FJ Engineering + Design Structural Consultants

Francisco did a great job for us. He was extremely professional and took the time to listen to my questions and he provided detailed answers that could be easily understood by a layperson. He took his time and did a very detailed inspection during the site visit and he very promptly provided his final report. I would definitely recommend Francisco and it was a pleasure dealing with him!!

We were very impressed by the professionalism, expertise, and helpfulness of FJ Engineering + Design.  Francisco's knowledge, attention to detail, and overall structural evaluation were clearly head and shoulders above the other companies that we looked at.   In fact, the other big company in our area with the highest ratings actually gave us the incorrect assessment of the cause of our house settling and recommended a $6,200 underpinning of our home which would not have fixed the underlying problem. Francisco actually found the true structural cause of our house settling, correctly recommended the appropriate solution, and saved us thousands of dollars in the process.  His structural evaluation fee (discounted to $350 because we are local) was slightly more expensive than the competition, but was definitely worth it.  He spent over 3 hours at our home, including a 1.5 hour detailed evaluation and blueprint of the crawlspace under the house, which allowed him to find the crack in the foundation.  The competitor company spent only 20 minutes under the house and therefore did not find the true structural defect.  Francisco took many photos and videos of the crawlspace, which allowed us to pinpoint and share the problem with the construction companies with whom we obtained bids.  It is quite obvious that Francisco takes a great deal of pride in his work and makes the extra effort to be sure that all of his customers' questions are answered.  Importantly, it is also clear that he enjoys his work and the challenge of solving structural problems.  I would highly recommend FJ Engineering + Design to anyone who needs a detailed, accurate, and comprehensive structural evaluation of their property.

My wife and are looking to purchase a home in Lake Forest CA.  Upon review of a previous accepted offer and their home inspection, the property we were looking at had some major structural work done to reinforce a beam due to the seller removing a load bearing wall during a renovation. 
Although the seller provided plans from the firm he hired to complete the necessary repairs, I wanted to get a second opinion after our home inspector suggested there may be additional issues that may not have been addressed.
Francisco, the owner of FJ Engineering + Design, was extremely helpful and professional.  He drove all the way from Alhambra to Lake Forest to meet with me, answered my emails and calls in a timely manner, and was extremely professional throughout the services performed.
He walked me around the house, pointed out potential issues and solutions and asked me questions about my concerns.  He then reviewed the structural plans for the repairs that were made and we headed under the house to review the work.  He pointed out what issues he saw, why they did the repairs a certain way, and what they were lazy/sloppy in executing.  After the review, he walked me through the plans and explained what they had done and related it back to what we saw.  He then recommended a list of what he would do to fix the areas, and explained how the repairs should be performed.  Thankfully, it was nothing serious.
Surprise!   The seller apparently told his structural engineer/contractor that we were there, and the other structural engineer showed up at the inspection unannounced.  The engineer from the other firm was very defensive and tried to argue with Francisco.  Francisco was very polite and explained his opinion to him on the plans and the execution of the work (the plans were above and beyond what the homeowner needed to do, but in Francisco's opinion, there was some vagueness and additional reinforcements/corrections he suggested as precautions due to some sloppiness/laziness from the execution of the plans.  Despite the other engineer leaving angry, Francisco stayed calm, explained why he was recommending the repairs, and put me at ease.
I would highly recommend him if you need some peace of mind or need a second opinion.  He seemed very knowledgeable and conducted himself very professionally.

This review is for FJ Engineering. Specifically, this review is for Francisco Garcia, a licensed Civil Engineer.
My fiance and I bought our single story 1950s house in Monterey Park in 2014. At purchase, we noted that the roof had a sag in it. According to the inspector, the sag was stable and all that was required was ?a 2x4 to prop it back up?. Unfortunately, this was not the case. A subsequent inspection by myself and another licensed contractor discovered that the purlin (horizontal roof beam that supports the midpoint of a roof slope) had actually broken off in that section. Additionally, a ridge brace was buckling. I wanted an engineered solution and one that would allow me to effect a repair without costing undue amounts of money. Furthermore, I wanted an engineer who would be personable, informative, and local to my neighborhood.
After some searching through the state engineer?s board and various background checks, I decided to give FJ a call. Francisco came out a few days later and spent about an hour and a half sketching and planning. In the end, he provided a solution that was within our budget but would also ensure the safety of our home and family.
The repair was conducted by my licensed contractor. Two months later, our roof slope remains normal and I feel much better knowing that the ridge brace is well reinforced. Through the whole process, Francisco was very helpful in answering both my questions and allaying any concerns that I had. What began as a deeply troubling worry ended up being a source of confidence as the winter rains poured hundreds of gallons of water over our roof.
I would choose first Francisco and FJ Eng. for any engineering work that needs to be done on my property in the future. Excellent communication, articulate, and informative. Anyone who wishes to contact me for more information may do so via this website or my own.
Kevin Chow, M.A. Ed.LAUSD Education & Technology Coordinator www.mrkevinchow.com