I felt it was important to share our experience with JZ structural as I ultimately went with them…read moregiven their high Yelp reviews. However, my experience was negative to say the least. Ellen was responsive initially, but this was only until they received payment. After this, trying to get a response was like getting blood from a stone: close to impossible. My architect had asked Julian, the engineer, if he could draw a rough mock up before he put together a full set of plans (to which he agreed). We never got this, despite checking in multiple times, and instead, it was only right upon the 'deadline' we had provided for the project that we received a full final set of plans. This was disappointing. The plans themselves were riddled with errors: it seemed like a lot of copy / paste work rather than careful attention to detail. The wrong county was listed, and certain structural details were copy pasted from the wrong city, which my architect had to point out. We had around 30 local contractors look at the plans, as well as two peer reviews of the plans from other licensed structural engineers, and the feedback was that it had been over-designed (consistent with one of the other yelp reviews). After multiple emails attempting to get Julian (the engineer) on a call, he was incredibly defensive, and rude. It was at this point, I was appalled that he would speak to a client like this, so decided to cut ties with this company and use another structural engineer instead. If you are in absolutely no rush, and have no concerns about over-design: perhaps this company will work for you. But for our residential project, this was one of the worst experiences I have had with a "professional" service, and I want to warn others.

I moved into a fairly old house recently and had concerns about various cracks on the property. I…read morecontacted Ellen, and she arranged for Julian to come by my house for an inspection. He arrived on time. I showed him the areas of concern. Julian took his time to explain to me which issues were natural and expected for a home this age and what I should have someone take care of.

Early last year Jeremy assisted us with ensuring the structural integrity of an awkward framing…read moresituation we encountered when remodeling our downstairs bathroom in a two-story condominium. Our contractor said their engineering assessment would cost $5,000. Truth was they didn't want to get involved. The walls were already open so all we really needed was an experienced engineer's assessment of whether we needed to reframe or secure the framing so that we could move on with the renovation. Jeremy was prompt, professional, informative, thorough and reasonable with his pricing. The precision and detail in his explanations demonstrate just how passionate he is about his work and how good he is at his job. He charged way less than $5,000 for an accurate assessment so that we could move on with our renovation. To be honest we feel really lucky to have found Jeremy because it's difficult finding a fair, patient and transparent structural engineer who is wiling to take on smaller projects. Thanks for the help Jeremy. The bathroom looks great!

After going through numerous foundation companies, we wanted to get the real scoop on anything that…read moremay be wrong with our house. You simply can't get the truth without being independent. A foundation company is going to sell you things you "need," but rarely will it truly be what you need. Additionally, a foundation company is not going to send their structural engineer unless you request it. So you're not getting the thoughts of a structural engineer. This is where LA Structure Check/Jeremy comes in. He has no affiliations to any companies and doesn't push any specific company. Despite there being potential fixes, he didn't recommend anyone, so he's sticking to being independent. I'm sure if we asked, he may have suggestions, but part of being independent is you don't push other companies. What we liked about Jeremy is he explained everything and anything that could be concerning about our house. Not only was the information helpful for this house, but any future house we may move into. We are now able to take what we learned and apply it elsewhere. We would definitely contact Jeremy again for any future issues and/or house purchases.

I had an issue with my old stucco walls, and Jacob from Atlas came out to take a look. As we walked…read morethe property, he gave me a ton of helpful info about how my building was constructed back in the 1920s, what materials were used, and how they age. Really knowledgeable, straightforward, and professional. I'm still deciding on whether I need to move on my particular repair job, but the visit itself was super worthwhile and I'd definitely call them again.

