How we help

Tell us the situation. We'll tell you the fix.

Most people don't call an engineer knowing what they need — they call because a wall is in the way, a permit is stalled, or a builder needs a number. Here are the six situations we handle most, and what you get from each.

Describe your project See the full service list

Planning a home addition

A second storey, a rear extension, a dormer — we size what carries it and show how it ties into the house you already have.

Framing and load path design
Foundation tie-in details
Drawings your builder can price

Removing a load-bearing wall

The open-plan project that everyone underestimates. We work out what the wall is holding and what replaces it.

Beam and column sizing
Bearing and connection details
Temporary support notes

Designing a new foundation

New build, underpinning or a slab that has to carry more than it was built for — designed for the soil and loads actually on site.

Footing and wall design
Slab and reinforcement layout
Existing foundation review

Drawings for a permit

A package assembled to be submitted, not to be sent back — stamped, detailed and consistent with what you intend to build.

PE-stamped plans
Construction details and notes
Response to plan review comments

Reviewing an existing building

Buying, leasing or worried about a crack. We look, measure, and write down plainly what is happening and what it needs.

Existing condition evaluation
Structural inspection
Written assessment with next steps

Guidance during construction

Something on site doesn't match the drawing. We answer quickly so the crew isn't standing still.

Construction observation visits
Contractor and trade support
Field fixes and revised details

How the work runs

Four steps, no mystery — tap any step to see what actually happens in it.

A short call

You describe the project. We say whether it needs an engineer, and roughly what it takes.

Fifteen minutes, no charge, no obligation.
We ask what you want to change and what the building department has said.
You get an honest answer — including "you don't need an engineer for this".
If it fits, a written scope and fee follows the same week.

Look at the building

A site visit or your existing drawings — enough to know what is really there before anything is designed.

We measure spans, joist sizes, bearing points and anything previous work changed.
Photographs and notes recorded so the design rests on facts, not assumptions.
Existing drawings checked against the building as framed.
You hear the same day if we find something that changes the plan.

Design and drawings

Calculations, details and a stamped set — coordinated with your architect or builder before it is issued.

Members sized and the load path resolved to the foundation.
Options offered where there is a simpler or cheaper way to build it.
Details drawn for the trades who will install them.
PE-stamped plans issued as a permit package, calculations retained on file.

Permit and build

We answer plan review comments and stay reachable while it is being built.

Plan review comments on our stamped work answered as part of the job.
Site questions answered quickly so the crew is never waiting.
Observation visits at the stages that matter.
Revised details issued when conditions on site differ from the drawing.

Signs you need an engineer

If any of these sound like your project, a short conversation will save you time and money later.

Your building department asked for stamped structural drawings. A contractor says a wall "might be structural" and nobody is certain. You're adding weight — a storey, a deck, a roof terrace, heavy tile, a hot tub. A crack, a sag or a bounce in the floor has appeared and is getting worse. You're buying a property and want to know what you're taking on. The drawings you have don't match the building you're standing in.

What you receive

Structural drawings — plans, sections and details, PE-stamped and ready to submit.
Calculations — the sizing behind every member, retained on file for review.
A written summary — what we found, what we recommend, in plain language.
Answers during construction — revised details and field guidance as the job runs.

Questions people ask first

Straight answers, before you pick up the phone.

Do I need an engineer or an architect?

Often both, doing different jobs. An architect shapes the space and the permit set; the engineer works out what holds it up. For a straightforward wall removal or a beam replacement, an engineer alone is usually enough — we'll tell you honestly which one your project needs.

How long does a set of drawings take?

It depends on how much of the existing building has to be measured and verified. A single beam or opening is a short turnaround; a full addition takes longer because the load path, foundation and framing all have to be resolved together. You'll get a schedule with your proposal, not a guess after the fact.

Do you visit the site?

Whenever the building already exists, yes. Drawings of older houses rarely match reality, and the difference between what's drawn and what's framed is exactly where problems hide.

Can you work from my contractor's sketch?

We can start from it. We'll verify the dimensions and conditions that matter structurally before anything is designed or stamped — a sketch is a useful starting point, not a substitute for measurement.

What if the building department comes back with comments?

We respond to plan review comments on the work we stamped as part of the job. That's normal back-and-forth, and it's our responsibility to close it out.

Do you take on commercial work?

Yes — tenant improvements, structural modifications and existing building evaluations for small commercial and light industrial projects, alongside the residential practice.

Not sure which one you have?

Describe it in a sentence or two. We'd be happy to discuss your project and determine how MAJO Engineering can help.

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