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Find Structural engineers in Newark

Avatar for Unicorn Structures

Unicorn Structures

4.98(
30
)
Approved Pro

Unicorn Structures

4.98(
30
)
Approved Pro
Customers say: Quick response
Recommended by 100% of Angi customers
Recommended by 100% of HomeAdvisor customers
6 years of experience

Unicorn Structures is a locally owned and operated company. We provide total civil, architectural, structural and construction solutions for remodelling of houses including kitchen, bathrooms, window/door additions, garage construction, deck construction, horizontal and vertical additions, any type of new residential and commercial constructions, seismic retrofitting, selection of contractors & contract management services and carry out structural inspections/observations. We have the requisite familiarity and expertise to take care of the unique structural design challenges of the bay area like landscape ranging from hills to sea coasts, strong ground shaking, poor soil conditions, potential flood zones and diverse regulations of different cities etc. Above all, the comprehensive and quality service is provided at very reasonable prices in perfect coordination with the builder and 100 percent guaranteed customer satisfaction on every project. Please call for a free estimate!

"Helpful when I needed it !"

krishna s on January 2025

Unicorn Structures is a locally owned and operated company. We provide total civil, architectural, structural and construction solutions for remodelling of houses including kitchen, bathrooms, window/door additions, garage construction, deck construction, horizontal and vertical additions, any type of new residential and commercial constructions, seismic retrofitting, selection of contractors & contract management services and carry out structural inspections/observations. We have the requisite familiarity and expertise to take care of the unique structural design challenges of the bay area like landscape ranging from hills to sea coasts, strong ground shaking, poor soil conditions, potential flood zones and diverse regulations of different cities etc. Above all, the comprehensive and quality service is provided at very reasonable prices in perfect coordination with the builder and 100 percent guaranteed customer satisfaction on every project. Please call for a free estimate!

"Helpful when I needed it !"

krishna s on January 2025


Avatar for Level Engineering San Francisco, CA (Inland)

Level Engineering San Francisco, CA (Inland)

4.61(
279
)
Approved Pro

Level Engineering San Francisco, CA (Inland)

4.61(
279
)
Approved Pro
Customers say: Quick response
Recommended by 93% of Angi customers
Recommended by 93% of HomeAdvisor customers
10 years of experience

At LEVEL Engineering, we are committed to common sense, real-world engineering solutions. We started LEVEL because, after years in the building industry, we continued to see something missing that cost homeowners and businesses untold stress and frustration. Contractors lost time and money, and realtors and lenders could not satisfy their client's needs. We decided to do something about it, and LEVEL Engineering was founded. We serve your interests and provide knowledgeable, expert inspection, analysis, recommendation, and reporting. Whether you need help with permits, forensics, a foundation evaluation, new or repaired engineered designs, or an inspection for your peace of mind - let us help you navigate your structural engineering projects.

"."

Allie S on October 2023

At LEVEL Engineering, we are committed to common sense, real-world engineering solutions. We started LEVEL because, after years in the building industry, we continued to see something missing that cost homeowners and businesses untold stress and frustration. Contractors lost time and money, and realtors and lenders could not satisfy their client's needs. We decided to do something about it, and LEVEL Engineering was founded. We serve your interests and provide knowledgeable, expert inspection, analysis, recommendation, and reporting. Whether you need help with permits, forensics, a foundation evaluation, new or repaired engineered designs, or an inspection for your peace of mind - let us help you navigate your structural engineering projects.

"."

Allie S on October 2023


Avatar for Harsini, Inc.

Harsini, Inc.

5.00(
6
)
Approved Pro

Harsini, Inc.

5.00(
6
)
Approved Pro
Customers say: Quick response
Recommended by 100% of Angi customers
Recommended by 100% of HomeAdvisor customers
6 years of experience

We pride our company on reliability, great communication, integrity, and quality work. We strongly believe in giving our absolute best in all of our projects, no matter how big or small. We are experts in our field and will always keep you informed on your particular task or project in a manner that is understandable to you. We look forward to earning your business!

"Mahyar was knowledgeable and a great communicator. His report was clear and helpful. He was also prompt in responding. All-around pleasant to work with. Highly recommend this firm."

