Load-bearing work is what most people find us for, and it's most of the calendar. But the same engineer handles the rest of residential structural too: foundations, decks, additions, settlement, and pre-purchase opinions across the St. Louis metro.
Three products, in the order people usually need them.
Is it structural or not. The engineer reads joist bearing, what's stacked above, and what's supporting below, then gives you the answer on site. Written confirmation next day.
Beam sizing, post and bearing details, footing verification, temporary shoring plan. Everything your permit office and your contractor need, in one sealed package.
Closeout letter confirming the beam went in per the detail. Also covers after-the-fact evaluation when a previous owner opened a wall without paperwork.
Same engineer, same seal, same direct line. If you're already having us out for a wall, we'll look at anything else on the list while we're there rather than charging you for a second trip.
Cracks in poured walls or block, bowing basement walls, doors that stopped closing, floors gone out of level. We tell you whether it's cosmetic, whether it's moving, and what the repair actually needs to be, independent of any company that would sell you the repair.
Your home inspector flagged something and recommended "further evaluation by a structural engineer." That's us. We give you a straight read before your inspection contingency expires, so you can negotiate on facts instead of a scary sentence.
Ledger attachment, footing depth, post and beam sizing, guard and rail capacity. Common for permitting a new build, and for evaluating a deck a previous owner put up without one. Deck failures are the most common residential structural injury there is, so this one's worth doing right.
Structural design and sealed drawings for room additions, second-story additions, and garage-to-living conversions. Includes the connection details where new structure meets old, which is where most additions actually go wrong.
Can this floor take a cast-iron tub, a home gym, a wall of bookshelves, or a safe. Can this attic take storage or a finished room. Straightforward capacity questions with a sealed answer attached.
Tree strikes, wind damage, vehicle impact. We document what's structurally affected and what isn't, in the format adjusters actually want, which usually speeds up the claim considerably.
Core area, no travel charge: St. Louis City and County, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, Franklin County, plus the Metro East: Madison, St. Clair, and Monroe counties in Illinois. The engineer holds active PE licensure in both Missouri and Illinois, so Metro East work gets sealed under the Illinois license rather than referred out.
Extended area: Lincoln, Warren, Washington, and Ste. Genevieve counties, and generally anything inside about 60 miles. There's a travel add-on, quoted up front.
Farther out: Ask. We batch trips toward Columbia, Rolla, and Cape Girardeau when there's enough work to justify the drive, and we'll tell you honestly whether it makes sense or whether you're better off with someone local.
An engineer stands in your house, reads the load path, and tells you straight: this wall goes, or this wall stays and here's what it costs to open it anyway.
Is It Load Bearing is the residential-structural arm of Scapular Engineering, LLC. The same PE seals load-bearing letters here, manufactured-home certifications at Midwest MFG Inspection, and aluminum-wiring certs at STL Alumiconn. One license, one $2M policy, one phone number.
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