Building and Remodel  

Shoring  ||  Retaining Walls || Second Opinion  
Patent  || Build and Remodel || Biography

To new home owner and builders:
Buildings such as single family residences, duplexes, or garages can be done without a civil engineer, if they comply with standards in the UBC.  However, custom features usually require engineering calculations and more and more foundations require engineering work.  Remodels involving foundations or walls usually require some engineering.  I can prepare the plans and calculations or I can perform the engineering on plans prepared by others. 

When work is done without a permit, the building official may assess penalties in addition to the permit cost and require an engineer to review the work.  In my experience as the engineer reviewing non–permitted work for the owner, the owner or seller of a remodeled home was unaware of the different ways that non-permitted work can be discovered.  It is less expensive to hire an engineer at the beginning of the project rather than at the end.

To contractors:
Whether the plans are prepared in house or by myself, the advantage of my review prior to construction is time savings when a problem arises.  Familiarity with the project can expedite the resolution to within hours and avoid rescheduling delays and crew standby.

Building Design Authority