report so both Realtors would be impressed by them.
If I need to sell my house, I may want to hire them, since they are not that thorough. =) but for buying purposes, then I would go with another company or really make sure you go through your house with them every step of the way.
So overall, they get three stars (OK) for being punctual, easy to schedule appointments and reasonable pricing. Minus two stars for not being responsive regarding the report until our Realtor asked for it and for not being thorough enough.

Brian & Brandon– All I can say is 5 Stars!!!

I contacted and done home inspection through them. They are very punctual and were on time. They had separate roofing company for roof accommodation. They are very reasonable in cost and professional to work with. Only thing I was concerned regarding was even after asking they did not open electrical panel to check circuits so that means that area is still gray for me. I was expecting them to open electrical panel and check for any unusual connections. Other than that all looks fine. They are responsive when you ask question. I would recommend them again to contact.

Needed a house inspection for a house I was listing in Dublin, called about 4 different places and decided to go with Sentinel. Sentinel was very responsive and also had the best price quote. Brian (owner maybe?) was very easy to get a hold of (not like the other places I called), they called me back in a timely matter. Every time I left a message I got a call back within the hour. They had 2 people inspecting the house, Brian and Brandon, both very professional, on time, thorough, informative and clean. I would use them again and I would recommend them. If you need a house inspection report done, call these guys!

I feel horrible that I didn’t get to this review sooner, as Brian and Brandon (and crew) did a home inspection for me back in October, but since then I’ve had the pleasure to work with them AGAIN, and am still THOROUGHLY impressed with their service!
Back in Oct. I was under contract for a house and had no idea where to turn. My realtor was a snake who only wanted me to work with his guys, who of course charged $ 250 more, and because I’m on a budget and trust Unilocal, I turned here for advice.
I found their website and called Brian, and was impressed that he called me back right away, and was able to come out and do the inspection w/​only 2 days notice. I was trying to buy a house while on my way out of the country (yeah, bad idea) so I was in a rush, and thankfully my lack of planning was treated with respect and also became their emergency. I was able to get the reports before I left and chose, based on their findings (and my lack of trust in my pushy realtor) to not go through with the deal.
Having never had a home inspection, I didn’t know what to expect, but Brian and his son came out, donned protective gear and crawled under and around the house, in every creepy, spidery nook and cranny, took pictures of everything and then proceeded to explain their findings to me in detail. They also answered questions as to what they thought the repairs would involve and whether THEY would buy the house themselves, which I thought was really cool. It was like having a trusted friend with experience come out and look at your house.
When I got the written report, I was blown away again at the thoroughness and the easy read – everything had photos and a detailed explanation and was really created for the lay person like myself.
Fast forward to this month, when I’m again under contract for a second house. I again called Sentinel and they again came with very little notice, and again did a stellar job.
Oh, and did I mention that their services are BUNDLED so that for one price, you get a termite, roof AND home inspection, and Brian coordinates all that for you so you don’t have to chase around 3 separate people? Yeah, it’s awesome.
I also feel better about 3 specialists doing what they do best, rather than 1 or 2 guys who are *jack of all trades* telling me their impressions of the termite, roof and home situation.
You really CANNOT go wrong with Sentinel!

Brian and Brandon’s home inspections were very thorough and uncovered a lot of problems with the house which at first sight we didn’t notice. They went through the attics, crawlspaces, rooms, exterior, and grounds with careful inspection. The report they provided was very detailed with well-​angled photographs and in a very readable and understandable format which was excellent. As a prospective buyer, this is exactly what I wanted. Brian was very knowledgeable and very courteous in explaining all of the details and answering all of my questions. For home buyers, I highly recommend Brian and his team!

After reading all of the reviews on Unilocal,I decided to make an appt with Brian for my home inspection. We had scheduled and confirmed a time for my appt. The hour before my appt time, I received a call from Brian telling me he was unable to make it to the appt and that he had to go to his doctor’s appt. I thought this was very unprofessional of him to cancel my appt at the very last minute. I would not recommend him to anyone.

Brian and his crew are very professional. Three-​in-​one service is what I like most. Save your time by one phone call and one visit to complete the property, termite, and roof inspection done. The key they are nice and efficient. Although you might need wait a few days for the Inspection reports, it’s worthy.