Liz G on April 2023

We pride our company on reliability, great communication, integrity, and quality work. We strongly believe in giving our absolute best in all of our projects, no matter how big or small. We are experts in our field and will always keep you informed on your particular task or project in a manner that is understandable to you. We look forward to earning your business!

"Mahyar was knowledgeable and a great communicator. His report was clear and helpful. He was also prompt in responding. All-around pleasant to work with. Highly recommend this firm."

Liz G on April 2023


Earthquake and Structures, Inc.

4.68(
38
)
Approved Pro

Earthquake and Structures, Inc.

4.68(
38
)
Approved Pro
Customers say: Quick response
Recommended by 92% of Angi customers
Recommended by 92% of HomeAdvisor customers
41 years of experience

Earthquake and Structures, Inc., is one of California's finest engineering corporations! Earthquakes and Structures, Inc., has an immaculate reputation and design services include: analysis and design of the components of a system to perform its function under common loads as well as extreme cases of earthquake or wind loads. It involves optimization of the geometry and loads to provide the necessary functions at the lowest cost. Bishwendu Paul has over 32 years experience in engineering. Earthquake and Structures has had the honor to work on some amazing projects that include the Alameda County Youth Program building, completion of some 10,000 sq. ft., and houses around the Oakland area and Hillside houses with pier foundation. With credible work and amazing customer service, there is no one better than Earthquake and Structures, Inc.

"Experienced firm providing a professional service."

Gary Z on October 2022

Earthquake and Structures, Inc., is one of California's finest engineering corporations! Earthquakes and Structures, Inc., has an immaculate reputation and design services include: analysis and design of the components of a system to perform its function under common loads as well as extreme cases of earthquake or wind loads. It involves optimization of the geometry and loads to provide the necessary functions at the lowest cost. Bishwendu Paul has over 32 years experience in engineering. Earthquake and Structures has had the honor to work on some amazing projects that include the Alameda County Youth Program building, completion of some 10,000 sq. ft., and houses around the Oakland area and Hillside houses with pier foundation. With credible work and amazing customer service, there is no one better than Earthquake and Structures, Inc.

"Experienced firm providing a professional service."

Gary Z on October 2022


"I would definitely hire Denise again -- and recommend that you do too! She was super prompt, easy to work with, and provided advice and direction that was thoughtful, cost conscious, and easy to implement. 10/10"

Kristin K on February 2023

xx

"I would definitely hire Denise again -- and recommend that you do too! She was super prompt, easy to work with, and provided advice and direction that was thoughtful, cost conscious, and easy to implement. 10/10"

Kristin K on February 2023


Avatar for Harmon Home Inspections

Harmon Home Inspections

4.98(
222
)

Harmon Home Inspections

4.98(
222
)
Customers say: Quick response
Recommended by 98% of Angi customers
Recommended by 98% of HomeAdvisor customers

Harmon Home Inspections is locally owned and operated. We service Sacramento and the Bay Area. We use National Association of Certified Home Inspector standards while providing digital E-reports. We use infrared technology on every inspection at no additional charge. Infrared is non-intrusive and allows us to see behind walls to find plumbing leaks, roof leaks, missing insulation, electrical hot spots and more. Harmon Home Inspections uses the state-of-the-art Home Gauge computer system which allows us to include color digital photos of your house in your inspection report. Harmon Home Inspection's E-Reports are available to our Clients and their Realtor within one business day of the inspection. Your inspection report is available to you 24/7 and can be printed and viewed as many times as necessary. All reports are password protected so that you can control access to your report. A Harmon Home Inspection is an excellent tool for you, the home buyer, to help determine not only the condition of the home, but to help foresee any immediate, unnecessary additional repairs that may go unnoticed without the help of a home inspection. Home inspections are not necessarily a prediction of future performance, but can point out existing problem areas and make "Improvement Recommendations." An inspection typically takes about 2 to 3 hours in most cases, which also includes answering your questions on site. The times may vary depending on the size, age, and the condition of the home. Harmon Home Inspections recommends and welcomes you to be present during the inspection, we will answer questions during the inspection as well as explain all of our findings to you and your Realtor at the end. Harmon Home Inspections performs home inspections 7-days a week. We also provide short-notice-inspections at no additional charge.

