I have referred the services of Paul Cornell & Associates as trusted and reliable home inspectors for over the last 2 decades. Specifically, inspector Scott Molander, who through his constant professionalism, calm demeanor, and impressive knowledge of all building components and systems has helped to educate and make crystal clear to both my buyers and sellers alike what the physical plant condition of the property is, at a specific moment in time. Scott is so dedicated to his craft. I have observed him while conducting numerous thorough and detailed inspections, explaining in great detail to his clients, each component or building item, along the way. For buyers, his ability to explain systems, proper care, and maintenance is invaluable. It is as though he helps buyers better understand the life expectancy of each component, what they need to calendar for future service calls, and most importantly, how to make sense and prioritize what might need immediate versus long time budgeting, repair or replacement. For Seller's, he has been instrumental in identifying critical safety items that they may not be aware of that pose health or safety issues so they can be addressed right away. As a respected realtor for over 32 years, I have worked with and provided top-level service to many trusted and valued clients, first-time buyer's, investors, luxury homes, and down-sizers. I trust Scott Molander to provide that same level of service to my clients and would not hesitate, even for a moment, to refer him to my buyer clients. He is a consummate professional. As a homeowner myself, I found Scott's wisdom and knowledge helped guide me through my own personal home inspection, (which was pretty scary) when making what has been one of the largest investments in my life. Simply said, there are few inspectors out there, who take the time and have the passion Scott Molander has to make certain his clients are educated on everything physical about the property they may be trying to purchase while at the same time, provides clear and factual information so that all parties are knowledgeable about what to anticipate for in the future. read more

First, let me say that we did not actually use them for the inspection. I had conversations with office staff that were perfectly helpful and informative. However, their price to do the inspection was $2,000 (yes, two THOUSAND dollars) more expensive than any other inspector I contacted! That certainly earns a 1 star rating from me. I'm sure they are great at what they do -- but that price was simply not even close to being competitive. The home we are interested in purchasing is huge, very expensive, and we need an extremely high quality inspector. We contacted several different inspectors and talked about the complexity of the inspection we would need. Most bids were in the $1200 - $2000 range, and Paul Cornell was going to charge $4,000. All of the inspectors could see the MLS listing of the property, pictures, etc., so we were sure they understood this was a BIG project. I certainly hope we don't regret our decision to go with another inspector, but I feel we did our homework to find the qualities in both the reporting and the inspecting we need, and are paying a lot for an inspection, but not $4000. read more

Paul Cornell & Associates came highly recommended from our real estate agent. They were a little more expensive than some of our other options, but 1) we wanted someone to be really thorough because we were looking at a fixer upper and 2) we were very impressed with their credentials/experience. Scott arrived right on time and was as thorough as promised. We knew the condo needed updating, but imagine our shock when he found a rats' nest under the tub! Disgusting!!! I'll spare you the details, but just know that the sale fell through right then and there. I know our money was well spent. A few hundred dollars yesterday saved us thousands of dollars and pain down the road. read more

Scott Molander spent over 3 hours inspecting our soon to be new house. I had a report before I went to bed the same night, complete with plenty of pictures. He was very thorough - he tested every single plug, opened every single drawer (and indeed found one that wasn't installed properly), and opened every single window. He took the time to explain to us what was important and what was not as important. His eagle eyes spotted where birds were starting to nest. He even gave us detailed maintenance tips like how often to change filters and how to clean the jacuzzi tub so bacteria doesn't grow. I would go with Scott again, best money I ever spent! read more

We had Paul Cornell & Associates be our inspectors for our dream home. Scott Molander was our inspector and he was TOP NOTCH! Scott was there early (before 8am) and we didn't leave until 12:30! It was a very long and thorough inspection we got an email with the report the next morning. Yes the report was 61 pages, but it contained A LOT of information. He spent the whole inspection telling us how to fix things the proper way and how things worked in our new home. The report had lot's of pictures and explanations pointing to the areas of concern. Scott was very professional and knowledgeable - not just about the house but also about the area. I would recommend this inspector in a heartbeat, and if we every buy again, we will be using them as our inspector. read more

