STLStructural
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Structural engineer in St. Louis County.

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

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Buyers and an inspector looking at a brick bungalow from the front walk

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

St. Louis County runs from pre-war brick in the inner suburbs to newer frame houses farther west, and each of its dozens of municipalities handles permits its own way. The engineering question is usually a basement wall, a wall someone wants removed, or a house under contract.

What is different here

  • Inner-ring brick. University City, Maplewood, and Webster Groves have houses from the 1900s to the 1940s, with the same masonry questions as the city.
  • Mid-century ranches. Block and poured basements from the 1950s and 60s, where bowing walls and horizontal cracks are the common call.
  • Clay soil. It swells when wet and shrinks in a dry summer, and foundations move with it.
  • Remodels. Opening a kitchen to a living room is the most frequent reason a wall question comes up.

Most requested in St. Louis County

Foundation and basement wallsCracks, bowing or leaning walls, settlement, and sloping floors. Load-bearing wall removalFind out whether a wall carries load, and get the beam design to take it out. Inspection before you buyA structural review of a house you are under contract on. Stamped engineer lettersThe signed and sealed letter a building department, lender, or contractor asked for.

Places we go

  • Kirkwood
  • Webster Groves
  • University City
  • Clayton
  • Florissant
  • Chesterfield
  • Ballwin
  • Creve Coeur
  • Maryland Heights
  • Affton
  • Mehlville

Permits

There is no single building department. Many cities issue their own permits, and others use St. Louis County. Call the city hall for the address first and ask who reviews structural work.

Read first

Bowing basement wall: what it means and what to doWhat causes a basement wall to bow inward and how an engineer decides what to do. Removing a load-bearing wall in St. LouisThe steps, in order, for removing a bearing wall safely and legally. Structural engineer vs foundation repair companyWhy an independent engineer's opinion differs from a quote from a company that sells repairs.

City pages

Kirkwood, Webster Groves, University City, Chesterfield, Florissant

Other counties

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