Press & Media
The free service that vets Bay Area contractors for homeowners.
Everything a reporter or podcast host needs to cover Renovation Bridge: past coverage, fast facts, founder bios, photos, and the stories we can speak to. The founders are available for interviews, on camera or on mic.
As seen on
NBC Bay Area with Chris Chmura
Avoiding contractor horror stories
NBC Bay Area followed Livermore homeowner Kim Cafaro through her kitchen remodel and showed how Renovation Bridge checks court records, bonds, insurance, and whether a contractor pays their subcontractors.
Watch on YouTube →
ABC7 with Spencer Christian
Pairing homeowners with vetted contractors
ABC7 featured how Renovation Bridge matches Bay Area homeowners with vetted local contractors and stays with them from planning to completion.
Watch the segment on our About page →
EPIC Begins with Zander Sprague
From an idea at 18 to Renovation Bridge
Jacob Gabriel on starting the company at 18, how Renovation Bridge vets contractors and compares bids, and why the cheapest bid is rarely the cheapest job.
Watch on YouTube →
Stories we can speak to
We can react the same day when a contractor story breaks, with a homeowner's view and an insider's checklist.
How to vet a contractor before you pay a deposit
The state contractor board receives about 20,000 complaints a year. We walk through the checks any homeowner can run, and the ones only an insider knows to ask.
What vetting actually turns up
Lapsed workers comp behind a valid-looking certificate, unpermitted work, open lawsuits, subs who stopped getting paid. Why 9 in 10 contractors we evaluate do not make our network.
A young founding team in an old industry
Onn grew up in a family of contractors and got his real estate license at 18. Jacob co-founded the company right after graduating from Monte Vista High School in Danville.
What remodeling really costs in the Bay Area
Kitchen, bath, ADU, and whole-home costs by county, plus permit timelines across 33 Bay Area cities, from our own published guides.
The deposit rule most homeowners have never heard of
California caps a home improvement down payment at 10% of the contract or $1,000, whichever is less. A contractor asking for a third up front is a warning sign, and we explain the others.
Three bids, three different jobs
Bids for the same remodel rarely line up: one leaves out permits, another has a vague allowance for cabinets. How to put proposals side by side and see what each price actually buys.
Why it is free for homeowners, and how that differs from lead sites
Lead sites sell a homeowner’s name to several contractors at once. We match each homeowner with vetted contractors and stay with them through the project. Who pays, and why that matters to the homeowner.
When the subs don’t get paid, the homeowner can end up owing
Under California’s mechanics lien law, an unpaid subcontractor or supplier can put a lien on the house even after the homeowner paid the general contractor. Why we ask subs on the job site whether they get paid.
Background reading: our 10-point vetting process, Bay Area permit times, and all cost guides.
The founders
Onn Matalon
Founder
Onn grew up around job sites in a family of contractors and earned his California real estate license at 18. He started Renovation Bridge to give homeowners the insider vetting his family’s clients never had. Outside work he rock climbs, trains jiu-jitsu, and snowboards.
Jacob Gabriel
Co-Founder
Jacob was born and raised in Danville, California, and co-founded Renovation Bridge after graduating from Monte Vista High School in 2022. He works directly with every homeowner the company serves. He also writes music and has released two full-length albums.
Media kit
About Renovation Bridge
Renovation Bridge is a free service that helps Bay Area homeowners find a contractor they can trust. The company evaluates contractors on 10 checks, including license and insurance, court records, bonding and workers comp, permit history, and in-person job site visits, and about 1 in 10 make its network. Homeowners pay nothing; contractors pay Renovation Bridge a fee. Founded by Onn Matalon and Jacob Gabriel, Renovation Bridge is based in Pleasant Hill, California, and has been featured on NBC Bay Area, ABC7, and EPIC Begins. Learn more at renovationbridge.com.
- Headquarters
- Pleasant Hill, California
- Serves
- Homeowners across the San Francisco Bay Area
- Founders
- Onn Matalon, Jacob Gabriel
- Business model
- Free to homeowners; contractors pay a fee
- Website
- renovationbridge.com
Logos and photos
- Logo, black on transparent (PNG)
- Logo, horizontal (PNG)
- Onn Matalon headshot (JPG, 2400 × 3000)
- Jacob Gabriel headshot (JPG, 2400 × 3000)
Free to use in coverage of Renovation Bridge.
Working on a story?
Email Jacob Gabriel at jacob@renovationbridge.com or call 925 683 4632.