"Amazing. We had our realtor set up the inspection. Rob was incredibly thorough and explained everything in a way that I was able to understand (as someone with -3 experience in how a house is built, this was so useful.) We were able to take all of his notes and explanations and with the help of our realtor, our request for repairs received 0 push back because we were able to substantiate the requests with the information given to us by Rob. He was incredibly friendly."

Kathryn B on May 2020

Harmon Home Inspections is locally owned and operated. We service Sacramento and the Bay Area. We use National Association of Certified Home Inspector standards while providing digital E-reports. We use infrared technology on every inspection at no additional charge. Infrared is non-intrusive and allows us to see behind walls to find plumbing leaks, roof leaks, missing insulation, electrical hot spots and more. Harmon Home Inspections uses the state-of-the-art Home Gauge computer system which allows us to include color digital photos of your house in your inspection report. Harmon Home Inspection's E-Reports are available to our Clients and their Realtor within one business day of the inspection. Your inspection report is available to you 24/7 and can be printed and viewed as many times as necessary. All reports are password protected so that you can control access to your report. A Harmon Home Inspection is an excellent tool for you, the home buyer, to help determine not only the condition of the home, but to help foresee any immediate, unnecessary additional repairs that may go unnoticed without the help of a home inspection. Home inspections are not necessarily a prediction of future performance, but can point out existing problem areas and make "Improvement Recommendations." An inspection typically takes about 2 to 3 hours in most cases, which also includes answering your questions on site. The times may vary depending on the size, age, and the condition of the home. Harmon Home Inspections recommends and welcomes you to be present during the inspection, we will answer questions during the inspection as well as explain all of our findings to you and your Realtor at the end. Harmon Home Inspections performs home inspections 7-days a week. We also provide short-notice-inspections at no additional charge.

"Amazing. We had our realtor set up the inspection. Rob was incredibly thorough and explained everything in a way that I was able to understand (as someone with -3 experience in how a house is built, this was so useful.) We were able to take all of his notes and explanations and with the help of our realtor, our request for repairs received 0 push back because we were able to substantiate the requests with the information given to us by Rob. He was incredibly friendly."

Kathryn B on May 2020


Avatar for California Construction Center

California Construction Center

4.77(
198
)

California Construction Center

4.77(
198
)
Customers say: Quality work
Recommended by 93% of Angi customers
Recommended by 93% of HomeAdvisor customers

Servicing the Bay Area area since 2005, California Construction Center, Inc is a licensed, bonded and insured general construction company. We have been remodeling properties for residential, commercial and industrial properties. "CCC" is a prestigious company who strives on professionalism and strong client satisfaction results. Our reputable ways allows for us to make and keep professional relationships, as we are in the mind set that the best business appreciation we can get is a referral. Family owned and operated "CCC" has spent many years creating a name for itself as both valued business and as a place where our clients can be treated with the up most dignity and respect. For we value their ideas and strive to give them input without jeopardizing their visions and ideas in the process, in the most respectable fashion possible. "CCC" displays extreme expertise and knowledge in all their business ventures. "CCC". We have aimed to be better than most with the ideals that growth is essential for success. We are proud to share that of many competing companies , "CCC "Was chosen out of 100 top contractors in the Southern California area to be on the hit "TV" show "Flip This House". We would love if your could take a moment to watch the TV show clip from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekxrninanou where you can observe the owners Jonathan and Oz demonstrating their ongoing knowledge and expertise in this extensive field, both Design and Construction. Also click the following testimonial link http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_eslfll1xiq to view the testimonial video showing our previous clients who have had First hand experiences with "CCC". We value your time and input and strive to do business with both new and old clients, in order to continue to remain the reputable company we strive ourselves as having been this long.

