MERIDIAN STRUCTURAL GROUP
Structural engineering · Montclair, New Jersey
Most engineering work is quoted after a phone call and billed by the hour. For the ten scopes we do most often, the fee is published below and it does not move.
Anthony La Bianca, P.E. — sixteen years of bridge, tunnel and building assessment across New Jersey and New York.
See the fee schedule Describe your project| Scope | Includes | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Beam or header letter | Single opening to 16 ft, sealed letter for permit | $1,250 |
| Load-bearing wall removal | Single story, wall segment to 14 ft | $1,950 |
| Wall removal, multi-story | Loads from above, post and footing check | $3,200 |
| Deck framing | Ledger, framing, posts, footings, connections | $2,400 |
| Addition foundation | Footings and foundation walls to 4 ft unbalanced fill | $3,800 |
| Floor capacity verification | Existing framing assessed for a new use or load | $1,850 |
| Rooftop equipment support | Unit to 1,500 lb, framing and attachment | $2,950 |
| Commercial fit-out review | To 5,000 SF — partitions, hung loads, storage | $3,500 |
| Stair framing | To two stories, stringers and connections | $2,500 |
| Retaining wall | To 6 ft exposed, 60 ft long, no surcharge | $3,400 |
Each scope lists what it includes and the conditions that take it off the flat fee — a longer span, an unexpected condition behind the finish, a surcharge behind a wall. If a project crosses one of those lines we tell you before any further work, and nothing proceeds without your written go-ahead. One round of written response to building-department comments is included.
Send photos, a sketch, or the architect's plan. Most projects can be scoped without a visit, and you get a fee and a date the same day.
One visit, measured and documented. If the framing is concealed, we say what we can and cannot see rather than guessing at it.
A signed and sealed letter or drawing, sized for your building department. Typically within a week of the visit.
Meridian works on buildings that already exist — the renovation, the addition, the wall someone wants to take out, the floor that has to carry something new. Northern New Jersey housing stock is old, and much of the work is reading what is actually there before deciding what to do about it.
Anthony La Bianca, P.E.
Licensed professional engineer, New Jersey and New York.
Sixteen years inspecting and assessing infrastructure for NJDOT, NJ Turnpike Authority, the Port Authority of NY & NJ, MTA Bridges and Tunnels, and WMATA — the George Washington Bridge, the Hugh L. Carey and Queens-Midtown tunnels, LaGuardia Airport, and several hundred bridges across New Jersey.
NBIS-qualified team leader. Rope-access trained. Every calculation and drawing is prepared and sealed by the same engineer who walked the site.
NJ PE 24GE05299000 · NY PE 103943-01
A short description and a few photos are usually enough to give you a fee and a schedule. No charge for the conversation.
alabianca@meridianstructural.com