Design Everest is simply the best company to work with for any architectural work. I recently worked with this company for my project in Bay Area. It was an amazing experience. They expedited my plans & finished it well before the deadline. They made themselves available to me for any comments from the County. They explained the whole process very well from the beginning. Tushar was very responsive and professional. He helped push my projects with the structural team. I think I found the best architecture team for all my projects moving forward. I would highly recommend Design Everest to anyone. read more

This is the worst Engineering Design firm. They outsource their engineers from India. They are incapable of accomplishing the plans on time. Do not use this place. We are still waiting for our structural and civil plans for a new construction project, after paying them almost $20000. They promised it would take 3-4 weeks, it's been 4 months and we are still waiting. You can't speak with the engineers directly and have to go through an intermediary who lacks the basic knowledge about construction. They are completely incompetent and all of their positive reviews are fake! Do not use this company. You will get nothing but aggregations. read more

First time home owner that had no idea what I was doing with a structural engineering project. Design Everest made it very easy for me from start to finish. Definitely recommended! read more

I scheduled a foundation evaluation with them. Great communication through the process. I would use them again.

I'm just a regular person who wanted to build an ADU in the back of my house for additional income. A friend referred me to Design Everest Firm. My experience with them was really fantastic. Ronak was my project manager he kept me up-to-date with everything There was not one time I sent a text or an email that he was not on it. Lothain I don't know what else to say about him. This guy is an angel. I don't know much about Building a house. I keep changing my mind and the patient that they show towards me was extraordinary. I've been in customer service business for 20 years as a flight attendant. I work first class and coach, I'm telling you my experience was definitely first class. I thought they were going to treat me differently because I'm not building a multi million dollar house or business. I felt the respect and the treatment they gave me was as if I had a bigger project. I want to say thank you to them and I hope they get a lot of businesses because I'm very happy with the drawing and their dealing with me. read more

Very badly managed once you have signed a contract. Despite advertising that everything is inclusive they kept coming back to us with additional expenses. We regularly gave our feedback on the designs and asked for modifications, and we were never heard. They kept coming back to whatever they wanted to do. Wouldn't recommend. read more

I worked with Shiv (PM) and Samodh (Structural PE) on a project that involved the removal of a load bearing wall to create an open concept kitchen in our renovation. Shiv was a pleasure to work with and was able to speak to us on a regular basis and explain any technical issues/contractual obligations that were brought up. Samodh and Shiv even worked through the weekend to answer the city comments over the weekend to make sure we got our submissions in the shortest time possible. I would recommend Design Everest - Shiv and Samodh to anyone who is dealing with a structural project I would point out that in terms of cost they weren't the cheapest by any means among the quotes received but that is more of a Design Everest management decision rather than a reflection of the quality of service provided by the team. I personally feel it was quality product and it was good value for the cost. read more

I wish it didn't turn out like this. I hope that my project, which spanned multiple years, helps you make an informed decision. The irony is my project was not that complicated. I wanted to build a room within my large office. Basically a box within a box. To achieve this I needed architecture, structural and mechanical plans that Design Everest (DE) said they could service. Initially (pre-covid, circa 2019) I was impressed with DE due to their polished website and quick response to my inquiry. Also, the seemingly high rating (more on that later) led me to sign with them. It was basically immediately after signing that the project went downhill. After I signed, I learned that DE simply outsourced my project. The architect they brought on would leave the project for no reason. I had to give a tour to THREE architects before one finally stayed with the project. The one that finally worked on my project wasn't licensed so he could not stamp drawings. Surprisingly, they did not let me talk to directly to the licensed architect (they actually kept him HIDDEN from me). I had to investigate who was in charge. I looked into their office (again, precovid) and to my surprise, all of their addresses point to RESIDENTAL ADDRESSES. This 'large' company did not have one office that I could meet with them at. Getting a hold of them was a nightmare at every turn. Simple questions took days to weeks to get answered. Basically, my project manager was nothing more than a way for messages to slow down or grind to a halt. Drawings sat on desks for weeks at a time simply to be reviewed. They even drew the wooden joyce beams the wrong direction and the city made us stop work. This was after onsite visits and dozens of supplied photos. Fast forward and many many delays later, a relatively small change summarizes my experiences in a nutshell. I almost didn't want to make the change because I knew how painful my experience would be, and they did not disappoint. The update: Move a wall 10'. It took DE 3 weeks to send me a QUOTE, another 2 weeks to complete the drawing, and then another TWO WEEKs for the licensed architect to STAMP the drawing. To provide context, they billed me for 8 hours of work (which probably took 4 according to architects I know) yet this one process took TWO MONTHS. I honestly considered legal action for professional mismanagement and the lost business revenue due to their conduct. And, I have a whole other review about how they almost tanked my project due to the structural engineer they brought on to my project who wanted us to destroy tons of concrete to put in a wall. He said there was no other way. I found a way with another engineer. To summarize, selecting Design Everest was a stressful and unprofessional experience. At every turn, their significant delays from understaffing and professional mismanagement cost my business revenue. read more