"excellent work"

Justin J J on July 2025

Servicing the Bay Area area since 2005, California Construction Center, Inc is a licensed, bonded and insured general construction company. We have been remodeling properties for residential, commercial and industrial properties. "CCC" is a prestigious company who strives on professionalism and strong client satisfaction results. Our reputable ways allows for us to make and keep professional relationships, as we are in the mind set that the best business appreciation we can get is a referral. Family owned and operated "CCC" has spent many years creating a name for itself as both valued business and as a place where our clients can be treated with the up most dignity and respect. For we value their ideas and strive to give them input without jeopardizing their visions and ideas in the process, in the most respectable fashion possible. "CCC" displays extreme expertise and knowledge in all their business ventures. "CCC". We have aimed to be better than most with the ideals that growth is essential for success. We are proud to share that of many competing companies , "CCC "Was chosen out of 100 top contractors in the Southern California area to be on the hit "TV" show "Flip This House". We would love if your could take a moment to watch the TV show clip from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekxrninanou where you can observe the owners Jonathan and Oz demonstrating their ongoing knowledge and expertise in this extensive field, both Design and Construction. Also click the following testimonial link http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_eslfll1xiq to view the testimonial video showing our previous clients who have had First hand experiences with "CCC". We value your time and input and strive to do business with both new and old clients, in order to continue to remain the reputable company we strive ourselves as having been this long.

"excellent work"

Justin J J on July 2025


Ned Clyde Construction Inc

4.84(
68
)

Ned Clyde Construction Inc

4.84(
68
)
Customers say: Quality work
Recommended by 95% of Angi customers
Recommended by 95% of HomeAdvisor customers

Foundation and leveling specialists serving the entire bay area. Licensed, bonded and insured with 30 years of experience. We have licensed geologists, civil and geotechnical engineers on staff, so there's generally no need for outside consultants. Please call the office at 925-689-5411 to talk to an engineer and schedule an appointment.

"Engineer responded within my time frame. He provided the report I needed quickly."

Stephen S on August 2018

Foundation and leveling specialists serving the entire bay area. Licensed, bonded and insured with 30 years of experience. We have licensed geologists, civil and geotechnical engineers on staff, so there's generally no need for outside consultants. Please call the office at 925-689-5411 to talk to an engineer and schedule an appointment.

"Engineer responded within my time frame. He provided the report I needed quickly."

Stephen S on August 2018


Avatar for Style & Structure, INC

Style & Structure, INC

4.97(
34
)

Style & Structure, INC

4.97(
34
)
Customers say: Quick response
Recommended by 94% of Angi customers
Recommended by 94% of HomeAdvisor customers

Style and Structure, Inc. is committed to creating a better contracting experience throughout the entirety of the project process. From the inception of the vision to the completion of the project, we believe in providing our customers with the most genuine care and attention to detail. With our stellar craftsmanship, highest quality of service and a superior level of follow through, our goal is to create an enjoyable experience leading to the highest satisfaction for our valued customers. Style & Structure have served over 2000 clients in San Diego and San Francisco Bay Area with complete satisfaction over the past 15 year.

"Excellent work on the project throughout. Had two huge custom windows with wood trim that needed replacement from wood rot. Also needed to replace a door and fix the flooring around them. Liron and the team did a fantastic job and it turned out better than I expected and on budget."

Owen O on June 2019

Style and Structure, Inc. is committed to creating a better contracting experience throughout the entirety of the project process. From the inception of the vision to the completion of the project, we believe in providing our customers with the most genuine care and attention to detail. With our stellar craftsmanship, highest quality of service and a superior level of follow through, our goal is to create an enjoyable experience leading to the highest satisfaction for our valued customers. Style & Structure have served over 2000 clients in San Diego and San Francisco Bay Area with complete satisfaction over the past 15 year.

"Excellent work on the project throughout. Had two huge custom windows with wood trim that needed replacement from wood rot. Also needed to replace a door and fix the flooring around them. Liron and the team did a fantastic job and it turned out better than I expected and on budget."

