Structural Engineering:
We do not stamp architectural or other engineering plans. However, we can provide our own set of stamped engineered plans based on the plans you provide.
Invoices are sent via email once the plans enter the review stage. Payment is required before the stamped plans can be released.
We do not charge for in-office consultations. However, if a site visit is required, it will be billed after the work is completed.
We are licensed to provide engineering services in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas
Fortified Services:
- Beyond-code construction & re-roofing standards based on decades of research.
- A directory of service providers trained on the standard and the verification process.
- Verification of key upgrades by an independent third-party evaluator & reviewed by IBHS
- A FORTIFIED designation may qualify you for financial incentives like, insurance discounts, tax credits or lower deductibles.
Yes! There are several ways you can compromise your Fortified status.
Here are some common modifications that can leave a home vulnerable to storms:
- Constructing an addition to the home
- When adding onto an existing FORTIFIED home, care should be taken to ensure the new section includes the upgrades that protect a home from severe weather. Work with a certified FORTIFIED evaluator to ensure all FORTIFIED requirements are met and properly documented to maintain your FORTIFIED designation.
- When adding onto an existing FORTIFIED home, care should be taken to ensure the new section includes the upgrades that protect a home from severe weather. Work with a certified FORTIFIED evaluator to ensure all FORTIFIED requirements are met and properly documented to maintain your FORTIFIED designation.
- Installing a new roof or repairing an existing roof
- All homes with FORTIFIED designations include added protection for the roof. When a new roof is installed or an existing roof is repaired, the new roof or roof section should also meet the requirements of the FORTIFIED standard. If it doesn’t, it may be missing key upgrades that keep the roof in place and the water out during high wind events. A certified evaluator must document the materials and installation meet the rigorous FORTIFIED standard to maintain a designation.
- Mounting rooftop equipment (satellite dishes, AC units, weathervanes, lightning rods, etc.) with improper connections or flashing
- Not only can poorly installed roof-mounted equipment lead to roof leaks, if hit by debris or high winds during a storm it can be pulled loose causing damage to the roof deck.
- Not only can poorly installed roof-mounted equipment lead to roof leaks, if hit by debris or high winds during a storm it can be pulled loose causing damage to the roof deck.
- Connecting gutter guards in a manner that diminishes the effectiveness of a roof’s edge flashing
- Gutter guards that interrupt the locked-down roof edges required by the FORTIFIED standard can allow wind to get beneath this critical section of roofing.
- Gutter guards that interrupt the locked-down roof edges required by the FORTIFIED standard can allow wind to get beneath this critical section of roofing.
- Installing solar panels to a roof with improper connections or flashing
- Improperly installed roof-mounted solar panels can lead to roof leaks, which is why FORTIFIED requires the attachments to the roof be properly flashed. Additionally, if high winds pull roof-mounted solar panels loose, the shingles and the roof deck can be damaged. To minimize this risk, FORTIFIED requires a professional engineer to determine how solar panels should be attached to a roof.
- Adding a rooftop deck with improper or insufficient bracing, connections, or flashing
- When rooftop decks fail, they cause significant damage to the roof and home below. To minimize this risk, FORTIFIED requires they be designed by a professional engineer, ensuring they are adequately braced for the increased wind loads brought on by severe weather.
- When rooftop decks fail, they cause significant damage to the roof and home below. To minimize this risk, FORTIFIED requires they be designed by a professional engineer, ensuring they are adequately braced for the increased wind loads brought on by severe weather.
- Not including impact resistance when replacing or adding windows (Silver and Gold designations only)
- In hurricane-prone areas, FORTIFIED Silver and FORTIFIED Gold designations require windows be protected from storm debris. This requirement can be met by installing impact-rated windows or a tested hurricane shutter system. When adding or replacing windows, engage a FORTIFIED evaluator to document material and installation meet the FORTIFIED standard.
- In hurricane-prone areas, FORTIFIED Silver and FORTIFIED Gold designations require windows be protected from storm debris. This requirement can be met by installing impact-rated windows or a tested hurricane shutter system. When adding or replacing windows, engage a FORTIFIED evaluator to document material and installation meet the FORTIFIED standard.
- Replacing garage doors that don’t meet required wind pressure ratings (Silver and Gold designations only)
- FORTIFIED Silver designations require garage doors meet pressure ratings appropriate for the property’s location. When purchasing a new garage door, contact a FORTIFIED evaluator who can ensure it meets this requirement and collect the documentation needed to maintain your designation.
- Replacing exterior doors that don’t meet required wind pressure ratings (Gold designations only)
- In hurricane prone areas, FORTIFIED Gold designations require exterior doors meet pressure ratings appropriate for the property’s location. When purchasing a new exterior door, contact a FORTIFIED evaluator who can ensure it meets this requirement and collect the documentation needed to maintain your designation.
- In hurricane prone areas, FORTIFIED Gold designations require exterior doors meet pressure ratings appropriate for the property’s location. When purchasing a new exterior door, contact a FORTIFIED evaluator who can ensure it meets this requirement and collect the documentation needed to maintain your designation.
- Installing a dog door in any exterior door (Gold designations only)
- FORTIFIED Gold designations also require exterior doors meet pressure ratings appropriate for a property’s location. Altering doors after they’ve been purchased, by adding windows or even a dog door, impacts their ability to withstand pressure and can leave your home vulnerable during a storm.
A FORTIFIED designation may qualify you for financial incentives like, insurance discounts, tax credits or lower deductibles.
Initial FORTIFIED designation certificates expire five years from the date they were issued. At the end of that period, a redesignation inspection is required to maintain the home or business’s current designation level. If there have been no substantial changes to the structure and the roof covering is within its life expectancy, the designation will be renewed.
Civil Engineering:
You need a disturbance permit if your project involves significant alterations to the landscape, such as grading, excavation, or clearing of vegetation. Check local regulations or consult with your city's planning department to determine if your project requires a permit.
A survey is necessary to accurately determine property boundaries and topographic data, which are critical for planning construction projects, resolving property disputes, and ensuring compliance with zoning laws.
A pond maintenance plan in civil engineering involves scheduled inspections and upkeep of stormwater management facilities to ensure they function properly. This includes removing sediment, repairing erosion, managing vegetation, and ensuring that drainage systems are unobstructed
The time to obtain a civil site plan can vary based on the project's complexity and local government processing times. Typically, it can take several weeks to several months from initial submission to approval.