I initially had second hand experience with Design Everest as they helped my parents/grandparents with an earthquake retrofit in San Francisco. To my understanding, the project went well, and so I ended up contracting with them for a larger, personal project, which consisted of an earthquake retrofit + remodel + attic addition. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, ambitions got out of hand, COVID-19 struck, and cost wise, I was in over my head.... Nonetheless, Design Everest did work with me on many iterations of our floorplans and RCP. I ended up backing down on some things we wanted to do (like the attic addition), but not to Design Everest's fault; they were able to show me the ripple effects of the changes I proposed, and ultimately there were too many to move forward and ignore on my part due to real construction costs. Although the scope changed throughout the project, the attic work was not originally included in the initial project scope, which did add extra cost that unfortunately was thrown away, but educational. There were some hiccups in communication, as it was mostly done through email with an occasional sync up call and a Zoom meeting. If anything, I think if we had more video conferences, the final plan set deliverable would have been done much faster. Ultimately, DE provides a great value for the cost, and I will use them again when the time comes. read more

Design Everest was my project's knight in shining armor. I was already in a "build to retire in" construction that went from 5 to 6 figures. I was stressed. I needed to provide my General Contractor with some additional, specific support. The Design Everest team was responsive, didn't shame me with engineering jargon, and did everything they said they would in the time frame specified; essentially holding my hand. There was no pressure-filled up-sell, I really appreciated that. I had such a good experience, it made me want to work for them, [but I already have a job I love!]. Thanks, DE- you've got a fan for life! Details: the project was in Marin County; a (J) adu inside a 1947 SFH. Good luck with YOUR project! P.S. Even if your project is small, Design Everest could be a good fit. Their peace-of-mind is reasonably priced. And I'm quite thrifty :) read more

We have put in a contingent offer for a house that has some issues, including a crack in the foundation, and I needed a structural report timely done. Design Everest has exceeded my expectations and delivered in a few days. I cannot thank them enough for the great quality of the service! The engineer that came onsite was extremely knowledgeable and experienced; I enjoyed learning from the expert what are things that the house needs. In my case, Design Everest provided great value for the cost. read more

I have been harrased and crank called for several days by Srijaya Adhikary because I asked her to give me some time to decide. When told no that's when the crank calls begin. read more

Their verbal inspection rates quoted were almost double two other quotes I got. It started at $700 and they seemed super eager to work with me and dropped it to $600. Still $200-300 more than other engineers charged. Very pushy sales tactics, felt like I was working with a car salesman. read more

Tried to get a pre purchase inspection done, was quoted at double what two other structural engineers quotes me at.. Didn't get a chance to actually try their service as I went with a more affordable option read more

Their full engineering set had to be scrapped and redone by another engineer. The foundation plan they designed would not work for the project according to the soils engineer and another structural engineer. These guys have no idea what they are doing. read more