When we moved to Oxnard, California two years ago, we did not realize that the parking rules would…read morebe so restrictive. It did not take long for the HOA to make it clear that we had a problem. After a few letters from the HOA delineating the parking rules for both the driveway and the street we searched for a contractor who could remodel the garage to accommodate our 24-foot Sprinter Van. After researching a few companies in the area, we decided on Atlas Builders and Development, Inc. and we were happy to sign a contract with Jacob Lankri, the owner. The first step was to decide on the basic design package. Once that was settled, we submitted the engineered plans to our HOA. After many months of wrangling with the HOA, Gilah Lankri, the project engineer, was able to produce engineered drawings that met the HOA's aesthetics and expectations. Jacob and Gilah submitted the plans to the city of Oxnard. Unfortunately, it took the city of Oxnard a frustrating 10 months to review and approve the plans. All the while, Atlas Builders and Development, Inc. stayed with us determined to get approval. Once we got approval to begin construction in December 2024, the demolition of the old garage was accomplished quite quickly. Even though we hit a snag regarding the Southern California Gas Company line, we eventually got approval to relocate and replace the line which delayed the project 5 weeks. Finally in March 2025 construction of the new Garage began in earnest. Jacob's team, led by an amazing foreman, Edgar, constructed a new elevated ceiling in the garage with new rafters and support beams as well as new tiled roof. The inside of the garage was completely refinished with drywall, texturing and fresh paint. New and improved lighting was installed in the garage along with assorted electrical outlets. The finishing touches included a new door to the backyard, matching the epoxy surfacing on the garage floor and patching preexisting holes in the walls. Outside, new stucco and siding had to be applied as well as painted. The disconnected solar panels and rain gutters were expertly reinstalled. In addition, an area of the driveway had to have pavers reinstalled looking better than before. I addition to the garage remodel project, Atlas Builders and Development, Inc. procured and installed a new sliding glass door complete with a doggy door for access to the back patio. They also removed a set of windows in the dining room and then procured and installed a beautiful set of French doors. Finally, Atlas Builders and Development, Inc. removed an old single front door and expertly installed a beautiful mahogany double front door. All the finishing details were expertly accomplished.

If you're looking for a contractor who is talented, reliable, and not trying to drain your savings,…read morecall Metrpolis Drafting & Construction. They remodeled our bathrooms, added a powder room, remodeled our kitchen and dining room, and added a breakfast nook, and everything came out amazing! Jonathan, the field manager- Carlos and the crew were amazing

Jonathan came recommended through a friend of ours who worked with him on her remodel and gave…read morenothing but a glowing review. We had no other friends who could, in good faith, recommend their former contractors, so we immediately knew he was something special. We were looking to add a new room to our house as an ADU above the garage. Many other companies we spoke to either quoted astronomically high or were simply unresponsive. Jonathan was immediately a very clear communicator, a straight shooter, and offered solutions that others did not propose to make all of our asks a reality. After the initial meeting, we threw in a curveball of wanting to replace all of the windows and doors on the main house as well. He was able to fold this into the plans and re-adjust the schedule and price accordingly. He is a diligent time manager and kept each part of the process moving, and even nudging us when the ball was in our court. Most importantly, he is extraordinarily responsive. Whatever question we had (and we had a lot of them), he would take the time to clearly explain the details of the situation. He and his team are professional and courteous (shout out to Carlos!) and, since we stayed in the house during the re-model, aimed to make the process as unobtrusive as possible. We even asked him a question two months after the job finished and he responded immediately and helped send a team to handle what we needed. Above and beyond. For all of these reasons and more, we highly recommend Jonathan and his team for all of your contracting needs!

Prompt, expert, and very helpful. I asked for a consultation to address uneven spots in the wood…read moreflooring in my newly remodeled home. I was concerned about underlying structural issues. So glad I found LA Structural! They called me right back, scheduled a time for the next weekday, and Brandon showed up right on time. He took a look at my concerns & got under the house (on a 99 degree afternoon!). Brandon reassured me that there are no structural concerns, then took the time to explain how the supports under the house work, and why I might notice uneven places in the flooring. He did not try to sell me on anything, and did not charge me for the consultation. He gave me a ballpark estimate if I ever decide to do optional earthquake bracing, in a no-pressure manner; he was very clear that it's not a necessity. I'm so grateful for local Burbank businesses that offer their expertise to our community. Thank you!

