STLStructural
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Structural engineer in St. Louis City.

A licensed Professional Engineer for houses and small buildings in the City of St. Louis: inspections, written reports, and stamped letters.

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A stair-step crack in a brick wall above a rusted window lintel

What does a structural engineer look at in St. Louis City?

Most houses in the city were built before 1940 in solid brick, on limestone or brick foundations. A structural engineer here spends most of the time on masonry: walls, lintels, parapets, chimneys, and the old foundations under them.

What is different here

  • Solid brick walls. The brick is the structure, not a veneer, so a bulge or a stepped crack is the wall itself moving.
  • Stone and brick foundations. Soft mortar, damp basements, and walls that have been patched many times over a century.
  • Flats and party walls. Two- and four-family buildings share walls and loads with their neighbours.
  • Parapets, chimneys, and cornices. The parts above the roof line weather first and are the ones that fall.

Most requested in St. Louis City

Brick and masonryCracked or bulging brick, failing lintels, chimneys, parapets, and cornices. Foundation and basement wallsCracks, bowing or leaning walls, settlement, and sloping floors. Inspection before you buyA structural review of a house you are under contract on. Load-bearing wall removalFind out whether a wall carries load, and get the beam design to take it out.

Places we go

  • Soulard
  • Benton Park
  • Lafayette Square
  • Tower Grove South
  • Shaw
  • The Hill
  • Dutchtown
  • Central West End
  • St. Louis Hills

Permits

Permits and inspections run through the City of St. Louis Building Division. Ask them what they need before work starts; an engineer's stamped letter or drawing is a common request for structural work.

Read first

Common structural issues in St. Louis brick housesThe structural problems older St. Louis brick houses tend to develop, and what they look like. Foundation cracks: which ones matterHow to tell a harmless shrinkage crack from one that signals foundation movement. Structural inspection before buying a houseWhat to do when a home inspection flags structure and the clock is running.

Other counties

St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, Franklin County, Madison County, St. Clair County, Monroe County