I used Design Everest to get the measured drawings (as-builts) for an extensive re-model including site plan, floor plan, elevations and longitudinal sections. I had a very professional experience overall. Design Everest accommodated my site visit request the very next week (whereas other firms quoted a schedule 2+ months out). They sent a professional structural engineer team for measurements which made a lot of sense. The team quickly understood the structural/architectural aspects of our re-model and were able to incorporate those needs with the measurements/drawings. The finished drawings fully met the needs of our Architect. A few minor follow ups were promptly addressed. I found their price reasonable compared to some expensive outfits in the bay area. What really stood out was their superior attention to clients and their constant communication. My emails were responded promptly and my requests were addressed effectively. I would definitely go back to them in future. read more

They seem to have multiple listings on Yelp. Check them & read all the comments and visit the Better Business Bureau or BBB as well. I started with them in 2021 and still not done. They only contact you when they want payment and the "customer success team" is nothing but sales. After over a year and completely annihilating my project, they want to submit for permits as if the project is still a go. 1) Noone there is interested in your success. The sales person isn't either. 2) But let's start from the claim that the project manager is the difference. Mine did not contact me for any work or forward progress through any phases. I had to contact her. As we moved to when an invoice is issued, then you see a note from her. 3) They outsource to people that and many are not qualified architects or engineers. Most of which don't listen. You give them comments and in my case, my original written requirements, and they resubmit the same crooked-lined hand drawing 4) They don't care about your project and try to provide you with anything to get payment. If you have never seen plans, go on eBay or online to a company that sells housing plans to get a feel of what you should expect. I kept receiving childlike drawings without any scale for room sizes on printer paper. They are the DE "schematic" and they want to charge thousands for it. One architect was good. Most did not listen to incorporate any of my requests. When I gave feed back (even my own drawing), they just give back the same hand drawing. 5) They subcontract and the DE team does not followup with them to ensure progress or that they are doing work satisfactorily let alone good work. Zero project management which they like to brag "is the difference". 6) When over a year has passed, they seem to think they can submit for a permit. They killed the project months ago because of they stopped working on my plans. When addition architectural and engineering designs takes over a year, that company isn't working on it. 7) NOT WORTH the price they quote you. I think the final invoice is also submit for a permit. For me, never mind. Just give the plans to date. I must repeat that their lack of project management and consistency of work will kill your project & most likely eat of thousands of dollars. If you secured a builder, they will drop you or significantly charge you to be retained (as they lose work) because they take sooooo very long. They should be ok to leave me with what plans have been done to date and part ways. I would not work with anyone they suggest for any addition I needed to build. Their SEVERE delays, lack of communication (unless they are issuing an invoice) and no real project management over their subcontracted gig workers will cost you thousands and increase the timeline of your project exponentially. read more

Design Everest helped us with structural engineering for a seismic retrofit. Overall, we give Aakash and Design Everest an excellent review. A couple of cons (explained below) were outweighed by the pros. We can't give a 4.5 so I'll just round to a 5. Pros: * Aakash is incredibly available and knowledgeable. He's seen a ton of projects and has many points of reference for engineering work around the bay area. * Aakash responds quickly to give expert advice and guidance, over email, phone, text, you name it. Was even able to connect outside of the typical 9-5 when that was necessary. * Their prices are more affordable than other standalone engineering shops. (Also see detail below in Cons) * Design Everest was available to start working with us right away -- a welcome change to other structural engineering firms that wouldn't be available for months if they returned a phone call or email at all. * The city had essentially zero issues with the plans they drew up. It was a solid set of structural engineering plans produced at a very high quality. We had several contractors review them in the bid process and they all commented on what a nice set of plans it was. I don't think we got dinged by the city for a single structural issue in their plans. * They helped us with some really edge case situations pertaining to revisions and our hassles dealing with our terrible contractor who was doing the build. * The final engineer, Matt, who was assigned to signing off on all of our revisions and checkpoints with the city was a dream come true. Helpful, courteous, informative, kind, truly willing to go the extra mile, and a true advocate for us when our contractor was trying to take advantage of us. He took the time to explain what proper procedure should be and helped us know what to look out for. Cons: * Shams did our inspection and he was helpful and informative. But he's not the same engineer who did the drawings. It seemed like another engineer did our drawings and then yet another engineer served as the engineer of record. This resulted in a bit of confusion on our part when we, our contractor, or the city had questions. The line of communication was not always clear. We wish there was more transparency and continuation in the engineer-client relationship. * We wish they'd explained more about the plans to help us understand them at the beginning. For example, there were several support posts and a door opening that were placed at rather inconvenient locations. If we'd gotten a clear explanation of that in the initial draft stage, we could have avoided costly revisions later down the road when we needed those things changed. * The price for the initial set of plans was very reasonable -- but the price for individual revisions and minor changes down the road were high in comparison. That was a bit confusing or frustrating at times. I share the cons mostly to help the business understand any area for improvement. I still wholeheartedly recommend this business. read more

