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How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Structural Engineer in Los Angeles? [2025 Data]
Normal Range: $549 - $2,134
Hiring a structural engineer in Los Angeles, CA costs $1,249 on average, or between $549 and $2,134, depending on the exact services you need from a pro.
How we get this data
Cost Insights
Structural engineer costs in Los Angeles, California, increase with project complexity, seismic requirements, and $140 to $200 hourly labor.
Hillside homes and mid-century structures often require added shear-wall design, costing $700 to $4,000 in engineering plans.
Foundation or load-bearing wall issues can significantly raise totals, with inspections costing $1,200 to $2,000 in Los Angeles.
As a high-cost West Coast metro with strict seismic codes, homeowners in Los Angeles, California, should budget carefully when planning structural work. Structural engineer costs in Los Angeles average $1,249, though most homeowners spend between $549 and $2,134 depending on project complexity.
LA’s mix of hillside homes, aging mid-century properties, and dense infill construction often requires detailed load calculations, shear-wall analysis, or foundation assessments. Warm, dry weather, along with seismic activity, also influences the type of structural support your project may require. Below, explore what you can expect to pay when hiring a structural engineer in Los Angeles.
Structural Engineer Cost Factors
Structural engineer cost factors in Los Angeles, California, depend on the fee structure, project complexity, inspection type, and required engineer plans, especially in older LA homes, where identifying signs of structural damage can significantly increase evaluation time and cost.
Fee Structure
When hiring a structural engineer in Los Angeles, you will pay per project, per hour, or per square foot. If your engineer charges by the project, they may either charge a flat fee or a percentage of the entire renovation cost or the cost to build a house. The type of billing depends on the professional and the exact scope of work requested.
| Price Structure | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Per project (fee) | $3,000–$12,000 |
| Per project (%) | 1%–10% |
| Per hour | $140–$200 |
| Per square foot | $3–$12 |
Project Complexity
The cost of a structural engineer for a home inspection will also vary based on the complexity of your project. If you’re just building an add-on to your existing home, your engineer will have minimal work to do to ensure the addition is safe.
If you’re instead altering your roof structure, replacing standard beams with more supportive steel I-beams to open up your space, or removing load-bearing walls, your engineer will have more work to do and will charge more accordingly. Custom new construction projects are the most involved and will be the most expensive.
Type of Inspection
When working with a structural engineer, an inspection is the first step—and may also be the only step, depending on why you’re hiring them. A structural engineer charges a flat fee for inspections, including checks during the sale of a home. The cost of a structural report usually sits at $550 nationally, but prices can range from $350 to $800, depending on the size and complexity of your home.
Your structural engineer inspection cost will likely reach $1,200 or more if you’re having your professional perform a foundation inspection for foundational cracks, bowing foundation walls, wavy rooflines, or sagging or squeaky floors.
| Type of Inspection | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Beams/joists/trusses | $450–$800 |
| Buying or selling a home | $650–$1,000 |
| Foundation damage | $1,200–$2,000 |
| Home remodel | $800–$1,800 |
| Load-bearing walls | $500–$1,200 |
| New construction | $700–$1,500 |
| Storm damage | $700–$1,500 |
Engineer Plans
Engineer plans are the drawings that detail the construction project, and in the case of new construction, they’re the plans that an architect and builder will work off of to construct your home safely.
The engineer plans themselves, and the process to produce them, will cost you anywhere from $700 to $4,000, depending on the scope of the project. The cost can be much higher for more complex, large-scale projects, sometimes reaching 45% of the engineering budget. It’s a good idea to budget an additional $300 to $700 for revisions in case you want to make changes after the first round of drafting. Additional revisions after that point will cost the same amount.
Below, we've included some average pricing for standard drawings you might request from a structural engineer:
| Drawing Type | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Commercial construction | $15,000–$100,000 |
| Home add-on or bump-out | $5,000–$15,000 |
| Major home renovation | $7,000–$20,000 |
| New construction | $10,000–$40,000 |
| Outbuilding construction | $3,000–$12,000 |
Additional Structural Engineer Costs
Structural engineering expenses in Los Angeles can vary widely due to seismic design requirements, hillside construction, and the city’s strict permitting standards. Homes in areas like Silver Lake, the Hollywood Hills, and Echo Park often require more complex evaluations, which can increase total project costs.
Labor
Labor rates for a professional structural engineer inspection in Los Angeles range from $150 to $175 per hour, with higher pricing for hillside access, parking limitations, or seismic detailing. Homes built before current earthquake-resistant codes may require additional engineering time to assess retrofit needs, which raises overall labor costs for homeowners.
PE Stamps
In Los Angeles, a PE stamp usually costs between $200 and $500, and this fee applies directly to homeowners when structural calculations or drawings must be certified for Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) submissions. Complex projects involving soft-story evaluations, ADU conversions, or hillside foundations often require multiple stamped sheets, increasing the total cost.
Permits
Most structural work in Los Angeles requires permits through LADBS, and these fees do apply to homeowners. Permit costs range from $150 to $500 for minor structural changes, while permits for additions, ADUs, or major remodels often exceed $1,000 due to seismic review requirements.
Taxes
California does not charge sales tax on engineering services, meaning homeowners do not pay tax on structural engineering labor or drawings. However, any construction work performed after the engineer’s review, such as foundation repair, framing, or seismic retrofitting, will be taxed at Los Angeles County’s combined sales tax rate of 9.5%.
Tipping
Tipping is not customary for structural engineers in Los Angeles because they provide licensed professional services. Homeowners who want to show appreciation do so through positive reviews, referrals, or by hiring the same engineer for future phases of a remodel, rather than offering gratuity.
Can a Structural Engineer Add Value to Your Home?
Hiring a structural engineer in Los Angeles doesn’t generate a direct return on investment (ROI) on its own—your financial gain depends on the project that follows their work. If you’re bringing in an engineer because you’re planning a home addition in neighborhoods like Silver Lake or Mar Vista, you might see an ROI of 20% to 50%, depending on design quality and local market conditions. However, if you’re hiring a structural engineer for a pre-purchase inspection or to assess seismic movement after a storm or tremor, the return is less measurable, since the value comes from safety assurance and reducing long-term risk rather than profit.
How Angi Gets Its Cost Data
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We survey real Angi customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
Want to help us improve our cost data? Send us a recent project quote to [email protected]. Quotes and personal information will not be shared publicly.
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