Bel Air, Los Angeles County
Foundation Repair, Decks and Additions in Bel Air
Settlement checks, underpinning and deck ledger work in Bel Air, starting with crack and floor level readings and filed with LADBS for plan check.
A crack gauge and a digital level are the tools we carry in at the start of a Bel Air visit, because the opening question is whether the house has moved. We trace the foundation line, read cracks in walls and exterior flatwork, follow each downspout to where it empties, and ask for any old plans. The answers decide whether new work can lean on the existing structure or needs support of its own.
Telling shrinkage from settlement
Fine plaster cracks are often shrinkage. A widening diagonal crack off a window corner, a door that binds, or a floor that tips toward one side points to movement below. We record crack widths, then shoot floor levels across every room. When the readings show settlement, a geotechnical engineer drills borings to learn what the footings bear on. Repairs range from helical or drilled piers under the old footing to a new grade beam, along with drainage work that keeps the soil from softening. Each repair is drawn and stamped for LADBS.
Hanging a deck on an existing wall
A new deck or balcony depends on the framing it fastens to. We open the cladding at the ledger line to see the rim joist and the sill. Sound framing takes through-bolts and lateral tension ties. Rot or an undersized rim means replacement, or the deck stands free on its own beam and posts. Bel Air includes parcels on mapped fire hazard maps, and on those the decking, fascia and underside follow ember rules. Projects in Brentwood, Sherman Oaks and Studio City run through the same city plan check and the same inspections.
Work we take on in Bel Air
Each service is planned around the lot, sloped or level.
Building in Bel Air?
Send the address and the job, and a builder will arrange a visit to read the lot.