I used Design Everest to prepare plans for removal of my home's chimney so I could free up the space. This is a small project of course. Some other firms weren't interested in handling it but Jessica and Raj at Design Everest were happy to help. Marcus is a great engineer who came out promptly to inspect the property, was happy to answer all my questions and put together a thorough package for the city. He also gave me helpful feedback on other aspects of my home's structure related to future modifications. All in all a great experience with a company that wanted to be helpful and make the process easy for me. read more

I am a first time homeowner, needed some extra living space and planned to build an addition to my home in the back. I was worried a bit worried about the project and wanted somebody to get this through all the way with the submission to the city. I contacted multiple design/architect houses for the quotes. DE quote was among the highest of the quotes, however, I was floored by the professional behavior (Jessica), completely transparent pricing structure, and strong commitment of design submission to the city in the contract. After signing the contract, I was a bit worried that how would a big company like DE would handle my project. However, they assigned the PM Shiv very soon on this project. Shiv was definitely a pleasure to work with. He was very responsive, and professional. At the start, he clearly explained the steps in the project and set the expectations with clear milestones in terms of weeks with some buffer. He spoke to us quite frequently at every stage of the project (measurements, architecture, truss calc, design calc, Title 24, city submission, etc), and any potential slip ups in the schedule due to multiple revisions (a lot of cosmetics changes) as requested by my wife. The city send us back the design with multiple comments for change, and some cosmetic and formatting related. Shiv made me feel at ease, and worked with the architect on the project and resubmitted the docs within 2- 2.5 weeks every time. That was really commendable. Even after the permit was issued, Shiv helped me promptly with some of the questions from the contractor on the inspections. I would definitely recommend Design Everest, and especially Shiv as PM to anyone who is planning on a structural design project. Shiv (and DE) would just make it extremely professional and hassle free. read more

I had a great experience working with Shiv and Jess. They were quick to respond to my emails. The final plans that were drawn for my kitchen and bathroom were great. read more

This is the review for Brittany - PM who was consulting me. I contacted them about creaky floors I have in my condos and at first I received a proposal for their engineer to come and check my upstairs neighbor floors and write a report (the cost is ~$900). I asked Brittany to give me more details about work to be done during the evaluation, so I can schedule time with my HOA and my neighbors. She contacted their engineer and then got back to me saying that I might need a contractor to come and check the floors first, described what would be done by a contractor and maybe that would be enough to fix the issue without spending more money than needed. I appreciate their professionalism and being pro-active about checking best options for their customers. And also what getting beck to me quickly. Great customer service! read more

Design Everest was amazing. I found them through searching on the web. Glad I did because I needed a engineer to come look at a house I was in escrow with. I needed the foundation checked out - they sent Marcus out and he explained everything with pictures he drew on a piece of paper to help me understand the situation. I had the review and evaluation back to me the same day which was a huge plus because I needed it for the closing in buying the home. I'm going to use this company to remodel my new home- I also like the people I talk to over the phone when I call. It's a great experience and I look forward to the future in working with them. Thank you Design Everest. read more