Owen O on June 2019


Avatar for Green Bay Remodeling Inc

Green Bay Remodeling Inc

4.79(
70
)

Green Bay Remodeling Inc

4.79(
70
)
Customers say: Quick response
Recommended by 94% of Angi customers
Recommended by 94% of HomeAdvisor customers

Green Bay Remodeling has become a trustworthy business leader by offering excellent aptitude and technical comprehension across every stage of a project. The company holds expertise in offering tailored and top-notch solutions by utilizing customer’s assets along with latest technologies. Constantly counted as one of the leading contractors, the primary goal of our company is to build up, accomplish, and maintain all kinds of projects as per the set industry norms. Our company proudly accomplishes the projects within budget and given time frame. What makes us a leader in the industry is operational brilliance and outstanding workmanship we offer with every project. We work with a team of highly qualified experts who are well aware about latest technologies and techniques that allow us to provide our clients with reasonably priced and intelligent solutions for both residential and commercial projects. Being a reputed and dependable contractor, our priority is to carry out the project in timely manner. We design and implement the project keeping in mind environmental factors, budget and specific needs of clients. Our estimates are absolutely free, valid for 60 days with no obligation. Our minimum job is $6000. For any initial appointment, we require meeting all home owners and we ask for 1 hour of your time.

"Bathroom Remodel – Disappointed I am very disappointed with the performance of Green Bay Remodeling (GB) on my bathroom remodel. Fundamentally the problems were: poor workmanship, blatant errors, lack of attention to detail by work supervisors and project management, and an inability to recognize problems and/or report them to me in a timely manner. Some examples are described below. This impacted schedule, cost (for GB, not me), the end product, and my overall mental health. There was a continuing pattern of doing poor quality work, assuming it was okay, and then fixing it when I complained. Mistakes (tile, grout, grab bar, temperature limit stop damage, cleanliness, etc.) were never admitted, and apparently it was hoped I did not notice them. This reduced my confidence in GB as the job progressed. The estimate to complete was 3-4 weeks but ended up 11 weeks. A major issue on this project was that I had a poor work crew that was replaced after 5 ½ weeks. But there are, in my opinion, as you will see, other underlying issues that compounded problems and created problems of their own. Based on my experience, the problem Is not just one worker, or a single crew, or a single manager, but more systemic in nature. Green Bay: I like their business model. You sign a contract and they commit to price before they see the complete design. I purchased and designed almost everything independently and GB installed it. They do have a large showroom from which you can purchase. They were no price-related issues throughout the contract. No hassle, no back and forth, etc. Plus you get a 1-year labor warranty for returning the completion survey! After receiving the initial contract to sign I nearly quit and went elsewhere. This was because the contract was a nine-page “pilot” which was poorly written, with many typos, really not an enforceable document. It even had language that contradicted our initial discussions, in my favor. Scary. I spoke with one of their current clients and requested the same format, 2-page contract, and I was satisfied with it. Some of the reasons for the delays were: - Workers did not show up for entire days or only worked a couple hours a day - Did not pass two city inspections, had to redo and await a total of two days for the inspectors to revisit - Two holiday weekends - The crew was changed after 5 ½ weeks, long after the problems starting occurring. - It took 3 days for a new crew to come on board. It was then I learned I learned of critical issues with the first crew’s work. The workers apparently made mistakes early on, 3 weeks into the project, and the project manager (PM) either did not recognize them or did not identify them to me until after the new crew came on board some 3 weeks later. The mistakes were with the shower floor and surrounding tile. I did have questions about peaks and valleys in the floor, but these were dismissed. The concrete shower pan and tile had to be removed and redone, ordering extra tiles at a premium with express delivery. - Damage to the temperature limit stop of the shower mixing valve during an unsuccessful attempt to diagnose a problem created by the installers. I needed to order a new part which took nearly a week to arrive. At times, PM seemed inexperienced, over-confident, and not very