When you hire Cornell Home Inspection, you are not just hiring a home inspector, you are enlisting a powerful and knowledgeable ally. I am on my 3rd "Cornell-Inspected" home, and they are my personal heroes. If you buy a house they inspect for you, you will look back at that inspection and see it as the single best investment you have made. read more

One of my friends said that I needed to use Paul Cornell because his report helped him get an extra $50,000 off his home purchase. Still, I called many inspectors to see my choices on who could do it on the tight schedule. One thing that I noticed was that most of them were nearly impossible to reach because they have no one working back at the office. Paul had someone to answer the phone, and on my tight deadline, that mattered a lot. My prospective house is large - it was listed as about 7800 square feet with a 3700 square feet guest house. It has nine bathrooms and four garage stalls. The inspection price quote seemed steep at first, as I had another quote that was much less. After further investigating, there are four things that made me use him. 1. The lower price quote was going to send one guy for 3-4 hours and start at 1pm. He said that he didn't take photos, but that that didn't matter. I think photos matter to help the seller get a feel for why they need to address the issues. 2. Paul's quote included two guys for 7-8 hours. That was 16 man hours, or 4x what the lower price was going to spend. 3. He has 30 years of experience and was also a builder and once ran a pest-inspection company - so he would be able to see if there were pest problems. He is not currently in that business, so if you need a pest inspection for a mortgage, you still need someone who specializes in that. 4. My friend who recommended him is really smart, so if he was impressed, that is a good sign. On the day of the inspection, they came early and had much of the outside done by the time that I got there, and walked me through explaining what they found. I got a huge 161 page report with photos of every problem. The sellers said that they had no idea that they had many of those issues, and so far are very open to fixing many of them before the closing. This should save me many times what it cost for the inspection. Even the ones that the sellers don't fix for me, I am going to use this detailed report to get contractors to fix everything listed. read more

Paul Cornell and Associates inspected our soon to be house in March of 2014 and I could not have been happier with the service provided. Bill was incredibly detailed with the actual inspection. He walked through the house, every square inch of the house and covered every outside aspect as was. He pointed out not only big items but small things (this isn't an issue now but treat it with this and it'll last forever). I was pleased during the inspection and then I got the inspection report, 94 pages later I was bit a shocked. The level of detail, with pictures made the final negotiation on my house simple, easily defendable and saved us more money from the house price then the inspection (with water and radon testing) cost. Bill had arrived early to inspect the exterior of the house so was there for nearly 5 hours. And the report not only has what is wrong but what would make it right. He even took the electrical apart to check the wiring. And for me, customer service is huge. Bill was very friendly during the inspection and prompt with the report. The two people I spoke with/emailed in the office (Kasey and Shirley) were detailed, polite and fast to answer questions. I've done house inspection for past purchases and this exceeded by a long shot any expectation or experience I had in the past. read more

We have used John Gallagher twice now for our home inspections. He is a little pricey, but worth every penny! Extremely thorough, very nice and got the report to us the very next morning. The first time we used him he saved us from sinking our entire savings into a house riddled with mold. We would highly recommend John, and plan to use again!!! read more

We have had two inspections with PC & Assc and they did a great job each time. We had Bill one time and John the other and in addition to being knowledgeable they were just friendly and very helpful with all our questions. Very happy with service provided. read more

John was my inspector and did an excellent job. He was very detail oriented and took the extra time to answer all of my questions. I received the electronic PDF report the same day. I would recommend this company and especially John to any potential home buyers! read more

