Structural Engineer Orlando, FL | HB Design and Engineering
Structural Engineering in Orlando, FL
HB Design and Engineering does PE-sealed structural engineering in Orlando, for homeowners, builders, and developers. We design and seal your plans and keep your project moving through permitting.
Structural Analysis for Orlando's Sinkhole Geology and Diverse Building Types
HB Design and Engineering provides structural engineering across Orlando and the rest of Orange County, with PE-stamped drawings, structural calculations, and sign-and-seal work for general contractors, developers, and homeowners. We know how the City of Orlando Permitting Services Division reads a structural package, what the plan reviewers flag, and how to submit a set that comes back approved instead of coming back with comments. That difference is days, sometimes weeks, on your schedule.
We work projects across the city, from townhome and infill builds in Mills 50 and SoDo to additions in Baldwin Park and Audubon Park to commercial frames near the Packing District and Lake Nona. Each of those areas carries its own structural reality. Orlando sits on sandy uplands and poorly drained flatwoods over karst limestone, with a seasonally high water table, so foundation design here is not a copy-paste from a coastal job. We size the structure to the actual soil report and the actual wind load, not a generic template.
Orlando is not in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, but Orange County still requires design wind speeds in the range of 130 to 140 mph under ASCE 7-22 and the Florida Building Code 8th Edition. Our structural drawings carry the wind load calculations, the load path from roof to foundation, and the connection details that an Orlando reviewer expects to see called out, so the engineer of record questions are answered before anyone asks them.
Structural Engineering for Orlando Builders and Developers
PE-stamped plans built to pass Orlando review
Every set leaves our office sealed by a Florida-licensed professional engineer, with structural calculations attached and organized the way the City of Orlando Permitting Services Division wants to see them. When you are coordinating subs on a tenant build-out near downtown, you cannot afford a structural rejection that resets the whole schedule.
Wind load and load path engineered to ASCE 7-22
We run the wind load analysis to ASCE 7-22 at Orlando's design wind speed and detail a continuous load path from roof to foundation, including hurricane tie-down and strap callouts. Inspectors in Orange County look for that load path explicitly, so we draw it so plainly there is nothing left to interpret.
Comment responses and resubmittals at no extra charge
If the City does send a structural comment, we respond and resubmit at no added cost, and we move fast because we know your crew is waiting. You get one engineer who picks up the phone, not a queue ticket.
Orlando Building Department Quick Reference
Structural help for Orlando additions and ADUs
One in-house team for structural, MEP, and design
Developers running multifamily and mixed-use in Orlando do not want to manage five separate consultants who blame each other when something does not line up. Our structural, MEP, and architectural teams sit under one roof, so the load path, the duct runs, and the floor plan are coordinated before the set ever reaches the City.
Engineering that keeps pace with Orlando's growth
With Creative Village Phase 2, the Packing District apartment pipeline, and the new Dowden Central district in Lake Nona all moving at once, developers here need a structural partner who can carry several jobs in parallel without the turnaround slipping. We staff for that volume and value-engineer the structure to keep material costs in line.
Structural help for Orlando additions and ADUs
If you are adding a second story in Baldwin Park or putting an ADU behind a College Park bungalow, we handle the structural drawings and the permit-side questions in plain language. You will know what the City needs and what it will cost before we start.
Why Choose HB Design and Engineering in Orlando
We know the City of Orlando reviewers
- We submit to the City of Orlando Permitting Services Division regularly and we know the structural items their plan reviewers catch most often. That lets us clear those issues inside the drawings before the set goes in, which is how a package comes back approved instead of corrected.
Days, not weeks, on turnaround
- The industry norm for structural drawings is four to eight weeks. We work in days when the schedule demands it, because we know an idle crew is the most expensive line on your job. Fast does not mean thin: the calcs and details still come complete.
Foundations engineered for Orlando's karst soil
- Orlando's mix of sandy soil, high water table, and underlying karst limestone means foundation settlement and sinkhole risk are real design inputs, not afterthoughts. We design the foundation to the geotechnical report for your specific site rather than reusing a detail from a different part of Florida.
