San Mina Engineering

Where do I start? This review is long overdue, but I wanted good "after pictures" to show the finished product. I found SME Engineering on Yelp during a long arduous "to the studs" remodel on our second home in Palm Springs. On this particular project, we wanted to basically blow out two whole walls along the back of our house and put in all sliders to create that open indoor-outdoor vacation vibe to our covered patio and pool area.

This wasn't going to be an easy job to retrofit an older house with this new concept. I scoured Yelp for a structural engineer that was competent and still provided good value for the services rendered. After speaking with a few companies, I chose Amgad at SME due to his extremely responsive nature, the reviews from his former customers, he fit in our budget, and he was willing to help us find a General Contractor for the actual work (which was near impossible during all the covid remodels).

Throughout the process, Amgad was cheery, helpful, insightful, and responsive to my every request. I had never worked with a structural engineer before, but Amgad made the process simple for me. In the middle of the construction, I would have nightmares that the house would collapse while the supports were holding the house up. Despite every assurance being made to me that the process that was being taken was secure and stable, I remained nervous (that is just my nature). BUT what I came to find out towards the end of the project (from comments from the GC, the inspectors, and others in the trade), Amgad was very conservative with his approach to ensure safety if there was ever an earthquake, etc.

The footings were placed 10 ft down because of the type of soil/sand that PS is built on and the weight of our tiled roof. Everyone I spoke to was blown away at how he took every precaution and now I feel very comfortable that nothing will happen to our new structure under any circumstances. Amgad was great ALL-AROUND to work with, but the qualities I appreciate most from him are his competency, his ability to get back to me almost immediately whenever I needed to ask him something, and his availability to be a continued resource to the GC who did the work (that he helped me secure) without charging extra to ensure that his plans were followed exactly. Again, I was thrilled during and after working with Amgad and so I am more than happy to answer any questions you might have and I also have TONS of pictures throughout the process I am happy to show anyone if you want to private message me. Thanks, Amgad!

We had a great experience with San Mina. They were in my area when I called, so they offered to come do an inspection same day for $100 discount! Also, they discount the inspection fee if you hire them. Very professional and thorough. They got the report to me in a few days, whereas another company did not send theirs for a few weeks. I would definitely recommend San Mina Engineering!

Communicated promptly via e-mail. Came out the next day and did a visual soil assessment. He sent the report a day later. I paid via Zelle. Emad was very knowledgeable and friendly. He answered all our questions and gave us honest advice.

Emad responded to my request for inspection and was able to come out on short notice. Very respectful, knowledgeable, and professional. He identified problems with the foundation and even noticed areas where the seller attempted to repair those issues. I ended up backing out of the purchase, and saving myself tons of headaches thanks to his insight.

They did amazing! They even submitted another set of plans/calculations to the city when requested! Def worth every penny!

I highly recommend Amgad and Emad for a structural and/or geo inspection. We had them come and do structural finding summary for a house purchase. Their inspection finding is affordable and fair. Their are attentive to detail, provide a report and photos. I was on a time crunch because of escrow and I appreciate how quickly they were able to get to the home site and turn the report around!

We had a great experience with Amgad. In the process of buying our first home, he was probably the most patient and communicative of the many different specialists with whom we dealt. These past few weeks we were in escrow on a beautiful, but structurally suspect 1928-built home in Floral Park, Santa Ana. Our general inspector was not able to assess the severity of the foundation issue and we are glad we decided to have Amgad conduct an inspection.

He did a very thorough structural inspection and measured all the floors and documented every crack and evidence of strain in the home and helped us realize the exact cause of the significant sloping floor issues (a poorly constructed roof drainage system). He also helped us realize that the repairs would be too costly for what the seller was willing to give us in credits--we narrowly dodged a bullet, thanks to him.

We felt 100% confident about our decision because of his assessment and are so relieved we decided to call in someone we really trusted to help us make such an important decision. Worth every penny.

Quick and on time to assess structural concerns before purchasing a flipped property. I felt reassured by Amgad's inspection and advice. His fee was $400 which seemed to be the going rate.

I have had an extremely pleasant and professional experience with the two partners of the firm. I was in a time crunch for my inspection contingency window and they were very prompt in response via email for two days and willing to accommodate to help me meet my deadline. Although I did not use their services, I am very happy to recommend them based on their professionalism and willingness to help potential clients. Please consider speaking with Emad and his team!

I found Amgad thanks to Yelp. I contacted him and he promptly emailed and communicated with me over a weekend. I was in escrow and desperately needed a structural engineering survey since the property was on a hillside. I was under a tight contingency deadline and within a few days he was out at the property. His pricing on the survey was very reasonable.

Thanks to his expertise he was able to show me the foundation issues on the property during his inspection. He detailed his findings in his survey report along with pictures. Thanks to him I was able to still buy the property but was able to get the seller to pay for the repairs. He saved me alot of headaches and money. Thanks for your help Amgad. I look forward to working with you again in the near future!