I hired Paul Cornell and Associates for 2 home inspections. Both inspections were performed by Paul and Bill. Paul and Bill are FIVE STAR home inspectors. They are extremely knowledgeable in all areas of home construction. They take the time to explain how things operate as well as answer any questions and concerns. I never felt rushed in any of the inspections. I think their reports are very informative. In my opinion, they should not be used strictly as a negotiating tool during the home buying process, but also as a reference guide (i.e. less expensive issues/maintenance) by the new homeowner after they take possession of the property. I also believe it's important they document any and all defects discovered during the inspection process. Even Items such as wallpaper or carpeting is fair game. Peeling wallpaper may indicate a moisture problem. Or wallpaper in older homes may sometimes be used to hold old plaster in place. Dirty carpeting may aggravate respiratory issues like allergies and asthma. The home buying process is overwhelming enough. It's good to know you have an objective eye looking at all the finer details that, often times, are overlooked! I would strongly recommend Paul Cornell and Associates. read more

At the request of the buyer's real estate agent, JOHN GALLAGHER of PAUL CORNELL & ASSOCIATES (Tewksbury MA) inspected our upscale classic Victorian town house in Waverley MA, which had been totally rehabbed and renewed ten years ago. We expected a thorough observation and that some inadequacies would be found. However, major sections of the inspector's report were needlessly alarming and simply WRONG. We believe John Gallagher to be an incompetent inspector. Here is a very shortened list of his incorrect notes--which have subsequently been inspected by qualified, licensed tradesmen and found in good order, safe, and up to code: * Plumbing/heating: pipe size, water pressure, furnace condition, placement of AC condenser * Electrical: supply lines from street, wiring of circuit breakers * Landscape: grading of lawn * Foundations: stability of foundations and chimney * Attic fire wall The inspector also stated in his report that the back deck was "a disaster" (an opinion not a statement of fact), that the deck had no flashing, and that the joist hangers needed replacement. Both a carpenter and a mason pointed out the well-placed flashing and found the deck fine and certainly up to code. The list of wrong or exaggerated observations could go on for pages and pages. The blandest statement I can quote online from trade professions was, "Never let this guy into your home again." As a result of the inspector's flawed and exaggerated observations, the buyers withdrew their offer and lost a home they wanted, both agents lost a sale, and the home went unsold. In our opinion, because Gallagher was wrong on so many issues, major and minor, he should not be doing general home inspections. read more

Paul Cornell is the single most knowledgeable inspector I have ever met. He is a great communicator, humble and funny. His inspection reports are very detailed and arrive within 24 hours of the inspection date. He saved me from buying a house that had issues with the foundation and he also provided tips on how to manage and care for the house that I did end up purchasing. I can't recommend Paul and his team enough - they are worth every penny. read more

I would like to preface all of this with saying that I have been in the real estate business for almost ten years and have sold many homes, thus have attended many inspections. I recently attended a home inspection and Paul Cornell Associates was the inspection company and Scott was the inspector. He was very nice and pleasant. The house was an older home so naturally it will have some items that probably need attention. To make a long story short when the buyer received the report (62 pages long) it was forwarded to me. There was alot of information in the report, much of it what I call boiler plate. In addition there were items that were mentioned that I have never seen in a home inspection report such as comments on the decor, meaning that the wallpaper which of course is not in style (but the buyer really liked) was noted as needing attention. Commenting on items such as dirty carpets and the fact that there is wallpaper does not affect the structural integrity of the home and probably should not have a place in a report in my opinion. The inspector took alot of time taking photos etc. but did not spend an awful lot of time explaining to the buyer how things operate and how to maintain them in the future. If I were working with a buyer and needed to recommend a home inspector I would not choose this one. I have had far better experiences with other inspectors that really take the time and have an interest in answering questions along the way. read more

We had Scott Molander from Cornell and Associates. He did a very thorough job and found lots of stuff that allowed us to negotiate with the sellers to either lower the price or have them fix. He was very friendly and informative during the inspection (how he manages to keep that up over 4 hours is beyond me) and very detailed in the report, which arrived within 24 hours and was easily accessible through their website. read more

Scott Molander spent over 3 hrs inspecting the home we are looking to purchase. His work was thorough, he's very knowledgeable and kind to share his knowledge about every aspect of a home and potential improvements. We are moving from a condo into a single family home and have alot to learn. Scott's help will go a long way for us in the coming years as we work to improve and maintain our home. I highly recommend Scott and will certainly hire him again when the time comes. read more

