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Texas licensed services

Permit-Ready Structural Engineering for Texas Projects

James Davis, PE provides licensed structural engineering for residential and light commercial permit sets throughout Texas. Permit-ready drawings and calculations are prepared for Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and Fort Worth, plus other cities and counties statewide.

Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio each administer their own I-Code editions and amendments. Gulf Coast projects require hurricane wind design; Hill Country and North Texas add expansive soils and hail/tornado considerations.

Whether you need structural calculations, permit-ready framing and foundation drawings, or plan-check responses, JD Building Engineering delivers code-compliant documents ready for Texas building-department submittal.

IBC/IRC

Texas-adopted IBC (by city)

Wind

ASCE 7 coastal and inland wind; Gulf Coast wind-borne debris regions

Wood, steel & concrete

NDS, AISC, ACI, and TMS design as the structure requires

Digital seal

Electronic seals where accepted by the authority having jurisdiction

Texas building codes

Building, civil, and structural code requirements

Texas does not adopt a single statewide building code. Permit sets are tailored to the city or county AHJ — for example Houston, Dallas, Austin, or San Antonio.

Building code

Texas occupancy, residential, and accessibility provisions that typically govern the permit set JD Building Engineering’s structural sheets support.

Code / Standard Application
Texas-adopted IBC (by city) Texas does not adopt a single statewide building code; cities adopt IBC/I-Codes with local amendments
Texas-adopted IRC (by city) One- and two-family dwellings per the adopting city or county
International Fire Code (IFC) Fire protection systems, hazardous materials, and fire-department access where adopted
IBC Chapter 11 / ANSI A117.1 / ADA Accessibility for public accommodations and commercial buildings where they apply

Civil building code

Civil deliverables, when the project and licence allow, include site and grading coordination, drainage, and retaining structures tied to the foundation design.

Code / Standard Application
IBC Chapter 18 — Soils and foundations Site development, retaining walls, and foundation soils
TxDOT / TCEQ / local FCD Driveway/ROW permits, TPDES stormwater, and Harris County / local flood-control criteria
Local grading ordinances County/city grading permits, erosion control, and cut/fill limits
FEMA NFIP / local floodplain Flood-zone compliance and elevation coordination where the site is mapped

Structural building code

Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio each administer their own I-Code editions and amendments. Gulf Coast projects require hurricane wind design; Hill Country and North Texas add expansive soils and hail/tornado considerations.

Code / Standard Application
IBC Chapter 16 Structural design requirements — loads, materials, and systems
ASCE 7 Minimum design loads: dead, live, wind, snow, rain, seismic, and flood
ACI 318 Structural concrete design and detailing
AISC 360 Structural steel buildings
NDS (AWC) Wood construction — sawn lumber, glulam, shear walls, and diaphragms
TMS 402/602 Masonry structures

Structural services

Structural engineering for Texas permits

James Davis personally manages the structural design, calculations, detailing, and drafting. Clients receive a coordinated permit-ready package rather than a review of drawings prepared by others.

  • Custom homes, additions, remodels, and ADUs
  • Foundations, retaining walls, decks, and accessory structures
  • Wood-frame gravity and lateral design
  • Permit-ready structural drawings and calculations
  • Plan-check responses and construction support
View structural services

Coverage

Licensed in 39 U.S. states and 5 Canadian jurisdictions. Remote structural engineering is available for qualifying projects.

Send the project address with your inquiry. JD Building Engineering will confirm sealing format and local AHJ requirements before work is scoped.

Questions

Texas licensing and permits

Yes. James Davis, PE is licensed in Texas and prepares permit-ready structural drawings and calculations for qualifying residential and light commercial projects. Sealing format (wet or digital) follows what the AHJ accepts.

Design follows Texas-adopted IBC (by city), together with the referenced structural standards in the tables on this page and any city or county amendments that apply to the project address. Share the jurisdiction with your inquiry so the correct edition can be confirmed.

Yes. JD Building Engineering provides remote structural engineering for qualifying Texas projects using digital plan sets, email, and phone. On-site visits are not assumed and are confirmed only when a project requires them.

Typical work includes new homes, additions, remodels, ADUs, foundations, decks, retaining walls, and accessory structures. Light commercial structural work is considered when it fits the practice. The sealed work is structural engineering, with civil support where licensing allows.

Contact

Request a Texas Engineering Permit Review

Tell us about your Texas project. JD Building Engineering will review the available information and respond regarding scope, availability, and next steps.

Phone
(815) 277-1087
Email
info@jdbuildingengineering.com
Website
jdbuildingengineering.com