knowledgeable about construction practices. I attribute some problems to being accustomed to doing things a particular way, but also to a lack of construction knowledge/experience. Your only interface is with the PM so it is important for them to be knowledgeable about the construction details of the project. Recessed lighting is provided free by the contractor and I was told not to worry even though I complained that the selected lights were not appropriate. My bathroom is open to the bedroom. It has an 11 ft+ sloped ceiling. The proposed lights were wide angle (they would illuminate the high ceiling and not the room below) and also they did not gimbal, so because of the sloped ceiling they ended up pointing to the bedroom not the bathroom below. I identified gimballed, narrow-beam lights, that were indeed news to the PM, that were more appropriate, and we used these. The first crew ran out of tile, even though I ordered 6% more than the 10% overage that was initially requested, and they had to use scraps for what they thought was finishing up the wall tile work. I complained about how the shower tile was chipped around the shampoo niche and the window and was told that was the best they could do. Maybe it’s the best anyone can do, but it does look sloppy. Ultimately, I identified some wall pencils to cover the chipped areas around just the window, which they installed and it looked ok in the end. I requested that my grab bar be positioned 34 inches above the finished floor. The posted design drawings and associated text on the submission to the City reflected this. But after all the tile was installed I find out from the construction progress photos that the stud that was installed behind the shower wall tile was installed too low to meet this requirement. Granted, only an inch but I am old and tall and it makes a difference. Too bad, this was such a simple thing and there was plenty of time to correct it before the wall tile was installed. Another detail missed. I specified the best possible one-coat paint and Green Bay paid for it. The initial paint job was so poor (bare areas, light painted over) that I requested a second coat, for which I purchased the paint for both trim and walls. Vinyl plank flooring is generally laid in a random staggered pattern. This is recommended by the manufacturer and included in the installation instructions. When questioned the PM seemed to have no understanding of this. This is just something of which you should be aware if GB installs floors for you. There were problems with the shower mixing valve. Plumbing personnel spent 6 hours trying to diagnose and fix the problem without success. It was reassembled in an odd manner, not looking like the manufacturer’s website. I was told that they would come by the next day to open up the wall behind the valve to check it out. No one looked at the installation instructions and no one called the manufacturer. But I did. The manufacturer told me it was likely only a cartridge issue and gave me things for them to check. A different plumber came in the next day and sure enough got it working halfway decent in an hour, basically using the manufacturer’s guidance. He told me, and showed me, that the temperature limit stop had been damaged at some point during the installations. I ordered a new part to replace the one they damaged. More plumbing poor workmanship. Of the two faucets installed, there was one leaking drain and one leaking trap. They do a poor job with grout. I could not get the color grout I wanted because I was asked the day before it was needed and it was not available. In the end, color choice actually did not matter because the finished, sealed, grout was, tile-to-tile, a variety of colors, a variety of textures, and maybe 10% of it close to resembling my chosen color. Again, disappointing, considering that my 1989 house has 100 feet of gray tile grout that is all the same color. Ask for color seal for your grout to assure consistency of color. They used color seal of my requested grout color and it turned out fine. They did a very poor job of maintaining cleanliness: My bathroom has bottom and top openings opposite the bedroom where I slept for the project duration. The bottom was covered and zippered but not the top during the demolition and dry wall work. Dust was everywhere. When I complained, the PM pointed to the top open area and said that’s where the dust came from. No further attempt was made to cover this area for several days. I became so disappointed that got a plastic tarp and covered it myself. Even after this, every night, after the days on which they worked, my routine was to sweep out and vacuum the bedroom. In my yard, I complained multiple times about the same cleanliness issues but the same things kept happening. It was like repeatedly having to ask your child to make their bed"

