ACE performs SB 326 and SB 721 balcony inspections for HOAs, apartment owners, and property managers throughout San Diego, California. Our licensed inspectors build a statistically-defensible sample plan, probe wood-framed EEEs for hidden decay, and file the stamped statutory report your association keeps on file for the next nine-year cycle — with a fixed-fee scope quoted before we mobilize.
SB 326 requires HOAs to inspect at least 15% of Exterior Elevated Elements (EEEs) in condo buildings by January 1, 2025 and every nine years after. SB 721 covers apartment buildings with three or more units on a six-year cycle. Both statutes require a licensed inspector to observe load-bearing components and their waterproofing systems and file a signed report with the association or owner. Explore existing-building assessment for the full scope of related capabilities we bring to San Diego engagements.
San Diego sits in a Mediterranean (Zone 3B Warm-Dry / 3C Warm-Marine) climate zone. Long dry summers with intense UV loading, punctuated by concentrated winter rain events, produce a fatigue cycle that ages sealants faster than a temperate-zone envelope. Coastal exposures add salt-aerosol driven corrosion; inland exposures add thermal-cycling stress. Both push toward higher-grade fluoropolymer and silicone systems. The San Diego building stock we most often work in includes coastal salt-fog exposure, downtown high-rises, and North County mixed-use podiums. Most San Diego balcony failures we see originate at the deck-to-wall transition where a coating was terminated without proper flashing behind the wall cladding — a detail that fails silently for years before manifesting. See California building envelope coverage for the multi-market context, and Facade Testing — San Diego for a complementary scope in the same market.
Balcony inspections concentrate on the deck-to-wall interface, where flashing terminations fail and hidden decay begins. Probes are placed on a statistically-defensible plan.
Covering San Diego SB 326 inspection and related scopes
We identify every EEE — balconies, decks, walkways, stairs, landings — and confirm which components are load-bearing per the statute.
Deck coatings, flashings, sealants, and drainage are examined for continuity, adhesion, and integration with the wall assembly.
Where accessible, we probe framing at high-risk locations to check for hidden fungal decay — the failure mechanism behind the Berkeley collapse.
For SB 326 we work with the association to define a defensible 15% sample that captures each element type and orientation across the property.
A stamped report identifying observed conditions, associated life-safety risk levels, and a repair or reserve recommendation — the record HOAs are required to retain.
Every engagement follows a three-phase delivery structure so you know what you are getting, when.
Any Exterior Elevated Element more than six feet above grade supported by wood framing — the failure mode addressed by both statutes. Concrete or steel balconies with only wood surface trim are also captured. When in doubt we perform the observation and let the record speak.
The statute requires a sample statistically significant across each element type and orientation. We build the plan with the association so that ground-facing, corner, and northern-orientation elements — those most prone to hidden decay — are all represented.
SB 326 applies to condominium associations statewide, including San Diego. SB 721 applies to rental apartment buildings with three or more units. If your building has any balconies, decks, walkways, or landings more than six feet above grade, at least one of the statutes almost certainly applies.
Fees scale with the number of EEEs and building complexity, not with a fixed per-unit rate. For a typical mid-size San Diego HOA we quote a fixed fee once we’ve reviewed the inventory — small buildings commonly land in the low four figures, larger campuses higher. We quote the fee before mobilization, not after.
Yes. Continuity from inspection through repair design is one of the highest-value moves an association can make — the engineer who documented the observation is the same engineer specifying the fix. We price inspection and repair-design phases separately with fixed fees for each.
ACE Building Envelope Design has practiced envelope engineering across the Western United States on hundreds of commercial, multifamily, institutional, and legal-defense projects. Our senior engineers are licensed Professional Engineers, active in FGIA and ASTM committees, and have provided expert testimony in state and federal envelope-defect matters.
Founded and led by Conor Meyers (CEO), with John Harris (President) and Jedidiah Brandman (SVP) directing the technical practice.
ACE covers California building envelope coverage from our Western U.S. base, and related work in this market is documented at Forensic Leak Investigation — San Diego. Every engagement starts with a fixed-fee scope proposal — you see the price and fee before you commit.
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