Ballpark Engineering

10/01/2026

How do you know it's going to turn out?

You don't. Not from a floor plan. Most people are staring at lines on paper, trying to picture a house they will live in for decades.

So we printed it.

This month's Home Run Hitter is a custom home in Morgan, Utah. 6,435 square feet of living space, under 6,556 square feet of roof. More roof than house, which tells you where the engineering went.

Before anything was framed, there was a model of it at scale, sitting on a desk. Same massing, same rooflines, same house.

And behind the shape, the part nobody sees. Designed for 45 pounds of snow per square foot. 82 where it drifts against the taller roof. 103 mile per hour wind.

That is what "it's going to turn out" actually means.

Building this year? What's the hardest part of picturing it before it exists? 👇

09/29/2026

Your roof has a number. Do you know it?

Every engineered roof in Utah is designed for a specific snow load, measured in pounds per square foot. On the custom home we're featuring this month, that number is 45 psf, and 82 where snow drifts against a taller roof section.

That number is why your roof holds in February.

It is also why two common winter habits are riskier than they look:

▪️ Shoveling snow off an upper roof onto a lower one. You just concentrated the load somewhere it was not planned for.
▪️ Assuming a covered patio, carport, or addition was designed to the same standard as the house. Often nobody ran the number at all.

If your home is older, or somebody built on without engineering, that number may never have been calculated.

Save this before the first storm. Planning an addition? DM us.

09/22/2026

Don't replace your gutters before the adjuster sees them.

Hail leaves dents in soft metal: gutters, downspouts, roof vents, and the fins on your AC unit. Those dents are how hail size gets established after the fact.

Shingles are arguable. An adjuster can look at bruising and write "cosmetic." A downspout dimpled by golf balls is a lot harder to argue with.

So before anyone starts hauling things to the curb:

▪️ Photograph the gutters, vents, and AC fins
▪️ Photograph the roof and the attic if you can get there safely
▪️ Then tarp, if you need to stop water

Clean up after the damage is documented, not before.

Save this one for storm season. What's a roofer call and what's an engineer call: link in bio.

09/15/2026

You don't need a foundation inspection every year. But there are a handful of moments where skipping one can cost you. 🏠

Get your foundation looked at when:

New cracks, gaps, or sticking doors and windows show up
You're planning a renovation that touches structure
You're buying or selling (before the deal, not after)
After an earthquake or flooding
It's simply been a while (every 3 to 5 years is a good rhythm)

A licensed structural engineer can tell you whether what you're seeing is cosmetic or something actually moving, before it becomes a bigger fix.

📌 Save this so you know when to call.

09/14/2026

Quick scheduling update: we're booked out. 📅

Demand's been high lately, and we're grateful for every project you've trusted us with. Site-visit availability is tight over the next two weeks, and the week of Sept 22 is fully booked.

Got an urgent structural need? Don't sit on it. Message us directly and we'll do everything we can to fit you in around that stretch. We can't promise same-week, but when it's urgent, we'll always try to make it work.

Not urgent? Now's a great time to reach out and get on the calendar so you're first up when it opens back up. ⚾️

📩 Send us a message and let's talk timing.

09/03/2026

From the Dugout: our favorite kind of review. ⭐️⚾️

A general contractor we partner with said it better than we could. The gist: great engineering is the baseline. What actually keeps a project moving is how the contractor, client, and engineer work together.

That's the whole game for us. Thank you for the trust. 🤝

Got a project that needs a steady engineering partner? Let's talk.


Vantage Builders

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.