Licensed Structural Engineer?

[Ashley Abramson]

Hello! I am pending inspection on my flip currently, inspection came back asking for us to have a Licensed Structural Engineer "determine corrective measure to ensure proper support". Based on some of the pictures we know there will need to be a little work. I was wondering if someone would be willing to take a look at the pictures from the inspector and make a recommendation so we dont have to pay for someone to tell us what to do on top of doing it (since we know we will need to put some work into it)

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Best,

Ashley 

[Justin Eaton]

Hey Ashley! I am a structural engineer from New Jersey as well as a state licensed home inspector. If we get called out to perform a structural evaluation in a situation like this, we charge $300 for a verbal consultation, $600-800 for a written report (includes the $300), and $800-1200 for signed and sealed drawings (includes the $300) which can be used for permits as well as spec for your licensed contractor to follow.

Below are my comments based on viewing these small photos from my phone lol

Photo 1: south foundation gap - It looks like a 2x6 cripple wall is resting on top of the foundation. I think the inspector is calling out gaps between the pressure treated sill plate and the block. Generally this happens during construction unless the foundation is settling. Recommendation would be to install sill anchors to ensure that the block to sill connection is firm and no uplift / shifting can occur.

Photo 2: NE beam joint - It looks like the splice in the beam is at or near mid span and sag is occurring at the splice. General repair would be to install a steel post on proper size concrete footing directly below splice / sag. Beam should also be bolted together with thru bolts, nuts, and washers to prevent separation / twisting.

Photo 3,4,6 - it looks like the main beam is supported by a series of wood post on a block or concrete pier without any footing. Block or pier is simply sitting on the dirt floor and has shifted due to lack of footing and wood post has shifted along with it. It is likely that they would all need to be replaced with a steel column on a properly sized concrete footing.

Photo 5: termite damage to beam - Depending on the extent of the damage, the beam will have to be either replaced or can sometimes be scanned / sistered.

In NJ, these repairs would require permit approval from the local construction office, which would require stamped and sealed drawings from a PE. Typically this will cause delays in closing. Definitely consider addressing these issues before you complete your renovations because they can certainly kill deals. Also, if you have tile of anything above these areas, they're prone to cracking during repairs of this nature.

Hope this helps!
Justin