Residential Structures · San Francisco Bay Area
Bay Area
Structural
Engineering.
Vi Giang, PE has over 10 years of structural engineering experience with Bay Area homes. Retrofits, ADUs, remodels, and additions.
Start a project →
Built around Bay Area residential work.
Timbar Engineering is Vi Giang, PE, a licensed structural engineer with more than 10 years of residential experience throughout the Bay Area. The firm works with homeowners, contractors, and architects who need clear structural guidance and permit-ready drawings, without the delays that come with larger firms.
Bay Area homes come with a specific set of conditions: older wood-frame construction, raised cripple wall foundations, hillside sites, and one of the most seismically active regions in the country. Vi has worked here long enough to know the local building departments, the structural conditions common to different neighborhoods, and what it takes to move a project through plan check without a lot of back-and-forth.
Every project is handled personally. Clear communication, thorough calculations, and drawings contractors can actually build from.
About the firm →Seismic Retrofit
Most Bay Area homes built before 1980 were not designed to current seismic standards. We assess your foundation and cripple walls and provide an anchorage and bracing solution that reduces your home’s earthquake risk and satisfies your city’s permit requirements.
Accessory Dwelling Units
Detached ADU, garage conversion, or junior ADU. We provide the structural plans your contractor needs to build and your building department needs to issue a permit. Designed for California seismic compliance from the start.
Remodels & Additions
Opening up a floor plan, removing a load-bearing wall, or adding square footage all change how your home carries loads. We design the beams, posts, and connections that keep the structure sound and get your permit approved.
Permit-ready structural plans.
Every project ends with a complete set of stamped structural drawings your contractor can build from and your building department can approve. Here’s what that looks like.
- Foundation plan & details
- Floor & roof framing plans
- Shear wall schedule & layout
- Connection details & hardware specs
- Structural notes & load calculations
Our
Process
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01
Initial Consultation
We review your project scope, discuss your timeline, and figure out what structural information we need to get started. That usually includes any existing plans or photos of your foundation and crawl space.
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02
Site Evaluation
We visit your property to assess the existing framing, foundation, and structural systems and gather what we need to design a buildable solution.
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03
Structural Design
We prepare engineering calculations and permit-ready drawings tailored to your project and jurisdiction, organized to minimize plan check comments and delays.
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04
Permit Support
We respond to city plan check comments and provide any revised drawings needed to keep your permit moving forward.
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05
Construction & Close-Out
We remain available to answer contractor questions, address field conditions, and provide any documentation needed for final inspection.
Tell us about
your project.
Fill out the contact form with your project details and we’ll get back to you within 1–2 business days.
Contact Timbar Engineering →