Used them a couple of times in the past, and more recently had a really negative experience with them. Had a really simple project of opening a hole in the wall. I've agreed to pay $900 for a report describing feasibility of the project, and sent them house design and photos of the structures. An engineer came by completely unprepared (no metric tape, he hadnt seen the materials i had sent etc). He left after 15mins saying he would send a proposal on how to do shoring. I got a report 2 days after with 2 simple drawings. The most frustrating part is that they completely ignored my repeated attempts to get the engineer contact to clarify some elements of the proposal. Everything was funneled by the sales person who was basically ignoring me. I basically paid $900 for 2 drawings that really did not help me, and w/out any option to contact the engineer. read more

Absolutely horrible experience. I was quoted 8-10 weeks to complete my project. It's now week 16 and I'm being told it will take another 4 weeks. This is after being told several times we should be finished in 2-3 weeks. Design Everest is a scam. Stay away! read more

I contacted Design Everest to perform a structural and foundation assessment of a home that I was in contract to purchase. I worked with Josh to coordinate the appointment, payment, and delivery of the engineering reports. He was professional and quick to answer any questions or any changes with the appointment schedule. The engineer that performed the inspection was Shams. He was early to the appointment, professional and friendly. He had no problem with me walking around with him or crawling in the crawl space with him and he explained EVERYTHING! Not only did he give me an incredibly detailed report, but it was worth every penny to understand that the structure of my home (built into a hillside) was in excellent structural condition with some minor maintenance related issues. Thank you Shams for giving me the peace of mind needed when buying my home for my family. read more

I wanted to see if my house would require any retrofitting and started looking online and found Design Everest. They initially wanted to visit my house to assess the current condition and to judge the level of retrofitting required. An engineer visited my house to look at the foundation and current state of the house. He made me understand what would be required to completely retrofit the house. They came back with a quote to do the engineering for the retrofit and also they credited back the amount they charged for the engineering visit! Everything went very smoothly and they were very open with communicating the progress and they completed their work on time and city engineers also passed the design without many comments. I am very happy to have found them and I would recommend them to all. read more

Excellent and professional company. I highly recommend them. Megan Malone was the best. She was friendly yet professional. She was very very helpful because she was extremely knowledgeable and experienced. She provided valuable analysis of a rejected plan and immediately provided options for satisfying code requirements. More importantly, she was helpful in determining solutions to a water leak problem. read more

I have for years wanted to convert my barn into ADU in back of my house. I never could find anyone in my small town who could design it. My contractor referred me to Design Everest. Design Everest, Mayank Sharan and his team could have not been more professional, thorough, and patient. They helped me create the design and submitted it to the planning and building department. We had many set backs due to it was a barn conversion near the San Andreas Fault line. Maynak and his team never got frustrated and showed perseverance. I highly recommend Design Everest. When it is done. I will post photos. read more

This firm basically contracts out projects to subs. I had a project to rebuild an elevated deck. The first DE engineer hand drew a drawing on a piece of paper, which in turn was laughed out of The Planning Department. Later, that person was described a having "problems," and a new engineer was assigned. However the new engineer did not make a site visit prior to doing drawings. I received a permit, construction took a year, and two building inspections went smoothly. It all seemed fine, until a neighbor went to the Planning Department to demand that the entire structure be torn down. Unbeknownst to me, it encroached a very small amount into a setback. OK, the neighbor is a litigious nut, and it wasn't his setback. However, the City backed him because the permit application was flawed to begin with. Thousands of dollars were spend on legal and architectural fees were spent on something that was totally available. Do not use this firm. read more

I would like to thank Design Everest and Dan Naum on a job well done. I called Design Everest to inspect my townhouse because I was having problems with the HOA. When Dan arrived to my residence, the first thing he did was ask what was my issues and what I wanted from him. I explained my situation and Dan took it from there. He did a thorough job and explained what his findings where. Once again great job from Design Everest and especially Dan Naum. read more

