How do you choose a residential structural engineer?

• <div><p>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:</p><ul><li><p>Do you have experience working in my specific area?</p></li><li><p>Do you have professional indemnity insurance?</p></li><li><p>What will your structural report cover?</p></li><li><p>Do you charge a flat fee for a structural report or by the hour?</p></li><li><p>How long have you been in business?</p></li><li><p>Do you have a list of customer references?</p></li></ul><p></p></div>

Get matched with top structural engineers in Kentwood, MI

Q: Are brick houses safer in an earthquake?

• <div><p>According to the <a href="https://www.earthquakecountry.org/step4/urmwalls/#:~:text=Houses%20built%20of%20unreinforced%20masonry,and%20the%20roof%20is%20critical.">Earthquake Country Alliance</a>&mdash;a public and private alliance in California that works to improve earthquake and tsunami readiness&mdash;reports that unreinforced masonry, such as stone, bricks, and hollow clay tiles, is more susceptible to earthquake damage. The mortar between bricks isn&rsquo;t as stable as other building materials and methods.</p></div>

Q: How can you tell if a crack is structural?

• <div><p>Foundation cracks that are 1/8 inch wide or less, aren&rsquo;t uneven across the gap, and don&rsquo;t continue widening over time are usually just normal settling cracks and don&rsquo;t suggest structural issues. Horizontal cracks and stair-step cracks on foundation walls, any cracks that continue widening, are wider than 1/8 inch, or where one side juts out beyond the other, are often indicative of structural damage.</p></div>

Q: How do I know if I need a structural engineer?

• <div><p>You need to <a href="https://www.angi.com/articles/how-to-hire-a-structural-engineer.htm">hire a structural engineer</a> when building or modifying any component with a structural load in your home. Common situations where you would need a structural engineer include home inspections when buying or selling a home, investigating possible issues with your foundation, beams, load-bearing walls, or chimneys, breaking ground on a new home or structure on your property, and renovating an old part of your home that could threaten any structural integrity. Home additions and bump-outs also require an engineer. </p></div>

Q: How deep does a monolithic slab need to be?

• <div><p>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&mdash;which are built into a monolithic slab&mdash;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.</p></div>

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Verified Reviews for Structural Engineering pros in Kentwood, MI

*The Angi rating for Structural Engineering companies in Kentwood, MI is a rating based on verified reviews from our community of homeowners who have used these pros to meet their Structural Engineering needs.

*The HomeAdvisor rating for Structural Engineering companies in Kentwood, MI is a rating based on verified reviews from our community of homeowners who have used these pros to meet their Structural Engineering needs.

Last update on June 05, 2022

Reviewed in June 2022
Had a great experience. They discovered some structural issues but did not charge anything extra to fix them, we are very pleased.
Green Shield Home, LLC
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Reviewed in May 2022
Cyrus responded quickly whenever I emailed him and the first set of drawings he produced only required minor changes to get approved by Montgomery County. He is the first structural engineer I've ever hired (Montgomery County has let me do my own drawings for previous projects), and if I...
Structures R Us
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Reviewed in November 2021
After 3 other estimates, Mike from Green Built came out to look at project. Along with total roof replacement there were also some structural issues with a couple of soffit areas. We were also interested in adding some metal roofing to give our house an updated feature. Mike is expertise in all...
Green Built Roofing, LLC
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Reviewed in April 2021
JVF Construction just finished a remodel of our main bathroom, and they did a beautiful job! The room is very small and doubles as our master bath as well as the bathroom people use when we have friends and family over, so we wanted it finally to be both practical and beautiful, and as a result...
JVF Construction, LLC
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Reviewed in March 2019
Kevin was very professional and performed some additional research on our behalf regarding some structural questions we had.
Brigade Home Inspection Services, LLC
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Reviewed in November 2017
We are a rather handy couple and have completed a lot of home improvement projects ourselves, but when it came to our roof we knew we needed a professional. We called a few companies for estimates. Larry came out and took a look at our roof and was very thorough. He offered us lots of...
Avalon Roofing and Exteriors
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Reviewed in November 2017
From start to finish, the Conrad Consulting staff were attentive and professional in all of our contacts. They showed up when they promised, and worked with us as we made some minor changes. Imad and Jennifer did an outstanding job of providing the initial information on materials and...
Conrad Consulting & Remodeling, LLC
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Reviewed in March 2015
<p>I spoke with Larry Sidebotham at the Grand Rapids Home and Garden Show and signed up for a free estimate. In about a week, I was contacted by Avalon. I invited them in and we discussed the steps they'd go through and showed examples of the new roofing materials as well as the Weather...
Avalon Roofing and Exteriors
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Reviewed in April 2014
Engineer was nice and knowledgeable. They came out the next day and was able to fix my unit for a fair cost.
Grapids Home Services
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Find Structural engineers in Kentwood

Robert Cowles PE

5.0(

)

Serving Kentwood, MI and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 2004

Offers commercial services

"Robert responded quickly to my request. He provided me with the services I needed in a timely fashion. I would recommend Robert Cowles PE for your project."

Response time1 day

10 neighbors recently requested a quote

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Foundation Specialist, LLC

4.2(

)

Serving Kentwood, MI and surrounding areas

In business since 2012

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"I'm selling a home in Holland. The appraiser noticed a crack in the poured concrete foundation and asked for further investigation by a licensed foundation expert. Bryan Foster showed up promptly, provided a written report that confirmed no settlement, bowing or water intrusion, and charged a fair price. I didn't need or ask for an estimate, but Mr. Foster provided one free. I appreciate that the estimate was separate from the inspection report."

Recommended by85%of homeowners

Serving Kentwood, MI and surrounding areas

In business since 2018

Free estimates

Credit card accepted

"It was very good. They were professional. They were very quick in the work."

+101

Recommended by100%of homeowners

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Structural Engineering questions, answered by experts

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?

According to the Earthquake Country Alliance—a public and private alliance in California that works to improve earthquake and tsunami readiness—reports that unreinforced masonry, such as stone, bricks, and hollow clay tiles, is more susceptible to earthquake damage. The mortar between bricks isn’t as stable as other building materials and methods.

Foundation cracks that are 1/8 inch wide or less, aren’t uneven across the gap, and don’t continue widening over time are usually just normal settling cracks and don’t suggest structural issues. Horizontal cracks and stair-step cracks on foundation walls, any cracks that continue widening, are wider than 1/8 inch, or where one side juts out beyond the other, are often indicative of structural damage.

You need to hire a structural engineer when building or modifying any component with a structural load in your home. Common situations where you would need a structural engineer include home inspections when buying or selling a home, investigating possible issues with your foundation, beams, load-bearing walls, or chimneys, breaking ground on a new home or structure on your property, and renovating an old part of your home that could threaten any structural integrity. Home additions and bump-outs also require an engineer.

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 Kentwood, MI homeowners’ guide to structural engineering services

From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.

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