Don J on August 2021

Green Bay Remodeling has become a trustworthy business leader by offering excellent aptitude and technical comprehension across every stage of a project. The company holds expertise in offering tailored and top-notch solutions by utilizing customer’s assets along with latest technologies. Constantly counted as one of the leading contractors, the primary goal of our company is to build up, accomplish, and maintain all kinds of projects as per the set industry norms. Our company proudly accomplishes the projects within budget and given time frame. What makes us a leader in the industry is operational brilliance and outstanding workmanship we offer with every project. We work with a team of highly qualified experts who are well aware about latest technologies and techniques that allow us to provide our clients with reasonably priced and intelligent solutions for both residential and commercial projects. Being a reputed and dependable contractor, our priority is to carry out the project in timely manner. We design and implement the project keeping in mind environmental factors, budget and specific needs of clients. Our estimates are absolutely free, valid for 60 days with no obligation. Our minimum job is $6000. For any initial appointment, we require meeting all home owners and we ask for 1 hour of your time.

"Bathroom Remodel – Disappointed I am very disappointed with the performance of Green Bay Remodeling (GB) on my bathroom remodel. Fundamentally the problems were: poor workmanship, blatant errors, lack of attention to detail by work supervisors and project management, and an inability to recognize problems and/or report them to me in a timely manner. Some examples are described below. This impacted schedule, cost (for GB, not me), the end product, and my overall mental health. There was a continuing pattern of doing poor quality work, assuming it was okay, and then fixing it when I complained. Mistakes (tile, grout, grab bar, temperature limit stop damage, cleanliness, etc.) were never admitted, and apparently it was hoped I did not notice them. This reduced my confidence in GB as the job progressed. The estimate to complete was 3-4 weeks but ended up 11 weeks. A major issue on this project was that I had a poor work crew that was replaced after 5 ½ weeks. But there are, in my opinion, as you will see, other underlying issues that compounded problems and created problems of their own. Based on my experience, the problem Is not just one worker, or a single crew, or a single manager, but more systemic in nature. Green Bay: I like their business model. You sign a contract and they commit to price before they see the complete design. I purchased and designed almost everything independently and GB installed it. They do have a large showroom from which you can purchase. They were no price-related issues throughout the contract. No hassle, no back and forth, etc. Plus you get a 1-year labor warranty for returning the completion survey! After receiving the initial contract to sign I nearly quit and went elsewhere. This was because the contract was a nine-page “pilot” which was poorly written, with many typos, really not an enforceable document. It even had language that contradicted our initial discussions, in my favor. Scary. I spoke with one of their current clients and requested the same format, 2-page contract, and I was satisfied with it. Some of the reasons for the delays were: - Workers did not show up for entire days or only worked a couple hours a day - Did not pass two city inspections, had to redo and await a total of two days for the inspectors to revisit - Two holiday weekends - The crew was changed after 5 ½ weeks, long after the problems starting occurring. - It took 3 days for a new crew to come on board. It was then I learned I learned of critical issues with the first crew’s work. The workers apparently made mistakes early on, 3 weeks into the project, and the project manager (PM) either did not recognize them or did not identify them to me until after the new crew came on board some 3 weeks later. The mistakes were with the shower floor and surrounding tile. I did have questions about peaks and valleys in the floor, but these were dismissed. The concrete shower pan and tile had to be removed and redone, ordering extra tiles at a premium with express delivery. - Damage to the temperature limit stop of the shower mixing valve during an unsuccessful attempt to diagnose a problem created by the installers. I needed to order a new part which took nearly a week to arrive. At times, PM seemed inexperienced, over-confident, and not very knowledgeable about construction practices. I attribute some problems to being accustomed to doing things a particular way, but also to a lack of construction knowledge/experience. Your only interface is with the PM so it is important for them to be knowledgeable about the construction details of the project. Recessed lighting is provided free by the contractor and I was told not to worry even though I complained that the selected lights were not appropriate. My bathroom is open to the bedroom. It has an 11 ft+ sloped ceiling. The proposed lights were wide angle (they would illuminate the high ceiling and not the room below) and also they did not gimbal, so because of the sloped ceiling they ended up pointing to the bedroom not the bathroom below. I identified gimballed, narrow-beam lights, that were indeed news to the PM, that were more appropriate, and we used these. The first crew ran out of tile, even though I ordered 6% more than the 10% overage that was initially requested, and they had to use scraps for what they thought was finishing up the wall tile work. I complained about how the shower tile was chipped around the shampoo niche and the window and was told that was the best they could do. Maybe it’s the best anyone can do, but it does look sloppy. Ultimately, I identified some wall pencils to cover the chipped areas around just the window, which they installed and it looked ok in the end. I requested that my grab bar be positioned 34 inches above the finished floor. The posted design drawings and associated text on the submission to the City reflected this. But after all the tile was installed I find out from the construction progress photos that the stud that was installed behind the shower wall tile was installed too low to meet this requirement. Granted, only an inch but I am old and tall and it makes a difference. Too bad, this was such a simple thing and there was plenty of time to correct it before the wall tile was installed. Another detail missed. I specified the best possible one-coat paint and Green Bay paid for it. The initial paint job was so poor (bare areas, light painted over) that I requested a second coat, for which I purchased the paint for both trim and walls. Vinyl plank flooring is generally laid in a random staggered pattern. This is recommended by the manufacturer and included in the installation instructions. When questioned the PM seemed to have no understanding of this. This is just something of which you should be aware if GB installs floors for you. There were problems with the shower mixing valve. Plumbing personnel spent 6 hours trying to diagnose and fix the problem without success. It was reassembled in an odd manner, not looking like the manufacturer’s website. I was told that they would come by the next day to open up the wall behind the valve to check it out. No one looked at the installation instructions and no one called the manufacturer. But I did. The manufacturer told me it was likely only a cartridge issue and gave me things for them to check. A different plumber came in the next day and sure enough got it working halfway decent in an hour, basically using the manufacturer’s guidance. He told me, and showed me, that the temperature limit stop had been damaged at some point during the installations. I ordered a new part to replace the one they damaged. More plumbing poor workmanship. Of the two faucets installed, there was one leaking drain and one leaking trap. They do a poor job with grout. I could not get the color grout I wanted because I was asked the day before it was needed and it was not available. In the end, color choice actually did not matter because the finished, sealed, grout was, tile-to-tile, a variety of colors, a variety of textures, and maybe 10% of it close to resembling my chosen color. Again, disappointing, considering that my 1989 house has 100 feet of gray tile grout that is all the same color. Ask for color seal for your grout to assure consistency of color. They used color seal of my requested grout color and it turned out fine. They did a very poor job of maintaining cleanliness: My bathroom has bottom and top openings opposite the bedroom where I slept for the project duration. The bottom was covered and zippered but not the top during the demolition and dry wall work. Dust was everywhere. When I complained, the PM pointed to the top open area and said that’s where the dust came from. No further attempt was made to cover this area for several days. I became so disappointed that got a plastic tarp and covered it myself. Even after this, every night, after the days on which they worked, my routine was to sweep out and vacuum the bedroom. In my yard, I complained multiple times about the same cleanliness issues but the same things kept happening. It was like repeatedly having to ask your child to make their bed"

