Educational guides and honest answers.
Plain-English articles for Bay Area homeowners, plus answers to the questions we hear most often during consultations.
- Alex Lau, PE
Do I need a structural engineer for my remodel?
A plain-English test for whether your remodel needs stamped structural drawings — and the projects that safely do not.
Read → - Alex Lau, PE
Signs a wall is load-bearing (and how to confirm)
The clues that a wall is carrying load, the ones that mislead homeowners, and how a structural engineer confirms it in about thirty minutes.
Read → - Alex Lau, PE
Foundation cracks: cosmetic vs. structural
How to read a crack in a foundation or slab — width, direction, and movement over time — and when it is worth an engineer's opinion.
Read → - Alex Lau, PE
Structural engineer vs. contractor: what each does
Who designs, who builds, who stamps, and who carries the liability — plus how architects fit between them.
Read → - Alex Lau, PE
Bay Area permit requirements for additions
What a Bay Area city wants in an addition submittal, how long plan check really takes, and the corrections that cost the most time.
Read → - Alex Lau, PE
Remodel permit guidance for older Bay Area homes
Unreinforced chimneys, cripple walls, post-and-pier foundations, and the upgrade triggers that surprise owners of pre-1980 Bay Area houses.
Read →
Good ones, answered.
If your project removes a wall, adds square footage, alters a foundation, builds a deck, or touches anything load-bearing, your jurisdiction will almost always require stamped structural calculations and details from a licensed engineer. We'll tell you honestly during a free call if you don't need us.