FAQ
Questions people ask before they start.
Short answers, current prices. If yours is not here, the intake takes two minutes and a licensed engineer reads it personally.
About the firm
What does Oasis Engineering do?
Licensed professional engineering for residential and light commercial projects: engineer letters and certifications for permits, lenders and insurers; structural design for new homes, additions, remodels, porches and outdoor structures; shipping container home engineering and plan sets; wind and energy calculations; independent plans review; and engineering consulting. Everything is reviewed and sealed by a licensed PE.
Where are you licensed?
Firm licensure in 38 states plus the U.S. Virgin Islands, based in Tampa Bay, Florida. In some states services are offered under the undersigned engineer's personal license in compliance with state licensing requirements. The intake checks your property's state before you spend any time.
Can I work with you if I am not near Tampa?
Yes. Most work is remote: you capture photos and documents with our guidance, a licensed engineer reviews the record, and the sealed deliverable arrives by secure link. When a project needs an engineer on site, we travel several times a month, and for narrow, routine captures we can send a trained local field partner.
Why choose a small firm?
The engineer who scopes your project is the engineer who seals it and who answers the plan reviewer. Prices are shown or quoted before any work begins, most letters issue in 1–2 business days, and the firm is rated 5.0 on Google across 123 reviews.
Engineer letters and permits
What is an engineer letter and when do I need one?
A short, sealed statement from a licensed professional engineer answering a specific question: is this structure adequate, was this work done to code, does this foundation meet the lender's standard. You need one when a building department, lender, insurer or buyer asks for an engineer's word in writing: missed inspections, covered work, after-the-fact permits, structural changes, product and component verification, manufactured home foundations for FHA/VA/USDA loans.
I failed an inspection or the work was done without a permit. Can you help?
Yes. We assess the work, from photos and documents where the evidence allows or on site where it does not, and issue the letter or affidavit the building department needs to close the file. Where the work falls short we tell you exactly what it takes to fix.
How fast?
Most remote letters issue within 1–2 business days of a complete record. Fixed-price certifications show the price first; everything else is quoted from your files, usually the same business day.
What does it cost?
Manufactured home foundation certifications are $450 flat and Boxabl/modular letters $495 flat. Other letters typically run $295–$1,500 depending on scope; plans reviews typically $500–$700 for residential; energy calculations $500 typical. You see the number before you pay.
Will you submit the permit for me?
We prepare everything the application needs: sealed plans, calculations, letters, affidavits and the jurisdiction's forms. Submission, fees and scheduling are done by the owner or contractor on the county portal; we answer the reviewer's technical comments.
Are your documents signed and sealed?
Every plan, calculation and letter is signed and sealed by a licensed professional engineer, typically with an electronic seal and signature accepted by building departments and lenders.
Design and construction
Do I need a structural engineer for my renovation or addition?
If the work touches the structure, yes: removing or relocating a load-bearing wall, adding a second story, expanding the footprint, or changing the roof or floor framing. Codes generally require engineered drawings for those. We size the beams, headers, posts and footings, detail the connections and seal the set.
I already have plans. Can you certify them?
Often. An independent licensed PE reviews the drawings against the code, works with you to resolve anything that falls short, and seals the set only once it is permit-ready. If the plans cannot be made to work we tell you what would.
Are your container home designs code-compliant and hurricane-resistant?
Yes. Containers are strong steel boxes, but turning one into a home means engineered foundations, wind resistance and reinforced openings. Our container plans and custom designs are engineered to the applicable building code, including Florida's wind requirements, and sealed for the jurisdiction where they will be built.
Can you help with ADUs and tiny homes?
Yes, from pre-engineered plan sets in the shop (tiny homes, ADUs, container studios) to site-specific engineering and sealing for your jurisdiction.
Do you work with DIY and owner-builders?
Often. We fill the engineering seat on projects without a general contractor or design team: turning a sketch into a buildable plan, sizing members, and answering the plan reviewer.
Working with us
How do I start?
The intake at /contact/ takes about two minutes: pick what you need, upload what you have, and a licensed engineer reads it personally. You get the price or a quote before anything is committed, and a confirmation email with your reference number.
How do I pay?
Card or ACH through Stripe on the link in your quote; Zelle, Melio, check and Bitcoin are also accepted. Digital plan sets are paid at checkout and delivered by email. See the payments page for details.
What are remote virtual inspections?
Some building departments let an inspector evaluate work over a video call instead of a site visit. Where a jurisdiction offers it we can advise on preparing for one; separately, our own remote verification letters work from a guided photo record reviewed by a licensed engineer.
How do I reach a person?
Email info@oasisengineering.com or call (813) 694-8989. Replying to your confirmation email keeps everything attached to your project file.