Boullianne Boys

Mike Abell is an exceptionally talented engineer. The project I'm rating him for was my SSR/2ADU's. Mike assessed, visited, and drew up such beautiful documents; working perfectly with the Architect and the GCs. When I interviewed the GCs they said "WOW, I've never seen such high quality work. Mike spared you from doing steel work with his designs and calculations...other engineers would have shouldered you with the cost". I was worried about not doing the steel work, but DBI passed Mike's work with complements, talking of his excellent reputation at DBI. Feel free to call and ask me more. I love Mike. He is fantastic.

Catie Cramer

Mike provided structural engineering services for our condo renovation. There were a number of challenges which he solved for quickly and efficiently! He was transparent, easy to work with throughout the planning process, and even easier to work with during the actual project. Our contractor was beyond complimentary. I would highly recommend Mike!

Darryl Chan

I have worked with Mike Abell on a seismic retrofit project for an apartment building I own in San Francisco, and for a home renovation project. Mike has been responsive, and provided some great alternatives that I had not considered. In some cases, I thought I was more limited than I actually was in design possibilities and Mike showed me options that allowed me to do what I wanted to do in my budget. If you are in need of a structural engineer, I would highly recommend Mike as he is articulate, competent, and effectively communicates timelines and options. Mike has also had great recommendations for contractors that he has worked with in the past. He went above and beyond to meet with the contractors and explained what needed to be done. Outstanding work and an outstanding person. If I could, I would give Mike 6 stars!!

David Cardillo

I have worked with a number of contractors and structural engineers since purchasing our first home a year ago. Mike Abell is by far the best structural engineer in SF. Our home was built in 1939 on a steep hill and the original foundation and framing had become a bit frail over the years. Having absolutely no knowledge of sound structural engineering principles myself, prior to meeting Mike, we met with three other contractors who subsequently tried to upsell us on things like “soil study” and “pour a new foundation”. It wasn’t until meeting Mike that we realized those other contractors were likely embellishing the perilous state of the home’s structure. Mike visited our home multiple times to assess, measure and document each nook of the house and its foundation. He drew up very thorough plans and proposed a solution for us that was sound, safe and reasonably affordable. Mike also has a strong network of wonderful local contractors to actually implement Mike’s engineering work. If you have any work that you even think might need a structural engineer to assess, please give Mike a call. He’s a wonderful person and you won’t be disappointed.

Sarah Adler

We highly recommend Mike Abell! Our HOA hired him earlier this year to draw up architectural plans for a seismic retrofit of our 1885 Victorian building. Our property was a little complicated, seeing as there had been some minimal upgrades done decades ago on only part of the property, in addition to current requirements to accommodate a tenant and multiple owners. Mike was extremely courteous towards everyone, easy to work with, a great communicator and negotiator. He was able to come up with some fantastic and affordable solutions for our project and file permits in a timely manner. The contractor he recommended we use to perform the retrofit was also fantastic and Mike was in constant contact with the contractor so that everyone was always on the same page. We are all very pleased with his work and would definitely hire him again for future projects!

Nils Ratnathicam

I own a building on Berkeley’s inventory of soft story buildings. I hired Mike to design a plan to both improve the safety of my building and meet Berkeley’s stringent criteria for removal from the list. Mike’s unique approach resulted in a scope that will cost significantly less than half of my expected cost. In my decade of experience investing in multi-family in the bay area I’ve never worked with an engineer who was so willing to think outside the box to come up with smart and economical solutions like Mike does. I highly recommend you hire him.

Vero Suh

Mike Abell has been one of the best vendors to work with during our home renovation process. Mike was the structural engineer for the foundation and structural work. He worked alongside my contractor and architect, helped to move and speed up the process (permit submittal and approval) and even followed up to ensure that the project was progressing according to plan. Mike is a true professional, his communication skill is top notch. He knows how to set the right expectation and deliver results. We are very happy with his work and would love to recommend and hire him again for any future structural work. Thank you Mike!

Stan Haskell

We reside in a six-unit Edwardian condominium complex that found itself on the San Francisco earthquake ‘Soft Story’ retrofit list. Our HOA interviewed several structural engineers of which Mike was one. We all were smitten with his obvious knowledge, presentation skills, bid pricing and eagerness to perform. After awarding the project to him he didn’t disappoint our expectations; in fact his responsiveness and deliverables exceeded them. He continued to assist throughout construction and his cost projections, thereof, were spot on. If you’re in the market for a structural engineer, look no further. He comes with my highest recommendation!