San Francisco Structural Engineering Services - Licensed Engineering Firm Since 2012
Massoudi Consulting Engineers is a San Francisco-based structural engineering firm providing residential and commercial structural engineering services throughout the Bay Area. We have years of structural engineering experience in the Bay Area. Our team delivers permit-ready structural designs for new construction, home remodels and additions, seismic retrofits, soft-story retrofits, foundation engineering, and accessory dwelling units across San Francisco, San Jose, Marin County, and San Mateo County.
Every structural engineering project is assigned a dedicated licensed engineer who remains with the project from initial consultation through permit approval - providing clients direct access to the professional responsible for their drawings.
Massoudi Consulting Engineers provides structural engineering services for a full range of residential and commercial project types throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Our structural engineering practice covers new single-family and multi-family home construction, residential remodels and additions of all scales, horizontal and vertical home additions, bearing wall removal and beam design, seismic retrofits for single-family homes, soft-story and seismic retrofits for multi-family residential buildings, foundation design and repair, ADU structural engineering, garage-to-ADU conversions, deck and roof deck structural design, and structural assessments for existing buildings.
San Francisco and the Bay Area’s structural engineering environment is shaped by factors specific to this region: a high seismic hazard classification, a large stock of older residential buildings, hillside and constrained lot conditions, and the specific plan check requirements of San Francisco and the Bay Area. Massoudi Consulting Engineers has been practicing structural engineering in this environment since 2012, and that regional experience is directly reflected in the quality, accuracy, and approvability of every drawing set produced.
Seismic Retrofit Engineering in San Francisco
San Francisco has one of the highest concentrations of pre-1980 residential buildings in the United States, many constructed before modern seismic codes. Massoudi Consulting Engineers designs seismic retrofit systems for single-family homes and multi-family residential buildings throughout San Francisco and the Bay Area.
Seismic retrofit services include: foundation anchor bolting design, cripple wall bracing systems, shear wall design and placement, moment frame design for open-front buildings, soft-story retrofit design for multi-family residential buildings, and voluntary structural strengthening for homeowners seeking improved seismic performance.
All seismic retrofit designs comply with the California Existing Building Code (CEBC), San Francisco's Mandatory Soft-Story Retrofit Program requirements, and all guidelines where applicable.
Foundation Engineering for Bay Area Residential and Commercial Projects
Foundation design in the San Francisco Bay Area requires specific consideration of regional soil conditions, seismic loading requirements, and the physical constraints of urban lots. Massoudi Consulting Engineers provides foundation engineering for new construction, home additions, foundation repair, and foundation replacement projects throughout San Francisco and the Bay Area.
Foundation engineering services include: shallow and deep foundation design, concrete slab-on-grade design, raised wood floor foundation systems, foundation retrofitting and reinforcement, helical pier and grade beam design, and foundation design for hillside and constrained lot conditions.
All foundation designs are prepared in accordance with the California Building Code (CBC) and the specific geotechnical requirements of the project site.
Bearing Wall Removal and Beam Design in San Francisco
Bearing wall removal is one of the most common structural engineering requests from San Francisco homeowners seeking to open up their floor plans. Massoudi Consulting Engineers provides complete structural engineering solutions for the safe removal or modification of load-bearing walls throughout the Bay Area.
Bearing wall removal services include: structural assessment of existing load-bearing conditions, beam sizing and selection (steel, PSL, LVL), post and column design, connection and hardware specifications, and permit-ready structural calculations and drawings for San Francisco DBI and other Bay Area jurisdictions.
All bearing wall removal designs are signed and stamped by Rod Massoudi, California-licensed Professional Engineer (P.E. License No. C81412).
ADU Structural Engineering in San Francisco and the Bay Area
Accessory dwelling units require structural engineering at multiple stages: framing design, foundation system, shear wall design, beam calculations, and connection details. Massoudi Consulting Engineers provides full structural engineering services for ADU projects throughout San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, and the surrounding Bay Area.
ADU structural engineering services cover: detached ADU structural design, attached ADU and home addition structural design, garage conversion to ADU structural engineering (including foundation assessment and upgrade), two-story ADU structural design, junior ADU (JADU) structural documentation, and structural compliance with SB-9 lot split projects.
Massoudi Consulting Engineers coordinates ADU structural drawings with architectural and civil engineering in-house, producing a fully coordinated permit set that meets the requirements of San Francisco DBI and Bay Area building departments.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Structural Engineering Services
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For a home remodel in San Francisco and other Bay Area jurisdiction, a professional engineer assesses existing structural conditions, designs required modifications - such as bearing wall removal, beam installations, or shear wall additions - and produces permit-ready structural calculations and drawings for submission to San Francisco DBI. The structural engineer ensures all proposed changes comply with the California Building Code and San Francisco's and other Bay Area local amendments, and signs and stamps the drawings as a licensed P.E.
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Yes, in almost all cases. San Francisco DBI, and other city and county jurisdictions requires structural engineering drawings and calculations for the removal or modification of load-bearing walls as part of the building permit application. A professional licensed engineer assesses whether the wall is load-bearing, designs the appropriate beam and support system, and produces the stamped structural drawings required for permit submission.
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Structural engineering fees vary by project scope. Massoudi Consulting Engineers provides a free initial consultation and project-specific proposals - contact us at (415) 702-6462 or info@mcengrs.com to discuss your specific project and receive a written proposal at no obligation.
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A soft-story building is a multi-family residential structure with a ground floor significantly weaker than the floors above - typically due to large garage openings. San Francisco and several Bay Area jurisdiction has a Mandatory Soft-Story Retrofit Program requiring owners of wood-frame soft-story residential buildings of five or more units to complete a seismic retrofit. Massoudi Consulting Engineers designs soft-story retrofit systems that comply with San Francisco's program requirements and the California Existing Building Code.
What Our Clients Say
"I've been working with the engineers from Massoudi Consulting Engineers since before they were Massoudi Consulting Engineers. They've been my gold standard for quality engineering on jobs big and small for over a decade. I can recommend them without hesitation or reservation."
- Jason W. | San Francisco, CA | ★★★★★ Yelp
"Rod is incredibly knowledgeable and brought up several important structural and design considerations we hadn't even thought about - he pointed out intricacies and local requirements that only someone truly familiar with SF codes and processes would know. Tiffany and Vivian were also wonderful to work with - very responsive, detail-oriented, and efficient. The whole team is professional, experienced, and extremely well-versed in the nuance that SF projects demand."
- Amber Y. | San Francisco, CA | ★★★★★ Yelp
"Rod's knowledge, attention to detail, and communication are incredible - a tough combination to find among contractors and professionals alike. He handled every question and scenario we presented. Highly recommend him and his team."
- David B. | San Francisco, CA | ★★★★★ Yelp
