How Much Does a Structural Engineer’s Letter Cost?
Our load-bearing wall removal letter is a fixed fee delivered in 3 business days. What it covers, what changes the price, and when you need full drawings.
Permit Guides
Straight answers about building permits
The questions people ask us before they are ready to hire anyone. No sales pitch, just what we would tell you on the phone.
What Drawings Are Required for a Building Permit?
The honest answer is that it depends on your jurisdiction and what you are building. But the pattern is consistent enough that you can…
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Do I Need a Structural Engineer for My Project?
A useful rule: if you are changing how loads travel through the building, or the jurisdiction asks for calculations, you need one. Here is…
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How Long Does a Building Permit Take?
Two separate clocks run on every permit: the time to produce the drawings, and the time the jurisdiction takes to review them. People usually…
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Permit Drawings vs Construction Drawings: What Is the Difference?
They overlap, and on small projects they are often the same set. But they are produced for two different readers, and knowing which you…
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How to Respond to Plan Review Comments
A correction letter is not a rejection. It is a list, and lists can be answered. How you answer decides whether you go through…
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Where to start
Pick the guide that matches where you are
Planning a project
You know what you want to build and need to know what the city will ask for.
Hiring someone
You are comparing quotes and want to know exactly what you are paying for.
Already submitted
Your drawings are with the building department and you are waiting or fixing comments.
From the blogCosts and Pricing Permit Process Project Guides
Latest from the blog
What Is a PE Stamp and When Do You Need One?
A PE stamp is a licensed engineer's seal and signature. What it means, what it shows, when building departments ask for one, and how to check it.
ADU Permit Drawings: What You Need to Submit
An ADU permit set usually needs a site plan, floor plans, elevations, sections, structural calculations and MEP layouts. What each is for and what it costs.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions about permits
What is a permit set?
A permit set is the package of drawings a building department needs before it will issue a permit. It typically includes a site plan, floor plans, elevations and sections, and structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing sheets when the project calls for them.
What Drawings Are Required for a Building Permit? →How long does the city take to review my permit?
That depends on the building department, the time of year and how complete the submittal is, and it is outside our control. Plan review is separate from, and usually longer than, the time it takes to prepare the drawings.
How Long Does a Building Permit Take? →What happens if the city sends back corrections?
For plans we prepared, responding to plan review comments on the original scope is part of the job, not a separate invoice. We read the comments, revise the affected sheets, reseal them and send them back for resubmission. Changes to the project itself are quoted separately.
How to Respond to Plan Review Comments →Do I need a structural engineer?
If the work changes how the building carries its weight, almost always. That includes removing a bearing wall, adding a story, cutting large openings, new foundations and most additions. For simple cosmetic work, usually not. Your building department makes the final call, and we tell you what your project needs.
Do I Need a Structural Engineer for My Project? →What is the difference between permit drawings and construction drawings?
Permit drawings show the building department that the design meets code. Construction drawings give the builder the detail needed to build it. A permit set is often enough to get approved, and builders sometimes need more detail afterwards.
Permit Drawings vs Construction Drawings: What Is the Difference? →