Re: Accessory dwelling unit…read more Houmam assisted me in designing and engineering an ADU (garage conversion). My situation was unique and very complex because of Zoning and building size. Houmam made sure what I wanted to do was possible by calling the City Of Long Beach prior to even charging me for a consult or a proposal. Although, initially, everything seemed straightforward, there were quite a few bumps in the road, and it was frustrating for all parties involved. It took about eight months for final approval because of the complexities but Houmam saw the project approval through to the end and made sure even after approval, that I had all of the info needed. He continues to be available to answer questions and follow up. He was patient and understanding with all of my questions and concerns. I look forward to updating this review with a picture of the completed project once it's done. I recommend HMS without hesitation.

Houmam was super helpful! Called him up and we were immediately able to schedule a time for him to…read morecome out and look at the crack in the garage slab of a potential home I wanted to purchase. His expertise in concrete foundations was clear when he easily explained the root cause for the crack in the slab and what the potential fixes would be. Because of him I was able to get some money back in credit from the sellers. Now I have the money to actually fix the crack.

Aws is the only structural engineer I'd hire for my house projects. He's down to earth, very calm…read moreand professional. His quote was also reasonable for the project. It's been a long while since I got an engineered plan from Aws for a small project for my house, the projects has been dragging out for many reasons but he's been so patient to answer all of my questions. I almost feel like I've been bothering him too much with countless questions, but he's always there to quickly solve your problems. I'm really hoping to finish the current project soon and hire him again for the big adu garage project.

My need was to have a consult on whether or not to tear down a small structure but needed to…read moredetermine if it was structurally critical or load bearing. Just a short consult but Aws was very responsive and reasonable cost to come out and provide expert opinion. And he is knowledgeable and personable too! Recommended for projects large or small.

Jeremy was informative, responsive and customer service oriented. I first called him when I noticed…read morecracks in the stucco on the outside of my house and hairline cracks on the interior drywall. He came over and did some quick measurements and was able to tell us which direction and roughly how much our foundation was settling. He explained that in our area, clay-rich soils expand and contract with the wet/dry seasons and our issue was likely due to poor drainage in our backyard that allowed water to pool and seep under the foundation prompting one side of our house's foundation to settle (sink) incrementally over the years until the tension started to cause the cracking we observed. Based on the amount that our house had settled he said we were right in the gray area between just needing to improve our drainage and monitoring for further settling, or going the more expensive route and having helical supports installed under our foundation to prevent our foundation from settling further. Jeremy was not pushing us in either direction, just presenting us the information and allowing us to make our own decision. After doing a significant amount of research on foundation settling, we looked into getting some quotes and Jeremy provided multiple contractor references. We had four contractors come out and found that they each provide free quotes that included measuring with advanced equipment to determine precisely how much the foundation has settled (only around 1-2") throughout all sides of the house. Their mapping was more detailed, but fairly consistent with what Jeremy had originally told us which provided us some level of comfort that they weren't manipulating the numbers to sell us on needing more piers. There was one contractor whose measurements came in more significant than all the others, but it was not one of the contractors that Jeremy had referenced. Even though we weren't an extreme case, for peace of mind to stop the house from having any further settling, we ended up going with a contractor that Jeremy had referenced who had proposed a middle-ground approach using a limited amount of helical supports and expanding polyurethane foam to support our problem area. We were very happy with their work and it was a solid reference from Jeremy. Jeremy did also offer to help us draw up plans and assist with permitting if we opted to go that route, but due to the smaller size of the job, we chose not to pursue that option. There is a lot to navigate with evaluating foundation issues and deciding what route to take for each individual situation. It is helpful to have a knowledgeable resource like Jeremy who helped get us started and provide some helpful guidance along the way. Thanks Jeremy. *Note - photos are of third party contractor referenced by Jeremy to give Yelpers an idea of what final work ends up looking like.

I had some areas of the house that were getting slightly misaligned and called Jeremy to come and…read moreinvestigate the reason to make sure there wasn't a foundation problem. Jeremy and his crew are extremely knowledgeable and thorough in their analysis. Furthermore, he explained to me in great detail with various drawings what was happening to the house, with the final conclusion that there wasn't a significant issue at the moment. His explanations were detailed and easy to understand. I would highly recommend Jeremy if you have any questions about house settling or foundation issues, and would certainly call Jeremy again if I have any further structural concerns.

