Structural assessment
Framing, load paths, foundations, and the cracks, settlement, and prior repairs a walkthrough misses, with a clear go, conditions, or no-go read.
cracks · grietas
Structural engineering in Puerto Rico
Most people hire a structural engineer too late.
Against seismic and hurricane loads, the structural decision governs whether you get permitted, insured, and built.
Permitted. Insured. Built.
No-obligation project review. We reply within one business day, in writing.
How it works
Structural engineering for the island's loads, signed by the engineer who is accountable for it.
- Scope. A short, no-obligation call to understand the structure, your goal to buy, build, or retrofit, and your deadline.
- Assess or design. We read the existing structure against the code, or we design new structural work to it: framing, load paths, foundations, and the cracks and corrosion a walkthrough misses.
- Detail for seismic and wind. We detail the structure for Puerto Rico's earthquake ground motion and hurricane uplift, not a milder mainland assumption.
- Report or seal, signed. A written go, conditions, or no-go read, or sealed drawings for the permit, with the engineering basis behind every finding. One accountable PE signs it.
Early is cheaper than rework. Tell us where the project stands and we tell you straight what the structure needs.
What the read measures against
Puerto Rico Building Code (2018)
The governing code, which adopts the International Building Code (IBC). The benchmark for what sound structure means on this island.
ASCE 7 wind and seismic loads
The load standard the code is built on: the hurricane wind and earthquake forces the structure actually has to carry.
Roof-to-wall connections and wind uplift
Puerto Rico is a Special Wind Region: the design wind speed is read for your exact site off the municipality microzone map. The connections decide whether the roof stays on.
Seismic detailing and reinforcement
How the structure is reinforced for ground motion, and where an older building predates current seismic provisions.
Reinforced concrete: spalling and rebar corrosion
The defect coastal salt air drives, often hidden behind sound-looking finishes until it is structural.
Ley 173-1988 sign and seal authority
Only a CIAPR-registered engineer can sign and seal structural drawings in Puerto Rico. That seal is what the permit and your insurer rely on.
What we engineer
Structural engineering, from the read to the sealed drawing.
A cosmetic walkthrough shows you finishes. A licensed structural read tells you whether the structure carries its loads, and an accountable seal is what makes the document hold.
Seismic & retrofit
Earthquake readiness for Puerto Rico's seismic zone, and where an older structure needs strengthening for loads it was never detailed for.
earthquake retrofit · evaluación sísmicaWind & uplift
Roof-to-wall connections and load paths checked against the hurricane uplift the island's coastal winds actually impose.
roof-to-wall · upliftReinforced-concrete condition
Spalling, rebar corrosion, and section loss behind sound-looking finishes, the slow defect coastal salt air drives.
spalling · rebar · corrosiónDesign & sealed drawings
New structural design detailed to the 2018 code and ASCE 7, signed and sealed for the permit under Ley 173-1988. If you are relocating to build, we tie it to Act 60 engineering and permitting so the structure clears the same track.
diseño · firma y selloWhat a structural read surfaces
The conditions a seal has to answer for.
Real findings documented on PRE structural assessments in Puerto Rico, and what each one asks of the structure.
Condition
Cracking at a junction between elements
- What this is
- An open crack at the junction between a projecting vertical element and the wall beside it, with surface material broken away along one edge.
- The structural question
- Is this a finish coat separating where two elements meet, or the element behind it cracking? Which one it is decides whether this is cosmetic, and only field investigation settles it.
Capacity
Corroded reinforcement exposed at a structural member
- What this is
- Concrete broken away at a corner, exposing corroding reinforcing bars and closely spaced transverse steel.
- The structural question
- Once the cover is gone and the bars are corroding, how much of the designed section is still there becomes a measurement question, and only a field investigation answers it.
Durability
Water at a ceiling soffit
- What this is
- Moisture staining concentrated along the wall junction, surface finish lost in large patches, and a crack running through the soffit.
- The structural question
- Persistent water at a soffit asks whether it is reaching embedded steel, where corrosion erodes capacity out of sight.
Already own the building?
Worried about the structure? That worry is the first step.
You do not need proof, just the concern: a crack that keeps growing, a floor that is not level, a building from before the 1987 seismic code, a roof that took the last storm. Recognizing it is enough to call us. The next step is a licensed structural read, before a hidden condition becomes a failure that costs far more than the assessment, or risks someone's safety.
If the crack or the slope is what brought you here, that concern is enough. We give you a licensed read and a clear next step.
Who stands behind it
One licensed read, signed.
Your report is not a committee opinion. It is the read of one accountable Puerto Rico engineer who stamps within his scope under Ley 173-1988, so the document holds up with the permit office, the insurer, and the bank.
The accountable engineer
Every finding in your structural read is one I will put my seal to. That is the difference between an opinion and accountable engineering.
Edgardo L. Santiago Martínez, PE Chief Engineering Officer · PE Lic. #12474, CIAPR FAQ
Questions before you commit.
Still deciding? Ask us directly, no obligation, and you hear back within one business day.
When should I bring in a structural engineer?
Early. Brought in after drawings and financing lock, the engineer can only react to decisions already made. Brought in early, the structural read shapes the design and keeps the project permittable, insurable, and buildable.
How is structural engineering in Puerto Rico different?
The island is seismically active and faces hurricane-force winds. The 2018 Puerto Rico Building Code applies ASCE 7 wind provisions, and Puerto Rico is a Special Wind Region: there is no island-wide design wind speed. It is a site-specific value the engineer reads for that exact property from the municipality microzone maps. A mainland approach underbuilds for this.
Is a structural assessment a home inspection?
No. A home inspection is a generalist, separately-licensed service. A structural assessment is a CIAPR-licensed Puerto Rico PE's read of the load-bearing structure: the engineering judgment a home inspection is not licensed to give.
Can you assess an older building for earthquake risk?
Yes. We assess how the structure is detailed and reinforced and where an older building predates current seismic provisions, then give you a go, conditions, or no-go read.
Do you design, or only assess?
Both. We assess existing structures and we design and seal new structural work to the code. The same accountable PE stands behind both, and signs both within his scope.
What is a retrofit and do I need one?
A retrofit strengthens an existing structure for loads it was not detailed for, often seismic. Whether you need one is exactly the question the assessment answers, before you spend on the fix.
Can you do this for a mainland buyer?
Yes. We assess on the ground here and report to you wherever you are. Most of our buyers are relocating or investing from the mainland.
Related services
Where structural fits.
- Technical Due Diligence The pre-purchase structural read before you close.
- Property Damage & Hurricane Inspection The storm-damage verdict: go, conditions, or no-go.
- Civil Engineering Drainage, grading, and retaining structures, signed and sealed.
- MEP Engineering Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing, coordinated under one lead.
- Drone Documentation Drone evidence for the roof and facade where access is unsafe to reach.
- Guide: hurricane and earthquake safety How a house survives Puerto Rico's wind and ground motion.
The island's loads do not negotiate. The seal is how you answer them.
Get the read before you commit
Tell us about the structure.
A few details and your timeline. We reply within one business day, in writing, with next steps.
Direct channels
Other ways to reach us
One-business-day response standard. Reach us by any channel and you hear back within one business day, every time.
Not sure what you need yet?
If you are weighing a purchase, start with our technical due diligence read. Either way, the fastest answer is a short, no-obligation call.