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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

We hired Castillo Engineering for our remodeling project. Margarito and Paciano did a great job,…read morefinished the project on time and were always available to answer our questions. We have had a great experience so far. We know they will be supportive through the end of construction and will be there for us when needed.

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.

The company crew and Alfie did a great job. This was an old craftsman home and the foundation was…read morefalling apart. It's simply old. 100 years old home. Permit and all done within a month Neighbors came by and took all the rocks in the bin. People love rocks

It was a great experience from start to finish with my initial contact to request a review of my…read morefoundation, sharing photos and the in person inspection of my property by Abbas. After he had thoroughly reviewed my property, he gave me a very honest feedback of what he found on my property and what was necessary. I love how honest and non pushy. Great to work with a company with integrity and not take advantage of a situation that could have been favorable to their business. I would recommend Alpha structural to anyone needing foundation review and service.

We are so grateful to Hamid and his team for taking on our project. We purchased a flipped property…read morea year ago. The flippers removed a load bearing wall and didn't properly reinforce the structure. We wanted the remediation to be done properly so we contacted DSE. Hamid was quick to reply to our request for inspection. He did an excellent job of communicating the exact issue and what needed to be done for remediation. We immediately engaged with him to create plans. He was so easy to work with. He always kept up with the agreed upon timelines and was great at providing updates throughout the project. We were so happy with his work and professionalism that we engaged him again to help with the daunting permitting process. He ensured that this process went so smoothly. He quickly and thoroughly reviewed comments from the city, saving us lots of time and frustration. Again, he provided updates throughout. Hamid and DSE have put us at ease that this terrifying problem will be fixed properly. This has been some of the best money that we have every spent. For any structural modifications/issues in the future we would absolutely engage with Hamid and DSE again.

I had the pleasure of working with an exceptional engineer Hamid who drafted the plans to convert…read moreour kitchen into an open-concept layout, which required removing a previously load-bearing wall. From start to finish, the level of professionalism, expertise, and attention to detail was truly outstanding. The engineer demonstrated a deep understanding of structural integrity while also respecting the design vision for the space. He carefully evaluated the existing structure and developed precise plans to safely support the load while allowing us to achieve the open, modern kitchen we wanted. His calculations and documentation were thorough and well-organized, which made the permitting and construction process much smoother. What impressed me most was his ability to balance technical precision with practical solutions. He communicated clearly, answered all questions patiently, and ensured the plans were easy for the contractor to follow. The result was a seamless transformation--our kitchen now feels bright, spacious, and beautifully integrated with the rest of the home. If you need an engineer for structural modifications, especially for projects involving load-bearing walls, I highly recommend his services. His expertise, reliability, and commitment to quality truly set him apart.

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.

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.

15 years ago I had done a full remodel and built out the upstairs bathroom to include a jetted tub…read more Recently, after using the tub (LOTS of weight), the entire side of the room began popping and creaking. I knew enough about construction and engineering to seek professional input and reached out to Alpha Structural. They were pretty booked out, however when I explained the gravity of the problem (people in a home office below the tub area), Franchesca worked her magic and got me an appointment in 2 days. Damien showed up promptly at the 9 Am start time. We walked around the property while I explained my concern, and noted several other possible issues. Damien was extremely through, asking numerious questions and providing input and advice along the way. He took the time to explain causes for the different issues and was personable, professional and extremely helpful. Luckly for me, my problems traced back to normal settling, a recent solar panel and roofing job and normal aging. It's no wonder why Alpha has so many 5 star reviews- They absolutitly deserve every one of those. I only wish other businesses were as well run, and with such amazing people like Damien and Franchesca.

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!

Emad Makar did a Soil Analysis and Engineering report so that we could replace a retaining wall…read more His fee was reasonable and he quickly worked on the project at our property. He set expectations on when he could deliver the report and met the timeline. It is a detailed report that will be used by LA County to authorize a permit. We are happy with the quality and timeliness of the services provided. We appreciate Emad's effort and the quality of the report. We will use his services again if we have projects in the future