Don J on August 2021

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Structural Engineering questions, answered by experts

Whether you’re building a new home or building an extension on your existing property, you will likely need both a structural engineer and an architect. A structural engineer will determine what loads your foundation and framing can safely handle, and an architect will draw plans according to those structural calculations to simplify the building process. You can start by contacting a structural engineer near you, as many work alongside architects and can get all of the prep work done at once.

A 4-inch-thick concrete slab can support around 4,000 pounds per square foot if a contractor reinforces the slab with rebar, while that same slab without reinforcements will support closer to 1,000 pounds. For the purposes of a patio, 4 inches in thickness without reinforcement should suffice unless you’re installing heavy kitchen equipment or a hot tub on it. In those cases, reinforcing your slab and sticking with 4 inches of thickness should provide plenty of strength.

The process of hiring a structural engineer starts by finding reliable professionals in your area and comparing quotes from at least three of them. From there, you can narrow down your selection by asking some leading questions:

  • Do you have experience working in my specific area?

  • Do you have professional indemnity insurance?

  • What will your structural report cover?

  • Do you charge a flat fee for a structural report or by the hour?

  • How long have you been in business?

  • Do you have a list of customer references?

While concrete walls do not need to "breathe" in the traditional sense of the word, they do require waterproofing and dehumidifying methods, particularly in basements below the water table. Concrete both contains moisture from its initial installation and can absorb water when exposed. Ensuring proper basement ventilation , installing a vapor barrier, and controlling water exposure are all important tasks.

Yes, you can put a doorway in a structural wall; in fact, most exterior doors are set into structural walls. The project is a little more challenging than installing a door in a non-load-bearing wall because you need a structural engineer to assess the wall and make sure it’s safe to create a wall opening. Your engineer’s report will include instructions for your contractor on how and where to install additional supports, like steel headers above the door, to distribute the weight above to the wall on either side of the door.

The Newark, CA homeowners’ guide to structural engineering services

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