I am an apartment owner/investor and want to let other apartment owners know about my experience…read morewith Reverence Engineering. Last year, I obtained an inspection of the deck and balcony at my family's 10 unit apartment complex in order to comply with Senate Bill 721. After learning that our cantilevered balcony needed structural work, I began calling engineering firms. I chose Reverence Engineering because I wanted to work with a smaller firm and I was impressed with my initial call with principal engineer Brett Sauers. During that conversation, he explained in simple terms how he would approach creating plans and seeking permits for a major retrofit of our balcony walkway. From there, I was kept well informed by email at every step of the way. Because I live out of state and was not able to be present for any site visits, Brett prepared an explanatory video for me so that I could see exactly what he was seeing and understand how we could solve the structural challenges. The draft plans were ready more quickly than I expected and Brett personally addressed all my questions with patience and precision. The City took longer than I had hoped to do its plan review, but Brett's staff sent me weekly updates. In addition, they walked me through all the forms that I needed to sign so it ended up being a pain-free process from start to finish. I really couldn't be happier with the attentiveness of Brett and his team, as well as the outcome. They deserve accolades for exceptional structural engineering work, at a very reasonable cost.

I submitted a request to Reverence for an Architect in early January 2026, I received a call back…read morefrom Brett to go over the services Reverence provides and their approach to support the clients. At the end of the call, Brett stated he would work on the contract and send over for review. The following week, I called Reverence to better understand the timeline for contract creation so I could maintain realistic expectations; I was told I should have the contract that day (January 13) or the following day (January 14). I contacted Reverence on January 20, after not receiving a response and was advised a message would be sent to Brett for an update. I again did not receive a response (no callback nor email) and contacted Reverence on January 22 and again on February 2, and was provided a similar response (that I should receive the contract soon if not today or the next). I subsequently left a message on February 4, indicating that I no longer wished to proceed with their services and would look elsewhere. I have no doubt that Reverence provides customers with solid service once contracted, however, I find it is equally important to effectively communicate with prospective clients to ensure transparency. I would have gladly waited a few more weeks if that was the standard and was communicated to me. Hopefully future clients will have a better experience.

We bought a cool mid-century modern house that was full of bad 1980s updates, so we wanted to hire…read morean architect to help us turn it into our dream home. Although there was plenty of room in the house for two of us, the space was not well-planned. We were feeling overwhelmed by what needed to be done in our new home, and hiring Ken to design our interior was easily the best decision that we made. He took the time to get to know us and we felt he really understood our needs and how we would use each area of our home. There were many design challenges and Ken's out of the box thinking both met those challenges and improved the space. He was very easy to work with and his calm energy was a perfect fit for us. We knew from the plans that our house would be spectacular when finished, and it definitely exceeded those expectations. Everything about the house is improved, and there are a couple of the design elements that consistently draw an amazed response from visitors to our home.

Setting a goal to build an ADU was both scary and exciting, since I have had terrible experiences…read morewith construction professionals in past projects. I knew I needed someone, who was knowledgeable about local ADU laws and the nuance in the construction process to help us make this dream come true. After interviewing different companies, we ended up hiring Ken and his team at One World Architecture. Ken and his team's professionalism was second to none. They were quick to respond whenever I have inquiries. Ken understands the process is scary for homeowners, and never made us feel that our concerns weren't important, no matter how insignificant they were. He was not only our architect, but he was also our therapist during this process. He listened to our needs, provided ideas we never even considered, and set up multiple meeting until we found the right contractor. He didn't just design and let us fend for ourselves. He was proud of his work and guide us though the completion of the project. I now have a beautiful home office, a place for my elder parents to live in and an opportunity to supplement my retirement income many years down the road. I'd recommend One World Architecture wholeheartedly. In fact, I had so much joy working with Ken, I would personally vouch for him to work on any of my families' and friends' projects. I know they will be taken care of!

