Skip to content
JATEngineering

ADU structural engineering · California

Get Your ADU Through Plan Check — Without Hiring a Full-Service Firm.

Foundation, framing and lateral engineering for detached ADUs, garage conversions and attached units — a complete structural package coordinated to your architect's set, at one fixed price.

What kind of ADU?

60 seconds · Free · No obligation

Step 1 of 4

What kind of ADU are you building?
  • Licensed PE engineers · CA & NV

    Every project is reviewed and approved by a licensed engineer — never automated.

  • Signed & sealed

    Stamped drawings and calculations where your jurisdiction requires them.

  • Serving California

    Statewide — incl. Roseville, Sacramento, San Jose

  • No commitment until you accept

    Free scope review, one fixed price in writing, corrections included per proposal.

What California plan check expects on an ADU

  • A foundation design matched to your soil and slab conditions
  • Roof and floor framing plans with member sizes — not just "per code"
  • A lateral (shear wall) design; California reviewers rarely waive it
  • Details tying the structure together: holdowns, straps, connections
  • Calculations that match the drawings sheet-for-sheet

Sound familiar? Get My Free Quote →

How it works

From this page to permit-ready plans.

  1. 1

    Today — about a minute

    Answer a few questions & tell us where to send the quote

    Plans, photos, sketches or a permit letter. Don't have everything? Send what you've got.

  2. 2

    Within 1 business day

    Free scope review → fixed-price proposal

    A defined scope, one price and a stated turnaround. Your quote stays valid for 30 days.

  3. 3

    After you accept online

    Engineering starts — track it live

    E-sign, pay the deposit by card or ACH, and watch status through delivery on your dashboard.

Your quote

One fixed price. In writing. Before you commit.

  • Free scope review — you pay nothing to find out what your project needs
  • A fixed price for a defined scope; additional work is only ever quoted, never surprise-billed
  • Your quote stays valid for 30 days while you line up your contractor
  • Plan-check correction rounds included per the proposal
Get My Free Quote

Pricing, honestly

What actually drives the price

No two projects price the same — these are the factors our engineers scope. You get one fixed number after a free review, not an hourly meter.

Size and stories

A 400 sq ft studio and a 1,200 sq ft two-bedroom carry different framing and lateral work.

Foundation type

Slab-on-grade on a flat lot is the simplest case; slopes and additions over garages add design work.

Conversion vs. new build

Garage conversions reuse structure but often need upgrades — openings infilled, footings verified.

Jurisdiction requirements

Some cities have pre-approved paths and specific submittal formats; we note the right code basis for yours.

The risk is on us: free scope review, fixed price, and no commitment until you accept.

Get My Free Quote

Deliverables

What you receive

A complete, engineer-reviewed structural package — the same documents a full-service firm produces, delivered through your project dashboard.

What you receive

Sample structural framing plan sheet with grid lines, a new glulam beam and posts

Structural drawings

Framing plans, foundation plans and shear-wall schedules keyed to your architectural set — sheet-numbered and plan-check ready.

Sample structural calculation page for a flush beam with checks marked OK

Structural calculations

Gravity and lateral calculations that match the drawings, member by member, so plan checkers can follow the load path.

Sample connection detail showing a beam bearing on a post with a post cap and through-bolts

Details & connections

Beam-to-post, holdown, footing and connection details your framer can build from — no guesswork on site.

Plus permit-correction responses and revisions through the same project. Get My Free Quote →

Who reviews your engineering

A licensed structural engineer signs off on every set.

Commercial, data center and residential structures across California and Nevada. Produces and reviews code-compliant structural drawings and calculations, coordinating with architects, contractors and plan checkers.

  • CBC
  • IBC
  • ASCE 7
  • ASCE 41
  • AISC
  • ACI 318
  • NDS
  • TMS

Before you ask

What does ADU structural engineering cost?+

ADUs are quoted per project after a free scope review — one fixed price covering the full structural package. There's no commitment until you accept, and correction rounds are included per the proposal.

My architect's plans are done. What do you need?+

Upload the architectural set (PDF is fine). We coordinate our structural sheets and calcs to it, keyed to the same grid and sheet numbers, so plan check reads one coherent package.

Do I need a soils report?+

Not always. Many single-story ADUs can use code-prescribed soil values. If your site has known expansive soils or slopes, we'll flag it during the free scope review — before you're committed.

Can you work with my city's ADU program?+

Yes. We note the correct jurisdiction, code cycle and submittal format on the set, and if the reviewer issues structural comments we respond through the same project.

Get Your ADU Through Plan Check — Without Hiring a Full-Service Firm.

A few quick questions, a free scope review, and a fixed-price quote — usually within one business day.

No commitment required to submit a project for review.