Private provider review when speed is critical
- When a City queue would blow your schedule, we can route the structural review through a licensed private provider under Florida Statute 553.791, which often turns weeks of waiting into days. We help you decide when that path is worth it on an Orlando job.
City of Orlando Permitting Services Division
407.246.2271
Average Review Time:
Residential new construction 4-8 weeks; commercial 6-8 weeks (faster with a private provider)
Pro Tip:
Orlando reviews structural through the Orlando Digital Permits (ProjectDox) portal, so upload your calcs as a separate, clearly labeled file from the drawings, and call out the continuous load path on the plans, since that is one of the items their reviewers check first.
Structural Engineering Project Types in Orlando
Mid-rise and mixed-use structural frames near Creative Village and downtown
Townhome and infill structural design in Mills 50 and SoDo
Second-story additions and load-bearing modifications in College Park and Baldwin Park
ADU and garage structural plans in Audubon Park and Thornton Park
Commercial tenant build-out structural review near the Packing District
Multifamily structural packages in Lake Nona and Horizon West
Foundation design for high-water-table and karst sites across Orange County
Hurricane tie-down and continuous load path retrofits citywide
FAQs
How long does it take to get structural engineering for an Orlando project?
For most Orlando projects we turn structural drawings and calculations around in days to a couple of weeks, depending on scope, which is well ahead of the four-to-eight-week industry norm. The City of Orlando Permitting Services Division then reviews the structural package, typically 4 to 8 weeks for new residential construction and 6 to 8 weeks for commercial. If your schedule cannot absorb the City queue, we can route the review through a licensed private provider under Florida Statute 553.791 and often cut that to one to three weeks.
How much does structural engineering cost in Orlando?
Cost depends on the structure, the span, and the foundation conditions, not a flat per-square-foot rate, so an addition in College Park and a mixed-use frame near downtown are priced very differently. We quote a flat fee up front for the structural scope with no hidden charges for revisions or plan review comment responses. Because Orlando's karst soil and high water table can drive foundation design, we confirm the geotechnical scope before quoting so the number you get is the number you pay.
What does the City of Orlando require in a structural submission?
The City of Orlando Permitting Services Division expects a sealed structural set with calculations, submitted through the Orlando Digital Permits (ProjectDox) portal. They look closely at the wind load analysis to ASCE 7-22, a clearly drawn continuous load path from roof to foundation, and foundation details appropriate to the site soil. We assemble the package to those expectations, which is how we keep sets from coming back with structural comments.
Can HB Design and Engineering handle structural plan review comments for Orange County projects?
Yes. If the City of Orlando or another Orange County jurisdiction returns a structural comment, we respond and resubmit at no extra charge, and we prioritize it because we know your crew is waiting. We act as the engineer of record and handle delegated design and deferred submittal review as well, so shop drawing questions do not stall fabrication.
Does HB Design and Engineering provide structural engineering for multifamily and mixed-use developments in Orlando?
Yes. We engineer structural packages for multifamily and mixed-use projects across Orlando, including the kind of mid-rise work happening around Creative Village and Lake Nona. Because our structural, MEP, and architectural teams are in-house, the disciplines are coordinated before submission, which matters when a developer is carrying several Orange County permits at once.
Does Orlando's soil affect structural foundation design?
It does. Orlando sits on sandy uplands and flatwoods over karst limestone with a seasonally high water table, and the metro falls in a cover-subsidence sinkhole zone. That means settlement and subsurface voids are real design inputs. We design foundations to the geotechnical report for your specific Orange County site rather than reusing a detail from a coastal or Tampa-area job where conditions differ.
Keep your Orlando project on schedule with structural plans that pass
A failed structural review can cost you weeks while your crew waits. We deliver PE-stamped Orlando plans, ASCE 7-22 wind calcs, and a load path your reviewer can sign off on the first time. One engineer, fast turnaround, no hidden fees.
Other HB Design and Engineering Services in Orlando
We Also Serve These Nearby Areas
- We also provide structural engineering across Central Florida:
Winter Park — Established neighborhoods and commercial corridors where additions and adaptive-reuse structural work are common.
Kissimmee — Fast residential and tourism-corridor growth in Osceola County driving new structural demand.
Sanford — Historic downtown and riverfront infill in Seminole County where load-bearing modifications need careful engineering.