I would recommend Ergo Architecture to anyone looking for an engaged, approachable and experienced…read moreteam to help them design, permit and get built a project in San Diego or elsewhere. We hired Ergo to design an extensive addition onto our hillside home - a challenging design and permitting situation - and were very happy with the results. The team at Ergo was highly collaborative, helping us explore possibilities while being realistic about our constraints (site limitations, budget, etc.) Ergo also oversaw & participated in the construction of our addition, a process which certainly provided great learning opportunities for them as well as bringing the designers' insights to the process. Given the complexity of our project, the involvement of the Ergo team in this stage was certainly helpful in getting our house built as we intended. Though Ergo is a small firm, the experience and professionalism that they brought to our project rivaled that of larger firms. And in the end, the level of service and attention given to our project exceeded expectations. Disclosure - I am married to the Principal at Ergo Architecture who participated in but did not manage the project. The guidelines of Yelp allow such reviews and I hope readers find it useful.

As first-time business owners, there was a very large learning curve when it came to making our…read morebuilding compliant with the city. Ergo Architecture, specifically Steve M. and Paul, were our acting guiding light in this very complex process. They explained everything in a way we were able to fully understand. When extreme obstacles would arise, Ergo researched up to date building codes that eliminated unnecessary requirements for our business type. They always answered the phone when we called. They always kept us up to date with detailed emails and itemized the charges of their services. Their charges were absolutely reasonable and we feel they deserved more. We plan to expand our business in the future, and they will be the first we call for our architectural needs. They personally wanted to see us succeed and grow. Their intentions were genuine and heartfelt. True gentlemen. We have even been told by our city council member and building planning department that these men are highly regarded and extremely professional. I couldn't agree more. They have really gone over and beyond for us. I have no doubt that I would not have been able to stay in business without them. As requirements from the city arose, Steve M found a way that I could become compliant in an affordable way. We couldn't be more grateful. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts Steve and Paul.

Chris and his team are great! They listen to what you want, what you need, and your budget. They're…read moreplans are great and design is top notch. They are also VERY reasonably priced.

From the owner: 85 Design started to help homeowners go from project design to building permit. Because of…read morehomeowners like you, we became the company we are today. Our mission is to help bring great ideas to life and make it easy for the client during the process.

Miles and the team at Lovelace engineering are excellent all around. Their drawings are very clear…read moreand complete. Their calculations are accurate and they don't over engineer things. They have an excellent reputation with the various cities in and around the San Diego area. I recommend them without hesitation.

Shany and the entire team of Lovelace was great to work with, they help me with my new home…read moreproject, very helpful professional and fast service

We built an ADU in Poway and asked ARC Engineers to draw up the plans. They designed a great house…read more All of the contacts at ARC are so knowledgeable and so easy to work with. They get back to you in a timely manner, which isn't always common in the industry. When the city requested changes they quickly got them out to us. We've done a few of these types of projects and by far ARC Engineers has been the best to work with and they are reasonably priced.

Did not provide constructible plans and calcs. we used…read moreAdriel and his team for our large permitted kitchen remodel which included removing a load bearing wall. unfortunately the architectural plans and calcs he provided were not constructible because he did not adequately survey our structure (plans showed a footing where there was none, and there was a load bearing beam in the house not shown on the plans). He declined to correct these errors without additional payment. Having lost trust in ARC, we sought the help of another engineer, who was great and was able to correct these errors so construction could proceed. Sadly the whole ordeal caused months of delay, during which time we couldn't live in our house.

Jeanne is great to work with. Very communicative and her plans are organized and easy to read.read more

Jeanne is an absolute professional who clearly understands her roles and responsibilities. Jean is…read moreintelligent, sharp, and very clear in her communication. I have been very impressed with the thoroughness of Jeanne's work and her follow through to make sure the job is done in a timely manner. Jeanne is also a gem of a person and an absolute pleasure to work with. I also like that Jeanne makes helpful recommendations that I need for my house. Jeanne worked closely with the city to do preliminary historic review of my home and did it exceptionally well. Jeanne also worked closely with the drafter of my home renovation plans and worked very well with him. Overall I am very impressed with Jeanne and I not only recommend her strongly but also plan to use her services again in the near future. We are very fortunate to have Jeanne in SD.