As a realtor who represents both sellers and buyers, having a reliable, well-qualified structural engineering resource is critical for me. All too often, I am asked to advise clients on non-permitted remodels and additions when an expert's opinion is essential. Amgad has been my hands-down excellent resource for all of my structural engineering needs; he is quick to respond, detail-oriented and an excellent communicator, easily explaining the engineering details in a way my clients can understand.

On top of it all, he truly tries his best to provide solutions when possible, and not only point out problems. I would never consider using anyone else but Amgad and San Mina Engineering, and I strongly recommend them every chance I get!

Great company. Amgad helped me figure out the best design I could do for my home to add a room. He helped give me tips for staying within budget and now I have expanded the living area as well as added a room! Never thought this would all be possible.

We had a great experience working with Emad, who was prompt, professional, and provided great feedback on our concerns, as well as followups on questions afterward. I highly recommend them!

Great experience working with San Mina Engineering on my deck remodel project. They were knowledgeable and professional, and I was very happy with the plans they developed. They also showed great persistence working with city staff on permit approvals.

This company is the best when it comes to structural and soil reports they are very honest, straightforward, very knowledgeable and excellent on time. Amgad and Emad treated us like a family i'm definitely using them on my next project.

Need structural inspection or planning? Amgad is your man! I requested his services and he came out same day. He's very knowledgeable, thorough, and patient. He explained everything to me and made alot of sense. He was able to give me confidence in the property I was buying. Thank you Amgad!

It needed a structural check on a property. I only had a few days left to get this complete. Amgad was able to come out on a Sunday to get this done for me. He was very professional and informative. I can see why he gets all these good reviews on Yelp. Use him!

Great customer service and very professional, Amgad and Emad are one of the most Knowledgeable engineering you will find. They do an amazing work and very affordable they are very friendly and helpful. I highly recommend San Mina engineering

These guys are great. Reasonable costs and very knowledgeable. Won't try to sell you services you don't need. Amgad is a great guy to work with. Very professional. A+++

I called four other companies for a soil test/compact test for a retaining wall in building. I wasn't sure what the cost was but all companies were quoting $1000-2000. However Emad was the only one who informed me that I probably don't need any of these tests. After he talked to my engineer on a three way phone call we all thought we didn't need one done. I confirmed with the city and he was right. Saved us unnecessary reports and money. Good looking out!

San Mina engineering did structural design for a small remodeling in my house in San Diego. Their work was professional, fast, and exceeded my expectations. I would definitely recommend them to anyone in need of structural design for their projects!

We found our dream home in Riverside and were devastated when we found out the highlight of the home--the french doors opening out onto our view and back decks--had serious structural issues. Fortunately, after reading the stellar reviews for San Mina Engineering on Yelp, we called Amgad Benjamin and are forever grateful we did. Amgad was always there to receive our calls or respond to emails or texts, and helped us understand the underlying problem behind the issue and how to address it in the most economical, yet structurally sound way.

I will try to attach photos to this review so that you can see the before and after, which speaks for itself. Do not hesitate to use Amgad and his associates at San Mina--they are truly a Godsend in the midst of the chaos that is home renovation.

I needed a structural inspection due to a garage beam issue and roof facia concerns called out by a home inspector for close of escrow. Amgad Benjamin, structural engineer, was able to come out the next day to inspect and give recommendations on how to properly repair garage beam. This helps the contractor because it is precise as to what needs to be done. Roof facia was ok as is. Amgad's prompt service helps immensely so we meet deadlines of escrow. Thanks Amgad! Eric

Amgad and Emad have worked on the soils and structural engineering on my project. They are both extremely competent and helpful in terms of value engineering a project. They definitely made the painful process of getting plans approved by the city of Newport Beach easier. I would not hesitate to refer to any of my family and friends. Thanks guys for all your help!

I had a house remodel project which involved removal of an interior wall and replacement of a large sliding door on another exterior wall. I wanted an independent Engineer to advise me on the project and to provide oversight of my contractor. Amgad and his team were exceptional to work with from start to finish. They surveyed the project, made adjustments to the plans as the city requested during the permitting process, inspected the project while in process, and made changes to the plans to accommodate the city inspector. They made the process seamless. Patrick

After seeing cracks in the ceiling and walls of my home, I hired Amgad to inspect for structural damage. Amgad arrived on time, was extremely knowledgeable and patiently answered all of the concerned questions that we had. His assessment was dead on (we had structural problems - Needed new beam/ footer for load bearing posts) and we decided to have Amgad draft plans to fix the structural issues in our home.

Throughout the renovation, Amgad and his team were punctual, met all deadlines, provided support to both the city inspectors and our general contractor (Tee neighbors - who was great as well), and remained available throughout the entirety of the project. Even after the project was complete, Amgad reached out to us just to make sure we were satisfied. I've used other local engineering firms for previous projects and none can match the price, quality of service, and professionalism of SME. Highly recommended.

I have nothing but good things to say about this company, where everyone else fell short of the mark this company stepped up to the plate and handled business. Other companies told me it was going to be 4 months to get plans drawn up for my project and I did not have that kind of time, so I called San Mina engineering and they were able to come out right away and get everything done within a month. They came through when I needed them and I would recommend them to anyone.