I am amazed!!! Brian was an invaluable part of our real estate purchase transaction!!!
We are a military family relocating to the Bay area on a VERY short notice. We got a word that our offer was excepted on a house on Friday night. I Unilocaled inspectors Saturday afternoon and called a few. Some other inspectors talked down, weren’t flexible and very way overpriced. Brian listened to my situation, was very understanding and his prices are very reasonable.
Being out of the area, we had one shot at deciding whether the house is good for us. We had to put in offers without seeing the properties as I work and my husband is on constant duty where he can not drive out of the area without prior notice. We didn’t waste time previewing properties and househunted online using realtor and zillow and google maps. Needless to say, our stress level was through the roof because we had to commit all of our finances without seeing the house. Thus, we needed a great (not good, but great!) inspector to be our eyes and ears when it comes to the new house.
My husband made the long drive from LA on day 3 (Sunday) of our house buying adventure. Brian met us there on a less then 24 hours notice. When we got to the property Brian was already busy inspecting the yard and the walls and crawl space. He took my husband through the property and identified major issues for us. He also did a roof inspection, which gave us peace of mind.
The way Brian works is how business should be done!!! I will use him for all my future inspection needs in the bay area!!!
To sum up, KUDOs for:
— short notice availability
— great listening, no talking down to us
— taking us through our future property
— roof inspection
— responsiveness to our situation as a client

You won’t get a better inspection anywhere else! Brian is trustworthy, knowledgable and does superior work. I’m utterly impressed.

Brian is a stand up guy and it shows with his reputation on Unilocal.I would recommend Brian to anyone looking to have their home inspected in the East Bay. Not only was he reliable and thorough, Brian was also very accommodating to the demands and lack of planning involved in the, all too common, short sale negotiations. The dates were moved around at least twice. Thanks for your flexibility and service.

I am thoroughly impressed by the inspection performed by Brian Handy, from Sentinel Inspection Service. He was prompt, friendly, very professional, meticulous & focused on his work. As we waited for the home owners to unlock the house, he was already walking the parameter of the house & gathering data. Wasting no time, he even had the roof inspected the day before. Although he was busy with the inspection he patiently answered all our questions. His report clearly displayed all his findings, very organized & easy to comprehend. (there was a table of content, combined with photographs & color coded.)
S.I.S joined forces with Patrick Glennen of Greater Bay Area Termite & Pest Control (800−640−8527). Patrick began his detailed inspection immediately. He clearly explained all the potential «troubled» areas.
It was a pleasure working with both companies & I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for a home inspection.

I hired Sentinel based on the above reviews and they definitely held up to my standards. I also dealth with Brian– he was great. He was able to accomodate me during a Holiday week (Thanksgiving) which was impressive. He was thorough, professional, very informational and pleasant.
I thought the price was very fair, and I feel he was honest which is important in my book. I would hire them again.

As a prospective first time homebuyer, I did all my homework and due diligence in regards to my agent, broker, and what not. However, when it came time for the general home inspection, I hit a dead end. Nobody had a trusted and honest general home inspector to recommend, so naturally I turned to Unilocal.Based solely on one 5-​star review by Carson below, I called Sentinel and scheduled an appointment with Brian.
Brian spent a total of 4 hours inspecting the home and he was extremely thorough, explaining everything to us in detail. He used to be a pest inspector as well, so imagine our reaction when he told us there were active colonies of termites in the home! Without Brian, we wouldn’t have know that the home we were about to purchase was being chewed away at little by little.
The report was promptly sent to us within a day as promised. It was easy to read and understand, including photos of certain parts of the house and color coded. We also called him (while he was on vacation!) to ask him questions and he answered them patiently and gave us his suggestions.
All in all — this is the best investment I made into the home so far and I highly recommend Sentinel (Brian).

Sentinel Home Inspection was recommended to us by our realtor (specifically Brian Handi) and I can’t even begin to tell you how wonderful he was. Although Sentinel is technically located in Livermore, they did our home inspection in Atherton.
Brian came and was like a secret agent with his tape recorder recording all his notes and taking pictures of everything. He was so incredibly thorough!
Less than 24 hours later, we received his home inspection report. It is literally a work of art. He took pictures of the areas of concern, and color coded his comments on everything. Green for A-​Okay, Blue for may need attention, and Red for recommended immediate attention. He even took pics of the crawl space!
We were having a hard time deciding on someone to undertake what I think is a very, very important part of the home buying process. And Brian exceeded our expectations in every way.
The prices vary based on the size of the home, but they have a list on their website. I thought they were very reasonable and I feel confident that we are getting a solid home!
A+++++!!!