Ballpark Engineering

09/01/2026

Thinking about adding an ADU in Utah? Here's what surprises most homeowners: it needs a licensed structural engineer, nearly every time. 🏡

ADUs feel like a "small" project, but in Utah, nearly every one: detached, attached, or basement, needs PE-stamped structural drawings to get a permit. Between the building code, our seismic risk, and snow loads, plan checkers almost always ask for them.

Why? A plan checker won't approve it without a foundation plan, a framing plan, a lateral (wind + seismic) system, and the part people miss: snow loads matched to your city. The same ADU that flies in St. George won't pass in Park City, where snow loads are several times higher.

Skip the engineering and you're looking at a rejected permit, or worse, a unit that isn't built for where it actually sits.

The good news: it's one of the more straightforward things an engineer handles a site visit, the right foundation for your soil, and a stamped set your city will approve.

📌 Save this if an ADU's on your list and tag someone eyeing a backyard build.

08/11/2026

Big congrats to Onyx Design Collective!

Named Best Home & Interior Designer in Northern Utah for the second year in a row! 👏

Beautiful design and solid structure are a team effort, and we're lucky to work alongside people who care about getting it right as much as we do. Northern Utah homeowners are in good hands.

Cheers to the whole Onyx team - well earned. 🏡

We’re honored to be named Best Home & Interior designer in Northern Utah for the second year in a row!

We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who voted and continues to support the work we do at Onyx Design Collective.

A big thank you to our clients, builders, consultants, and everyone who has been a part of these projects with us. We’re excited for what’s ahead!

08/11/2026

Not every crack in your foundation is bad news, but some are talking to you. 🧱

The quick read most homeowners don't know:
• Thin, vertical hairline cracks? Usually just concrete curing or minor settling, cosmetic.
• Horizontal cracks, or stair-step cracks running through the brick or block? That's the one to take seriously, it can signal pressure or movement the foundation isn't handling.

Add doors that won't close, sloped floors, or a crack that keeps growing, and it's time for a licensed structural engineer to measure whether it's active or stable — before you buy, sell, or panic.

Most turn out fine. But you want to know, not guess.

📌 Save this for the next crack you spot — and tag someone house-hunting.

07/30/2026

From the Dugout: nothing means more than hearing it from the people we build with. ⚾️

KP, a local architect we've teamed up with on project after project, put it simply, a solid team that helps move projects forward. That's exactly what we're after.

To every architect, contractor, and owner who trusts us to be part of your work: thank you. We're just getting warmed up. 🤝

Thinking about a project? DM us or book a consult - link in comments.

07/30/2026

Your contractor says the wall's fine to take out. Legally, he can't be the one to make that call. 🔨

Removing a load-bearing wall is a structural change - and in most Utah cities, the permit needs PE-stamped drawings. A general contractor, however good, can't provide that stamp. Only a licensed structural engineer can.

Skip it and the load doesn't disappear - it finds a new path through your drywall, your floors, sometimes your foundation. That's the cracked corner and the sagging ceiling nobody planned for.

The fix is simple: a licensed engineer sizes the right beam and gives you the PE-stamped drawings your city requires — before a single swing. Cheap insurance against a very expensive mistake.

📌 Save this before your next reno - and tag the contractor who needs to see it.

07/28/2026

Not sure if that wall is load-bearing? There's a 30-second test you can do before you call anyone - no tools, no demo. 🔨

Most people find out the hard way: the wall's already open, the floor starts to sag, and a weekend project becomes a five-figure fix. A wall carrying a second floor, attic, or roof span can't just come out - the load has to go somewhere, and getting it wrong shows up in your drywall, your floors, sometimes your foundation.

Good news: you can usually tell in about 30 seconds using one thing you already have in your house.

👉 Comment WALL and we'll DM you the 30-second test, plus what most Utah building departments require before that wall comes out.

📌 Save this for your next reno.

07/23/2026

Ballpark Engineering doesn't run without this team.

This week we got together in Columbus, Ohio with some of the people who make this place work, in the same spot for a few days.

Ballpark wouldn't be Ballpark without them.

Who makes your team go? Tag them below. 👇

07/22/2026

Just because a listing calls it a "bedroom" doesn't mean the code does, especially in the basement.

Most areas require a true egress opening in basement bedrooms: big enough for a person (and often a firefighter in gear) to get through, plus a properly sized window well and, if needed, a ladder.

Treat questionable basement rooms as "bonus space" until you've confirmed egress with your agent, local codes, and, if needed, a structural or design pro. Otherwise you're paying "5-bedroom money" for what's really a 4-bedroom house.

Buying with a partner or agent? Tag them so you both know what to look for before the offer.

Full breakdown here 👇

07/17/2026

Sometimes the rule just makes no sense 🥎

A client had to remove drywall from their floor joists to fix a plumbing issue. To put the SAME drywall back - same sheets, same joists - the city required a certification from an engineer that it was okay. That delayed the project a week and cost them more money. To put things back exactly as they were.

We’re not knocking inspectors - codes exist for real reasons. But red tape is real, and a week’s delay when rainy seasons coming can put a foundation at risk.

That’s the job: we know what a city will flag before you submit - and we turn these around fast.

Now your turn: what’s the most ridiculous thing a city’s ever made YOU redo? Drop it below 👇 and tag the contractor who’s lived it. tape

07/15/2026

Need PE-stamped drawings this week? Express turnaround runs 3–7 days. 🥎

What makes it fast? A complete plan set. Most permit delays aren't engineering delays — they're missing sheets. Come in with clean plans and the stamp moves quick.

Express: 3–7 days (from $450)

Standard residential: 2–3 weeks from a complete submission

On a deadline? Save this + tap the link in the comments.