Construction workers in safety gear standing on a large concrete slab at an urban building site.

Engineering Inspections in Florida

An Engineer's answer, not a checklist.

Foundation evaluations, structural inspections, ground depression assessments, and pond failure investigations for commercial, municipal, and multi-family property, plus engineering inspections for home buyers during due diligence. Each one is led by a licensed Florida Professional Engineer, with a sealed report when you need one.

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What we inspect

Questions that need an Engineer

  • Foundation evaluation.
    Cracking, settlement, and movement in commercial and multi-family structures, with elevation measurement and subsurface investigation where warranted.
  • Structural inspection.
    Condition assessment of framing, slabs, bearing walls, and load paths where distress or a change of use raises a question.
  • Ground depression inspection.
    Depressions in parking lots, yards, and open ground, determining whether the cause is karst, a utility failure, buried debris, or poor fill.
  • Pond & embankment evaluation.
    Retention and detention ponds that won't hold, drain, or recover as designed, including slope stability and seepage assessment.
  • Construction observation.
    Site visits during construction verifying that work matches the geotechnical recommendations and the approved drawings.
  • Property condition assessment.
    Structural and geotechnical input for due diligence on commercial acquisitions and portfolio reviews.
  • Home purchase inspections.
    Engineering inspections of the foundation, crawlspace, load-bearing walls, and retaining walls or seawalls while you are under contract, plus a check of whether the lot can support a septic system.

Engineer or inspector?

The right answer depends on the question you're actually asking.

Comparison Home / property inspector Professional Engineer
Scope Broad visual survey of the whole property A specific structural or geotechnical question
Credential State inspector license Florida PE licensure through FBPE
Can determine cause No. Observes and refers out Yes, with investigation and analysis
Sealed report No Available when you need one
Subsurface investigation Not performed Borings and laboratory testing as needed
Accepted for Real estate transactions Building departments, lenders, insurers, litigation

The usual sequence

An inspector or a property manager notices something, and refers it out. That referral is where we come in: not to repeat the survey, but to answer the one question it raised.

How an inspection actually happens

Most inspections are settled on the first visit. Some need a deeper look, and we'll tell you if yours does.

Why the seal matters

Four situations where an unsealed report simply won't be accepted.

Building departments

Permit review and change-of-use approvals require an engineering opinion, not an observation.

Insurance carriers

Claims involving structural cause are evaluated against a licensed Engineer's determination.

Lenders & buyers

Commercial due diligence on a known structural issue needs a professional assessment on file.

Boards & associations

Multi-family and association property decisions that need documentation supporting the spend.

Construction site with heavy machinery and workers near a sandy beachfront condominium building.

We go beyond the home inspection

A home inspection is a broad visual check for a real estate closing. It can flag a crack, a sloping floor, or a leaning seawall, but it cannot tell you what caused it or what to do about it. That is the gap we fill. An Engineer inspects the foundation, crawlspace, load-bearing walls, or retaining wall and seawall, finds the cause, and gives you specific engineering recommendations, with a sealed report if you need one.

Why Choose Bechtol?

3

Licensed Professional Engineers on staff

1989

Inspecting Florida structures since

Same firm

Drilling if the cause is below grade

Statewide

Coverage from DeLand

Inspection FAQ

What is an Engineer inspection report?

A written evaluation of a structure's condition, prepared and sealed by a licensed Professional Engineer when you need the findings in writing. Unlike a general inspection it carries an engineering opinion, which is what building departments, lenders and insurers require when a structural question is involved.

Do you perform home inspections?

We go further than a home inspection. A home inspector gives you a broad visual survey. When that survey raises a question about the foundation, crawlspace, load-bearing walls, or a retaining wall or seawall, an Engineer inspects it and gives you specific recommendations, with a sealed report if you need one. Keep your home inspector for the general walkthrough at closing.

Engineering inspection vs. home inspection: what's the difference?

A home inspection is a broad visual survey for a real estate transaction. An engineering inspection answers a specific structural or geotechnical question, is performed by a licensed PE, and can include a sealed report when you need one.

Why is there a depression in my parking lot?

Usually a failed utility line, decomposing buried debris, poorly compacted fill, or karst activity creating a void. Which one it is requires subsurface investigation. The repair is completely different in each case.

Can you evaluate a retention pond that isn't draining right?

Yes. Pond problems typically involve slope instability, seepage, sediment accumulation, or a permeability rate different from the design assumption. We evaluate the embankment and the subsurface and recommend how to restore performance or permit compliance.