I checked yelp for structural engineers and landed on Design Everest. My goal was to understand what kind of weight my roof deck could support as I was planning to add plants and furniture there. Unfortunately I didn't have the specs to my roof or deck and I mentioned this fact to Design Everest before signing the contract. I asked several times if my lack of specs would make having a consultation not useful. They pressed to have a $800 consultation anyway. I signed the contract and they sent out their engineer for the consultation. Not surprisingly, the lack of specs made the visit not useful and I ended up paying $800 to learn nothing other than I needed the specs - something that I assumed previously and even mentioned before signing the contract. While I did sign the contract, I am negatively reviewing this business because they mislead me by assuming that I could learn something concrete without actually having the specs for my deck and roof. read more

We used Design Everest to run a Feasibility Study to determine if we could perform a lot split and build on an existing property in Contra Costa Country. The report that they generated was very thorough and professional, which also included the forms that we may need to submit to the county as the next step(s). Ishita and Yonas provided exceptional services. Not only were they able to answer all of our questions, but they also provided a lot of valuable tips which we really appreciated. We hope that our plans are preliminarily approved so that we can have the opportunity to work with them again. read more

We needed a really quick turn around on a engineering inspection for our new home. The team at Design Everest were really responsive, the cost was reasonable and the engineer who came out couldn't have been more helpful! I would definitely use them again and recommend them without hesitation. read more

Too much berocracy, process is too vague and cryptic to understand.. They just have too many folks... So much confusion on what they committed and will give... Charged me very high price and gave me some useless documents... And then suggesting to pay more to get the actual work that I wanted.. read more

Terrible experience with Aakash and design Everest. He's a salesman, then throws the job to his underlings and chimes back in when money is involved. We signed a proposal for structural plans. When engineers had to come back for a second site visit because they were unable to get accurate information from the first visit he tried to charge us an additional $895, misrepresenting the contract terms (which included a provision for a site visit during construction if requested at $895 with a written report or $695 without a written report). He tried to Bill us $895 for this additional visit and then offered to do it for 695 as if he was providing some generous offer. Very shady. I'd recommend finding a quality engineer somewhere else that's more focused on the engineering and less on the business development read more

Great service and excellent scheduling! I had to get a structural inspection on a time crunch and Josh Krumm helped me get everything scheduled in a matter of minutes for a next day appointment. The inspector did arrive a little late due to traffic, but that was understandable. He went over so many details with me and even sketched out recommended work for me to see exactly what he was recommending for seismic updates to my property. I got the report the same afternoon and can't say enough great things about their promptness! read more

Design Everest is a great firm to work with. The communication was easy, smooth and responsible. As one of the design consultants, the coordination is professional, and the entire team is open for any discussion and design improvement to make the successful project. It is a wonderful team to work with. read more

I contacted Design Everest for a remodel of my house. I wanted to take down the wall between the kitchen and the living room to have an open kitchen. They sent an engineer to look at the wall between the kitchen and the living room to determine if it is a load bearing wall. Since we live in a condo the engineer looked into the plans and further looking at the actual wall determined that it is a load bearing wall. They prepared an architecture plan for the house and they answered all of our questions regarding the remodeled spaces and only after we gave them the green light they went ahead with the engineering. It was a very smooth process, they contacted us explained the processes to us and asked for approval for every step of the way. We are completely satisfied with them as a truly professional firm. They also recommended a contractor to work on our home remodeling. read more

I recommend Design Everest to all that are looking to make changes to their homes or building. It is a one stop shop company. They are an honest company that genuinely want to help you achieve your goal. They even send a helpful video at the beginning, which was super helpful because it was our first-time making additions and remodeling our home. Don O was our architect, and he was very professional, observant, and provided very helpful suggestions. He knew exactly what we wanted and was able to create a plan that is both economical and efficient as well, as we will be doing most of the work ourselves. Tushar was our project manager, and he was very friendly and understanding. We a delay due to receiving conflicting messages from the city, however, Design Everest was very understanding and took care of the situation. They are very accommodating and professional. My husband is in commercial construction, and he is very impressed with Design Everest. I am recommending Design Everest to all my friends and family! read more