We were so impressed and pleased with Scott for our new construction inspection. He is the consummate professional and incredibly knowledgeable in all areas of home construction and systems. These folks were able to get us on the calendar very quickly and Scott showed up early and started on the outside of the home. His report was filed for our review within 36 hours! He offered educational information to us as homeowners and gave detailed explanation of home construction and systems usage. His report was comprehensive and we were able to negotiate with the sellers and ask for our "punch list" exactly according to his recommendations. We, thankfully, had very few major issues but he was aware of local and industry codes and gave us a lot of confidence with this big purchase. It was great to have him on our team with this home purchase. We were so impressed with his expertise and depth of knowledge. He is also a very nice and friendly guy and someone we enjoyed meeting and chatting with. He is an asset to this business and we would use him again and recommend him to our dear friends. read more

At the request of the buyers' real estate agent, John Gallagher (inspector) of Paul Cornell & Associates inspected our home. This written review to comment upon the inspector's personal character, thought process and judgement. I thought the house inspection was scheduled for 11 AM, so I was quite surprised while doing yard work that a Jeep drove into and parked in our driveway at around 9:30. As I approached the Jeep the inspector left the Jeep to meet me. He identified himself and provided me with his business card. I told him that I did not expect him until 11. He corrected me and let me know the inspection was scheduled for 10:30 rather than 11. Even with this earlier time, I still questioned why he arrived about one hour early and what he expected to do before the others (buyers, buyers' agent and our agent) were scheduled to arrive for the inspection . He told me "I will walk around the property". As this action appeared harmless, I agreed with this limited activity and told him that my wife had just gone into the house to take a bath and that we would be sure to be ready and not delay the timing for a 10:30 inspection. While taking my shower and as my wife was finishing her bath, we both heard a ladder get placed against our home. My wife, just out of the bathtub opened the bathroom door and we could both see a ladder in the middle of our second floor bedroom window. As we were both shocked by his decision and yelled out to him, my wife rushed to close this window's curtain. Before my wife was able to get to and close the window curtain, we both could see the inspector climbing up his ladder, as well as he could clearly see us in the privacy of our home! The inspector's decisions and thought process are unforgivable. Without my permission, and knowing my wife and I were in our home, his decision and judgement to place his ladder up against our home go beyond being inappropriate. Acting without permission, his character and judgement to place his ladder in the middle of our second floor bedroom window are inexcusable. Ignoring our yelling at him from within our home and before he reached our bedroom window, he made the decision to continue to climb up his ladder. The inspector unequivocally invaded and violated our privacy. After being dressed, I went outside to confront the inspector. He was sitting in his Jeep with the car's engine running . As I approached his Jeep, he remained inside the Jeep. I expressed my opinion of him and his impermissible actions. We will not allow this inspector ever again on our property!! read more

I have to agree with Marlene. I too, have been in the business almost 10 years and in that time have attended hundreds of inspections. The inspector from Cornell and Associates was very pleasant and I enjoyed speaking with him however, I found him to be a bit of an alarmist. Although some issues were legitimate i.e. electrical double taps and reversed polarity outlets (both inexpensive fixes), some other issues should NEVER have been discussed in an inspection... strictly personal preferences. Like the 1st reviewer, I received an extremely long report... 75 pages for a 1500 sq ft home... The buyer was impressed with all of the "work" the inspector did but upon reviewing the document, I found it to be mostly photos with inadequate explanations. I would have preferred a report that focused on quality versus quantity. I am aware that some agents prefer this type of home inspection as they feel it will give them more leverage to renegotiate the terms of the deal but I would much prefer a thorough inspection that focused on repairs and maintenance. I also find it troubling when an inspector puts as much emphasis on a clogged shower head as on a possible structural issue. Not EVERYTHING is a major repair and inspectors who use scare tactics can often cost a client a quality property. read more