"Tom at TAS Engineering was professional, friendly, helpful, patient and highly competent and efficient. He did the assessment of my attic structural issue and identified the simplest and most cost-effective solution. He ensured that my contractor did the work to his specifications and provided the certified engineering letter that all had been addressed properly. This was exactly what I needed. I would highly recommend him and would hire him again."
"We got what we paid for but it was going to cost too much to proceed to get actual cost estimates and proceed with design and blueprints and construction. We were disappointed that we could not get actual cost estimates and design for a reasonable price so we could decide whether to pursue the addition. "
"From the start I knew Ryan was the right person, because he called me, the only one of the engineers that actually called me. He communicated regularly, let me know straight up the results and explained it all to me. Is also willing to answer questions from my contractor."
"Michael was a great find for architectural drawings for our Pop-Top remodel. He was far more affordable than other options, and though he offers a standalone architectural design service (meaning we had to separately obtain structural engineering plans), he was extremely helpful in pointing us in all the right directions. He was responsive and patient at every step of the process, and his designs turned out great!"
"We had a great experience working with Vital Architecture and highly recommend her.
For Little Village Childcare, she helped us save money by confirming certain landlord requests were not required by code and securing a waiver that saved space and costs.
She also reduced civil engineering expenses by preparing the playground drainage plan herself.
During construction, she provided extra support at no cost and helped us handle contractor changes wisely.
For another church childcare project, she identified zoning issues early so everyone understood the risks.
In Colorado Springs, she warned a tenant about higher plumbing costs required by childcare regulations, helping them avoid a bad lease.
For an adult care project, she reviewed the food area and explained new kitchen and ventilation requirements.
Carmen is knowledgeable, thorough, and truly looks out for her clients’ best interests."
"Marc helped us take an unexpected home disaster and turn it into our current dream home. He was patient with a process that rapidly expanded from a kitchen remodel, due to water damage, to an almost complete tear down. He helped us with selecting Pine Contruction, with whom Marc has an amazing working relationship. This came into play many times as the challenges of in the field changes, city requirements and unexpected delays came up. As they always do! Marc s calm approach and willingness to help is not something you that can be effectively marketed or advertised. You have to live through it to get it. Beyond the top notch work as an architect Marc is just a great person who makes sure his clients can depend on him to be fair and look out for their interests. I highly recommend Marc and his business and we are grateful to be in a MaliaKai Designed home. It s truly beautiful."
"I am having a full master bath and kitchen remodel done with new layouts in both rooms and knocking out a wall. Evolution worked with me to quickly get a drawing done of the new layouts so that the contractor could get started on the project. They made sure to include me in the process so that the design would be done exactly as my wife and I envisioned. They communicated effectively throughout the process and were always courteous and professional. I recommend them to anyone with drafting needs."
Structural Engineering questions, answered by experts
Provides expert analysis, ensuring safety and compliance with building codes.
Yes, an LVL beam is more affordable than the cost of a steel I-beam, totaling between $50 and $200 per linear foot as opposed to the $100 to $400 per linear foot you’d pay for a steel I-beam. Not only is the wood material more affordable than steel, but it’s also more similar to traditional wooden beams and doesn’t require as much retrofitting to connect joists.
The depth of any foundation style depends on your climate and how deep the frost line is, as building code requires that the footers of a foundation—which are built into a monolithic slab—sit at least a foot below the frost line. At the southern tip of Florida, for example, a monolithic slab foundation would only need to sit 12 inches under the soil at the widest parts. On some parts of the Canadian border, the frost line is 100 inches, which would mean a minimum of 112 inches, which is prohibitively deep for a monolithic slab.
The easiest way to tell if a wall is load bearing is to check if it’s an exterior wall or if it runs perpendicular to the joists above and below it (or parallel to beams). Exterior walls are almost always load-bearing, and walls that run under beams or parallel to them are also usually load-bearing. There are exceptions to these rules, and walls that don’t fit into these categories can still be load-bearing. If you’re unsure, hire a structural engineer to look at your home to assess whether or not the wall is structural.
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.
The Gunbarrel, CO homeowners’ guide to structural engineering services
From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
The cost of a structural engineer is easily justifiable given the value they bring to the table. Use this guide to see what hiring your professional will total in Denver, CO.
The cost of a structural engineer is easily justifiable given the value they bring to the table. Use this guide to see what hiring your professional will total.
Beam installation costs are an important consideration if you’re building a home or doing renovations. Learn about average costs and factors in this guide.
It can be hard to choose the right pro for any job, but it matters. Learn how to hire a structural engineer who'll get the job done right from start to finish.