LICENSE SUSPENDED: Avoid This Contractor: Failed to Comply with CSLB Arbitration Award…read more I am updating this review to warn other homeowners to check the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) records before hiring LA Structural. As of March 2026, their license has been officially suspended due to their failure to comply with a legally binding arbitration award. On October 22, 2024, LA Structural requested and collected full payment for the second contract (permit acquisition for all work listed in the first contract) before any permit-related work began. Note: This is a violation. Despite full payment on November 26, 2024, none of the required permit finalizations occurred as promised, and the contractor stopped all permit-related work. Required tasks--such as coordinating inspections, correcting the soil compaction report rejected by LADBS, and managing final permit approvals--were not performed by LA Structural and were left entirely to me. I spent the following five months working directly with LADBS and city inspectors to complete these tasks. During those five months, I identified two defective areas of work. First, the soil compaction report was rejected due to LA Structural's circumvention of requirements. LA Structural hired a deputy instead of a third-party geotechnical engineer, bypassing the grading inspector's requirement and misleading me as the client after charging an additional fee for this engineer and report in November 2024. Consequently, in February 2025, Inspector Bonvouloir officially rejected the report. Later, Clark Inspections--the subcontractor hired by LA Structural--emailed me stating that LA Structural planned to use their in-house engineer to revise the soil compaction report, again attempting to bypass the requirement. I ultimately had to redo the soil compaction report through a licensed geotechnical engineer and resubmit it, after which it passed the city's review. The second defective work involved the drainage pipe and was documented in the CSLB investigation report. After 13 months of CSLB mediation, investigation, and site inspection, a mandatory arbitration hearing took place on January 22, 2026. The arbitrator ruled in my favor and ordered payment within 30 days. LA Structural failed to comply, resulting in their current license suspension. Notably, prior to the issuance of the stipulated arbitration award letter, the contractor repeatedly attempted to have me sign his own private settlement agreement--non-CSLB documents with terms that went beyond what had been agreed upon at the hearing. Don't sign it! I later learned that this is a common tactic contractors use to remove CSLB from the matter. Per CSLB instruction, I filed a claim with their bond company, Jet Insurance, to recover the awarded payment. Despite their written commitment on February 11, 2026, to issue payment if the contractor failed to meet the CSLB deadline, Jet Insurance instead extended the deadline to March 27, 2026, stating that "the contractor intends to make payment by this week." LA Structural failed to meet this extended deadline as well. On March 30, 2026, I received an email from Jet Insurance stating, "Attached is the Final Release and Assignment of Claim agreement, relating to the claim...In order to issue payment for this claim, Jet Insurance Company requires the attached agreement to be reviewed, physically signed and all pages returned." It has taken 16 months to recover my funds for their abandoned and defective work since their collection of full payment. Based on my understanding, when a bond company pays out a claim, the contractor's license remains suspended until specific legal and financial requirements are met for reinstatement.

Ilya Engineering responds to emails within minutes and answers their phones. Surprisingly, once an…read moreengineer is assigned to your project you can contact him/her directly. I also want to mention that my project took less time than originally thought. As a result I was invoiced for three hundred dollars less to reflect the actual time spent. This is definitely the firm to use if you want great customer service, plans that meet LADBS requirements and charges that reflect the actual time spent on your project.

Service requested: architect plans/structural engineering and permitting process. The design was…read morehow we wanted. A few hiccups along the way with the final permit but Sam acknowledged the mistake on his end and said he would sign off the edits in the revision phase of construction. I will give an updated review once that time comes. Quality: quality of work was good. Efficient in communication and dealing with a difficult city in a permitting process. Took about 6 months for the permits and the city kicked back for corrections 2x which is pretty standard. Value: felt his pricing was fair and reasonable Customer service: always responds to phone calls. Even after our final payment when we had questions or needed assistance. So not a "take your money" and we are done type of guy Overall impression: would use him in the future for any architectural or structural engineering jobs

Can't say enough great things about Art and his group. From the very idea of redoing our bathroom,…read morewe were given thoughtfully considered insight into getting the best quality while also stretching our money as far as possible. Even though I know my wife and I were incredibly frustrating in how we changed some details mid-stream, everyone on the team was helpful, communicative, and always in great spirit to accomplish our dream bathroom. What more is there to say? There's too much money, too much unknown when you're renovating your house, and trust is the most valuable asset you can have in a contractor. Trust that they are working doggedly for you. Trust that the work is great. Trust you are getting way more than your money's worth. Well, we trust Art and Extreme Home Addition intrinsically. You should too.

Stop reading reviews. Art and Extreme Home Addition is the right choice when it comes to your next…read moreremodel. We needed an architect and a remodel expert. Art handled the entire project from securing permits, connecting us with an architect and executing the project with diligence and great results. Santos and Carlos were instrumental as well. Thank you for everything, Art! We hope to work with you in the future!

I'm really happy with all the work Sam and his guys did on our house. They installed a new roof,…read moreattic insulation, fence, gate, driveway expansion, pergola, and painting! Helped us with every stage of the process and made great recommendations. Thank you, Sam!

I've worked with Sam on several large projects over the past 6 months, and I couldn't have been…read morehappier with the process. He handled our swimming pool replaster/tiling, pergola, fireplace, and a custom coat-closet-to-pantry conversion. The front landscaping was a huge project with a new staircase design, lighting, and gates, and he managed it all seamlessly. Sam was always attentive, fair, and communicative. He was quick to offer plenty of design options and never hesitated to jump in and fix or change something if it wasn't quite my preference. He is incredibly responsive and just a fun person to have around, which made the whole renovation process much less stressful. I'd definitely recommend AD to anyone looking for a reliable contractor!