I had a really good experience with Castillo Engineering. I hired them to do the engineering work…read moreand plans for my ADU in Long Beach. Julie, the project manager moved quickly with the plans. We had some delays by the City but that was expected due to Covid and I live in a Historic District. The plans were approved by the City with very little modifications. I would recommend using Castillo Engineering.

First used Castillo Engineering six few years ago. They provided structural calculations for an…read moreADU. This time I asked for plans and calculations on a major interior remodel. The estimate for price and completion was more than fair. Plans required minor corrections during the construction process, as expected; but Castillo had an engineer call my contractor directly within 24 hours. Plan corrections were provided by next business day. All and all, a fair price with good customer service.

Chris came to advise and measure for a drainage system and was incredibly knowledgeable and…read morethoughtful about the project. His expertise and experience is valuable to us. In addition, we have to commend him for previous work. He is completed on our property on foundation work, including a retrofit. We will always have Chris come to the rescue. Way to go Chris.

I called Alpha Structural back and spoke to Franchesca about the initial call. I think the original…read moreperson who answered the phone needed additional training because I was able to pay a fixed rate for a thorough inspection of my property, and the recommendations were extremely helpful! I have a priority list of items to address and am very glad I obtained the inspection and letter.

I had a roofer tell me that my entire roof support structure was in danger of failing and they had…read moretheir structural engineer come out. The estimate was astronomical and would take months to complete. I brought in Distinguished Structural Engineers to give me a second opinion. They give me a written analysis with lots of pictures pointing out some issues, but they gave us peace of mind that the structure was fundamentally sound and only needed attention in a few areas. We used one of their recommended roofers and spent a tiny fraction of the first roofer's estimate to correct the issues. I highly recommend Distinguished Structural Engineers for any work you're considering.

A great experience... Hamid @ DSE did a wonderful job in getting my pergola design thru the City…read morebuilding department/ permitting process. I highly recommend their services ! Owner - Accurate Builder and Maintenance Services

We are very happy and grateful with the team at Orohaus Design!…read more Martin and his team helped us design our new two-story accessory dwelling unit for our home. At first the process seemed daunting to build the ADU. Orohaus Design helped guide us through the process and made it easy to get the ADU approved. Martin provided many different floor plan alternatives and provided 3d renderings to help us visualize the process. His team got the project swiftly approved with Patrick in the Planning Department and with Bill Spoja in Building Department. Right now we are in construction and the team has been helping our contractor with questions. I can't wait for the finished project. I highly recommend Orohaus Design.

Orohaus Design (Martin) did a fantastic job creating a design and plans for my bathroom conversion…read moreremodel. The plans were approved by City Planner and Building & Safety with minor to no changes needed. Martin was quick to respond and helped to interface with the City planning department. I highly recommend Orohaus Design for your next house architectural and plan needs. Give them a try.

Joe Rubio is our assessor, he arrived on time and was so knowledgeable. He offers his honest advice…read moreregarding our house and what needs to be done regarding our retaining wall project. He went above and beyond and also offer us alternative ways to fix our immediate concerns. We will definitely consider using Alpha Structural in near future for our retaining wall project.

This company is the absolute best! They took on a job at my house that over two dozen other…read morecontractors had looked at and could not figure out. My garage would flood when it rained heavily. The water was seeping/bubbling up through the concrete floor. Unfortunately,I spent a total of 20K on two other contractors before hiring Alpha. The work done by the first two contractors failed completely. When Damien from Alpha Structural initially came over, I knew I was in good hands right away. He is extremely knowledgeable, experienced, and professional. I would say the same about Brian and Nadir, who were the leads on my job. Brian especially, went above and beyond. Anytime I reached out to him he responded immediately, and was on site whenever I needed him. My garage was a nightmare scenario. I contacted just about every contractor who works on this kind of thing, from LA to San Diego. Not one of them could figure it out. Not one. This went on for 2 years. Alpha Structural took on a very tough job, and did what no other company could. They completely solved my garage flooding problem with a very strategic and comprehensive plan. Do yourself a favor and use this company! Don't waste time with others. Alpha Structural won't let you down.

Emad came out to inspect a property we are in the process of buying. He did a thorough inspection…read moreand sent me a report the next day! He was very detail oriented and great with communication. Super friendly and would recommend for any engineering tasks you need done!

Emad literally went the extra mile to inspect our home in Temecula. He was timely, professional and…read morethorough giving us some serious peace of mind after a previous general inspection raised some red flags. We'll definitely contact him again should we need anything further. Thank You Thank You!