Free Services

• Proposal for engineering, design, permitting and as-built services.
• 20 min phone consultation.

Primary Services

• Residential engineering for projects in San Francisco Bay Area.
• New construction, seismic retrofits, remodels, additions, foundations, retaining walls etc.
• We primarily work on wood-framed buildings which may include some steel framing.
• Architectural plans for small interior remodels including lighting plans, mechanical plans and energy report.

Hourly Rates

• $200/hr for Principal
• $150/hr for on-site inspections
• $80/hr for drafting

Special Inspections and Structural Observations

• See Inspections

Common Project Practices

• Whenever possible we will provide a fixed fee for your project from start until you have an approved permit. The primary exceptions are when the scope-of-work is unknown at the outset or if the scope-of-work significantly changes during design.
• Engineering/Design/Consulting work will start after we have received the signed contract and first payment.
• Permit expediting is best handled by our third party expediter for projects in San Francisco. Barringer is unable to provide a fixed fee for their service.
• Construction Administration services are always billed hourly. Special Inspections/Construction Administration are fixed fees per Contract.

Permitting, As-Builts and Energy Report Services

These services are better served by hiring third-party specialists. We recommend that we coordinate all or at least most of these services as a package for simplicity but it is at our Client’s discretion.

• Permitting in San Francisco: Barringer has been working closely with one expeditor for many years because they are fast, effective and competent. We have a great working relationship; they always answer my calls, we always pay on time and we always get permits (we can’t promise “always” but it is pretty close).  When we hand the plans to them we feel fairly confident our job is done and we will get a permit, when clients and contractors attempt this themselves we get nervous. Only for very small jobs is it possible to save time and money by not hiring them, but even then we get nervous.
• Permitting in Marin: By contractor or Client. This service is an exception as it does not require a specialist. You either hand it to them or you upload the files.
• As-built drawings:  Barringer Design works with two as-built companies. One has a fast turnaround time and completes measuring within ~10 days. Their prices are fairly competitive to other firms for projects in SF but will be more expenseive for Marin projects.  The other firm takes 4-6 weeks to get measurements but has very reasonable prices, sometimes half the cost. Client’s choice or they can hire someone else.
  (It is shockingly common for existing plans to be off by well over 2 feet for buildings measured by anyone who does not do this exclusively as their full-time profession. For all jobs where client supplies us with the as-builts we add this note – “If at any time Barringer finds the existing plans to be inaccurate, Barringer shall cease work, notify Client of the errors found and allow Client 60 days to correct.”)
• Energy reports:  Barringer uses NRG Compliance – same as everyone else in the Bay Area. Clients should not do this themselves as it doesn’t save time or money.

Services We Do Not Do

• Architectural plans for projects that require significant planning approval. We do the engineering but an Architect is required to do the architectural plans. These are the most common projects where you must have an architect.
  • Projects that require a neighborhood notification.
  • Expanding or modifying the envelope of a building. This includes exterior decks or stairs.
  • Changing the use of a building. Typically this is if you want to add a third unit to a two unit building.
• No condominiums. Exception: we sometimes do 2 unit condominiums.
• No phased projects.  In order for these projects to be successful three things, that are out of our control, must go perfectly.  (1) The design remains unchanged and identical from the start; (2) the Code doesn’t change (The building code is revised every 3 years and Cities, can and do, modify their codes whenever they desire.); and (3) we are lucky enough to get assigned a reasonable plan checker at every counter for approval of subsequent phases.
• Soil investigations.