Houston Structural Engineer & Consultant - Gerard J. Duhon, P.E. - Houston, Texas

Mary Manning

Mr. Duhon inspected our home, explained what was going on structurally, and wrote a report describing what steps we needed to take to prevent our roof from failing. He also recommended yard grading to keep water from the pier and beam crawlspace under our beloved 1934 bungalow. I wholeheartedly recommend Houston Structural Engineering Services.

Doris Avram

My antennas went up when Gerard’s colleague, Darrell, would refuse to quote me an evaluation price until I gave him my exact address or subdivision (I provided the city, but my city has more and less privileged subdivisions - you can draw your own conclusions).

I went through several exchanges with these guys, but the more they said, the more things didn’t add up. They come across charming, and very sales-savvy, “get-under-your-skin in a nice way” type of guys. This can be distracting, probably purposefully.

Their tactics varied, but at one point Gerard proceeds to tell me over the phone that his colleague, Darrell, thinks “he caught the big fish” (referring to me). Now my antennas go up even higher.

I hedge, by letting them know I plan to collect 2-3 opinions on the subject, theirs is just one of them, and if any repair work were to be recommended, I would be engaging a firm that is not affiliated or recommended by them, in order to ensure they are able to remain objective and unbiased during the evaluation process and free from conflicts of interest.

As soon as they heard that they will not be awarded the repair work after the evaluation, they deployed the classic “pull-back” tactic, citing wounded feelings of my trust issues with them. I didn’t byte, so we wind up not engaging further.

I ask the potential buyer to consider: if you were quoted a price based on how afluent your neighborhood is, then told to your face you are considered the “big fish”, then shunned when you refuse the prospect of additional downstream services, would you still engage these guys?

Two stars because all our exchanges were reasonably polite.

Be wise, don’t be the “big fish”!

Brant Shields

Gerard and his field Engineer Darrell did a foundation inspection for my residence. Great job. No nonsense. Fair price. Timely and accurate with communication, scheduling, and recommended scopes of work afterward.

Jonathan Kindle

Gerard was extremely knowledgeable and quick to respond to my request. His report was very beneficial. I 100% recommend him if you have any structural engineering needs in your home.

Randy Brown

Gerald was an amazing engineer for my house leveling. He actually drew a topographical map of the slab showing the high points and low points in the slab.

I was able to verify the Foundation companies estimated based on Gerald's mapping of the slab. 4 out of 6 bidders on the leveling did not pass this test.

Gerald was a bit higher in price than other engineers I've used in the past and he only does communication via email. No phone calls. I was a little put off when I first heard this but was very encouraged when he answered my first email the next day. And his higher rates were very well worth the extra cost. The companies bidding on the job were at a big disadvantage once I was armed with the engineers report and did not fall prey to their recommendations of installing 5 interior piers. You've never seen a mess until you've had interior piers installed. A jack hammer inside your house is a nightmare to clean up after concrete dust is blown throughout your home for 3 days. OMG ?

Courtnee

Gerard arrived promptly, did a great job explaining what he was looking for and his findings, and provided a helpful report in a timely manner. I would highly recommend his services.

Na. H

I hired this company to do an inspection to confirm my flooring can support a custom cabinet style saltwater tank I’m having built/installed.

Mr. Duhon was very thorough in the inspection and delivered the results promptly and professionally. He also showed up on time for the set appointment as well. Punctuality seems to be a lost art these days, but not here.

I highly recommend this company.

Dee Norris

We were considering buying a home, our lender needed to have an engineer report for the foundation on the property before we could proceed on it. We needed to have it done quickly within a certain amount of time. I found Gerard Duhon online and sent him an email he responded quickly. He was able to work within our time frame, and is reasonable in cost. His associate was professional and friendly who came to the property, the report was completed in the time we were told it would be ready, communication through email was clear and easy, would recommend and use again if needed.