Larson Design did the plans and permits for my new restaurant. It was large beauty shop before…read morethat. Denise drafted the plans for the environmental health permit, designed and drafted my construction documents and got my building permit from development services, and the sidewalk cafe permit. She knows a lot of people at development services and was able to resolve some difficult issues quickly. She was responsive and easy to work with, and had a clear understanding of the hurdles of changing a beauty shop to a restaurant. We were able to get the restaurant opened on time and on budget. If you need any design/architecture work, commercial or residential I would definitely give her a call.

Larson Design played a fundamental role in the development of my gym. As a first time small…read morebusiness owner, I wasn't really sure where to begin and Denise went the extra mile in helping me get the ball rolling on the project. Along the way, she routinely checked in to see how the gym was progressing and continued to offer suggestions on how to make the space even better. I am very pleased with how the gym turned out and know that it will continue to get even better with the aid of Larson Design.

We purchased our home not even a year ago and I had a decision to make when it came to a home…read morerenovation to make it our own and I'm glad I chose to work with Bela Development. Throughout the process Eric was constantly in communication with me and flexible to my particular needs and changes to scope as the products progressed towards the finish line. Bela Development took our 100 year old San Diego mission revival home that was looking a little rough around the edges and cleaned it up, modernizing our kitchen, upgrading ancient electrical & plumbing, improving our HVAC design, & completing a whole home re-stucco. They even returned our 1980s fireplace back to a spanish-style fireplace with a upgraded twist. There was a bit of every trade involved in my scope and Eric knew who to call about it. I am not ashamed to say that I was a very particular client to work with and they did an excellent job getting our home across the finish line because Eric had the same attention to detail that I did. It was great working with Bela Development, and I'd recommend them to any of my family or friends.

We chose Bela after reviewing 3 GC's, it was a very easy decision , Ben was extremely transparent…read moreand with no any sales maneuvers , we wanted to know exactly how much things going to cost , he broke it down for pre construction (design + materials) and than the actual construction, with budget sheets and construction schedule, the guys were extremely friendly and clean which is very important for me. Looking forward for my next home improvement project

I hired Rummy from IL Total Design for a major three-story remodel permit that included adding…read moresignificant square footage, and she exceeded expectations in every way! This was not a simple cosmetic project -- it was a complex build with structural changes, multiple levels, and a lot of moving parts in a coastal zone. Throughout the process, Rummy was incredibly resilient. Whenever challenges came up (and with a project this size, they always do), she stayed solution-oriented and kept the project moving forward without hesitation. She was also extremely responsive. Calls were returned, questions were answered quickly, and updates were consistent. I never had to chase her down ever! Communication was clear and direct, which makes a huge difference on a large remodel. What stands out most is her "get it done" mentality. She doesn't give up no matter what the city says -- takes ownership and executes. She handled everything with professionalism and confidence. If you're looking for an architect/design team that is dependable, responsive, resilient, and truly delivers results -- IL Total Design is the perfect choice!

I met Rummy Dechner, owner and lead architect with IL Total, via a design/build firm last year for…read morean ADU project. Eventually, I fired the firm (read my other review), but Rummy stayed with us to help us move forward. Without a city approved design we already sunk $25k into (most of which she probably didn't make) we depended on her almost daily for the first few months after the mess with not one but a second builders as well. We were going solo through the toughest part of the ADU process. I mean we really, really depended on her. Rummy drove this to the end for the permit to finally be granted to us. Through thick and thin she'd be there with updates and keeping us in the loop about forms, payments, and any changes she was forced to make, etc. The design itself is beautiful. She's not only talented but honest and dependable. Answers all questions. Rummy knows ADUs and the ins and outs of city permitting headaches and most of all she's loyal to her clients. I didn't know her firm also does builds as well. If only I met them at the beginning I could have saved myself a ton of time and heartache. Highly recommend! Look at her YouTube channel for all of the ADUs she has designed throughout San Diego. https://youtube.com/@iltotaldesign?si=Lh4BJ_pdmOK5OFG9