Common scenario
Small Project Design
Planning a renovation or structural change to your house? We help homeowners turn small residential projects into clear, buildable plans. We evaluate the existing conditions, help determine what is structurally possible, and prepare the drawings and calculations needed for permitting and contractor pricing.
Small Projects Are Our Specialty
Many engineering firms are set up for larger commercial work and are not interested in smaller residential projects. Prairie River Engineering & Inspection focuses on the kinds of house projects that still need sound structural design, even if they are too small for a larger firm to take on.
We help define the structural work, size the required components, and prepare a clear design package so the building department and contractors are working from the same plan.
- 1
Start with an on-site consultation
We visit, look at the house, and talk through what you want to do. If a design package is the right move, we explain what it would cost and include before any design work begins.
- 2
We prepare the design package
We prepare structural drawings and supporting calculations specific to your house and project, giving the building department a clear design package to review.
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You take it to the building department
The design package is what you submit for the permit. If the reviewer has questions, we can respond so the approval stays on track.
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Contractors quote the same scope
With one design package, contractors are pricing the same scope of work. That makes it easier to compare bids and choose the direction that best fits your project.
The on-site consultation is where this starts. If a design package makes sense for your project, we quote it as a fixed fee before any design work begins, so you know the cost up front.
Projects We Design
Here are a few examples of the kinds of residential engineering projects we help with. If your project is not listed, it may still be a fit.
- 01
You want to remove a load-bearing wall and replace it with a properly designed beam and support system.
- 02
You are adding a room, porch, deck, garage, or other small addition and need the foundation and structural framing designed.
- 03
You are remodeling and want to add a skylight, create a vaulted ceiling, enlarge an opening, or make another structural change.
- 04
You are building or replacing a landscaping retaining wall and need a structural design suited to the site and project.
- 05
Do you have another type of project you are considering? If it affects the structure, ask us about it.
How Pricing Works
Start with a $300 on-site consultation. The consultation allows us to understand your project, review the existing conditions, discuss your goals, and collect the information needed to define the structural design scope.
If additional design work is needed, we will provide a separate fixed-fee quote for the structural design before that work begins.
On-Site Consultation
$300
Covers project scoping, existing-condition review, and information collection.
Structural Design
Quoted Separately
After the consultation, we provide a fixed-fee proposal based on the design work your project requires.
Have a Project in Mind?
Tell us what you want to do with the house. We will tell you what the design package needs to cover and where to go from there.