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Existing Structure Assessed First
We verify what the existing framing and foundation can actually carry.
California PE-Licensed · Structural Design
Additions & Remodels
Structural Design
Second-story additions, new rooms, and interior reconfigurations — including the load path, foundation, and lateral upgrades the existing structure needs to carry the new work. PE-stamped and permit-ready.
02
Permit-Ready Stamped Plans
Drawings and calculations sized to clear plan check.
03
Works With Your Team
Coordinate with your architect, designer, or contractor’s plans.
04
Clear, Scoped Fees
Written scope and fee before we start — no hourly surprises.
What We Design
New area, carried by a structure that was not designed for it.
Additions are a load-path problem before they are a drawing problem. We start with what is already there, then design the new work and the upgrades the existing building needs.
01 · Vertical
Second-Story Additions
New upper floors, including the foundation, wall, and lateral upgrades required to carry the added mass and overturning.
02 · Horizontal
Room Additions
Ground-level expansions with new footings, framing, and the connection detailing that ties new to existing.
03 · Interior
Load-Bearing Wall Removals
Beam, post, and footing design for open-plan remodels — sized for the real tributary load, not a rule of thumb.
04 · Openings
New Openings & Headers
Window and door enlargements, including header design and the shear wall length lost to the opening.
05 · Substructure
Foundation Upgrades for New Load
Underpinning, new footings, and slab work where the existing foundation cannot carry the addition.
06 · Lateral
Lateral System Upgrades
Added shear walls, hold-downs, and diaphragm work triggered by the new area, designed per ASCE 7.
How It Works
Assess what exists, design what is added, detail the connection between them.
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01
Consultation
Free 15-minute call. We scope the work and confirm what the jurisdiction will require.
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02
Site & Plan Review
We review your site, architectural plans, and any existing drawings or soils report.
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03
Structural Design
Gravity and lateral design, member sizing, connections, and supporting calculations.
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04
PE-Stamped Package
Permit-ready structural drawings and calculations, stamped by a licensed California PE.
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05
Plan-Check Support
We respond to plan-check comments and issue revisions through approval.
Code Basis
Designed to current code. PE-stamped.
Designed to the current California Building Code and IBC, with loads and seismic design per ASCE 7. Every drawing set and calculation package is stamped by a licensed California PE — one responsible PE from design to stamp.
Scope
What we provide — and what we don’t.
We provide structural engineering only. Architectural design, Title 24 energy, and MEP are handled by your architect or designer — we coordinate with them. We do not perform general contracting and we do not build the work.
More in Structural Design
Related design services
Overview
Structural Design
New construction, additions, remodels, and ADUs under one PE.
ADU
ADU Structural Design
Detached ADUs, garage conversions, and JADUs — permit-ready stamped structural.
Foundation & Framing
Foundation & Framing Design
Footings, slabs, framing, and lateral systems designed from the ground up.
Additions & remodels
What an addition or remodel engagement includes.
When an owner needs it
You need a licensed PE for an addition or remodel whenever the work changes how loads move through the house: adding a second story, bumping out a room, removing or opening a load-bearing wall, raising a ceiling, or adding a heavy roof or solar. In the Bay Area, a second-story addition also changes the earthquake demand on the floor below, so the existing walls and foundation often need new shear walls, hold-downs, or footings. An engineer checks the existing structure first, then designs only what the addition actually requires.
Typical scope
- Second-story and upper-floor additions over existing homes
- Ground-floor bump-outs and new rooms
- Load-bearing wall removal with beams, posts, and new footings
- Strengthening of existing walls and foundations to carry new loads
Typical deliverables
- Existing-conditions site visit and framing verification
- Structural plans and details coordinated with your designer
- Gravity and lateral calculations for the new and existing structure
- Plan check responses through permit issuance
- Construction support during framing and foundation inspections
Process
- 01Share your designer’s plans or a sketch of the proposed change.
- 02Engineer visits to verify existing framing and foundation.
- 03We design beams, posts, shear walls, and foundation upgrades.
- 04Stamped plans and calculations go to the city for plan check.
- 05We answer contractor questions and observe key stages of construction.
Related: foundation and framing design, ADU structural design, and foundation retrofit and cripple wall bracing.
FAQ
Common questions.
Can my house support a second-story addition?
Often, but it has to be checked. The engineer verifies the existing foundation, walls, and connections against the added gravity and earthquake loads. Many projects need new footings, shear walls, or hold-downs at the first floor.
Do I need an engineer to remove a load-bearing wall?
Yes, in most Bay Area jurisdictions. Removing a bearing wall requires a sized beam, posts, and often new footings to carry the load to the ground, with calculations submitted for the permit.
Do you work with my architect or designer?
Yes. We produce the structural sheets and calculations that accompany your designer’s architectural plans and coordinate changes through plan check.
How long does addition structural design take?
Most residential additions take a few weeks of design after the site visit, then city plan check. Timelines depend on project size, the completeness of the architectural set, and the city’s review queue.