Structural, Civil & MEP Engineering Services in California

California is the most demanding engineering jurisdiction in the country, and it is the one where generic out-of-state drawings fail fastest. Every set we seal for a California project is engineered to Title 24 and to the seismic demands of the actual site — not to a national template. Most standard packages are sealed and returned in 48–72 hours.

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The Codes We Design To in California

California is unusual: the state writes its own building standards rather than adopting the model codes unchanged, and compliance is mandatory statewide. Local governments may only amend the code where they file express findings of local climatic, geological or topographical conditions.

2025 California Building Standards Code

Title 24 was published in July 2025 and took effect on 1 January 2026. Part 2 is the California Building Code, based on the 2024 IBC; Part 2.5 is the California Residential Code, based on the 2024 IRC.

California Building Standards Commission

The BSC adopts Title 24, with proposing agencies including HCD for residential, DSA for schools and the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Nothing in California is adopted county by county the way it is in Texas or Arizona.

Title 24 Part 6 Energy Code

California’s energy standards are the strictest in the nation and are mandatory statewide. Compliance documentation is part of the submittal, not an optional extra.

CALGreen — Title 24 Part 11

The California Green Building Standards Code applies statewide and adds mandatory measures on water use, construction waste and indoor air quality that reviewers check explicitly.

ASCE 7-22 Seismic Provisions

Through the 2024 IBC, California applies ASCE 7-22. Seismic Design Categories D, E and F are routine across the state, and near-fault effects change member sizing in ways wind-governed states never encounter.

Local Amended Codes

Los Angeles publishes its own Building Code, Los Angeles County maintains Title 26, and San Francisco and San Diego both issue amendments. We design to the local edition, not just the state code.

Design Conditions That Actually Govern in California

In most of the United States wind governs the lateral design. In California it is almost always seismic, and that single fact changes the foundation, the framing and the connections.

Seismic Design Category D, E or F across most populated areas, with site-specific spectral values
Near-fault directivity effects where the site sits close to an active fault trace
Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zones, which restrict building across a mapped fault
Seismic Hazard Zones for liquefaction and earthquake-induced landslide, mapped by the California Geological Survey
Expansive and collapsible soils requiring specific foundation treatment
Sierra Nevada and mountain-county ground snow loads set by local ordinance
Title 24 Part 6 energy compliance and Part 11 CALGreen mandatory measures
Wildland-Urban Interface material and assembly requirements in designated zones

Who Seals Your Drawings in California

A seal is only valid in the state of licensure, so your drawings are sealed by an engineer holding an active California licence issued by the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists. California does not grant pure reciprocity — civil applicants licensed elsewhere must still pass the California Seismic Principles and Engineering Surveying examinations, which is precisely why a California seal carries weight. Public schools and hospitals additionally require a licensed Structural Engineer. We confirm the named engineer of record on your quote before you commit.

Engineering Services We Deliver Across California

Structural Engineering

Framing, foundations and retaining walls with sealed load calculations to the California code edition your jurisdiction enforces.

Civil & Site Engineering

Site plans, grading and drainage, stormwater, utilities and paving prepared for California permit submittal.

MEP Engineering

HVAC, electrical and plumbing design with the load calculations and energy compliance forms California reviewers ask for.

Review & PE Stamp

Have drawings already? A California-licensed engineer reviews them against local code and applies the seal.

California Cities and Jurisdictions We Serve

We prepare and seal permit drawings for projects throughout California, working to each jurisdiction’s own amendments and submittal checklist.

How We Protect California Clients Before You Spend a Dollar

Engineering is bought on trust long before it is bought on price. These are the commitments every Residential PE engagement carries, in writing, from the first message.

Free Quote, One Fixed Fee

Consultations and quotes cost nothing. You receive one written fixed fee against a written sheet list — no hourly billing, no surprise add-ons.

A Named Engineer of Record

Every drawing is sealed by a professional engineer holding an active licence in your project’s state, and we confirm who that engineer is before you commit.

Revisions Until Approval

If the plan reviewer returns comments, we revise the sealed drawings and respond as part of the original fee — never as a change order.

Your Documents Stay Private

Drawings, surveys and site information are used only to engineer your project. They are never resold, published or used as portfolio material without consent.

48–72 Hour Turnaround

Most standard packages are sealed and returned within two to three business days, so engineering is never the reason a permit slips.

A Real Engineer Answers

Questions reach an engineer, not a call centre. Open the live chat and you are talking to someone who can actually scope and price the job.

Getting California Permit Drawings Sealed

Send Your Project

Share the California project address, your plans or sketches, and any comments the building department has already issued.

Free Fixed-Fee Quote

We confirm the governing California code edition, the sheet list and the schedule, then return a written fixed fee at no cost.

Design & PE Review

Our engineers produce the design and calculations, then an engineer licensed in California reviews the package before anything is sealed.

Sealed & Submitted

You receive sealed, signed PDFs formatted for your California building department, plus support through plan-review comments.

California Engineering Questions We Are Asked Most

Which building code applies to my California project?

The 2025 California Building Standards Code (Title 24) took effect on 1 January 2026 and applies statewide. Part 2 governs commercial work and Part 2.5 governs residential. Your city or county may also have filed local amendments, and Los Angeles, LA County, San Francisco and San Diego all publish their own. We confirm the exact governing edition for your address before design starts.

Do I need a seismic design for a small residential project?

Almost certainly, yes. Most of populated California falls in Seismic Design Category D or higher, so lateral design governs even for additions, ADUs and garage conversions. Shear walls, hold-downs and a continuous load path to the foundation are normally required, and a set that omits them will be corrected at plan review.

Is your engineer licensed in California?

Yes. Your drawings are sealed by an engineer holding an active California licence from BPELSG. California does not offer straight reciprocity — out-of-state civil engineers must pass the California Seismic Principles and Engineering Surveying exams — so we assign a genuinely California-licensed engineer rather than relying on a licence from another state.

Can you handle Title 24 energy compliance and CALGreen?

Yes. Title 24 Part 6 energy compliance documentation and the mandatory CALGreen measures under Part 11 are prepared as part of the submittal package where your project scope requires them.

My lot is in an Alquist-Priolo zone. Can you still help?

We can, but the constraint is real: building across a mapped active fault trace is restricted, and a fault-rupture investigation by a licensed geologist is typically required before design. We will tell you honestly at quotation stage whether the project is workable and what studies your jurisdiction will demand.

How fast can I get sealed California drawings?

Most standard residential and light commercial packages are sealed and returned within 48 to 72 hours of receiving complete information. Projects requiring geotechnical coordination, DSA or HCAI review, or fault-zone studies are quoted with a realistic schedule up front.

Do you work on ADUs and garage conversions?

Yes — they are among the most common California requests we handle. ADU projects still need a full structural and seismic design, Title 24 energy compliance and, on many lots, civil work for drainage and utility connections. We quote the whole package as one fixed fee.

What does it cost?

Pricing depends on scope, project size and the jurisdiction’s submittal requirements, so we quote a fixed fee per project rather than an hourly rate. Quotes are free and usually returned the same business day — see our pricing page or send your plans for a firm number.

We Also Seal Drawings Across The Pacific states

Projects rarely stop at a state line. We hold coverage in all 50 states and assign every project to an engineer licensed where it is permitted — these are the neighbouring states we work in most often.

Get a Fixed-Fee Quote for Your California Project

Send your California site information and we will confirm the sheet list, the engineer of record licensed in California and a firm price — usually the same business day, at no cost.