About Us - HCG structural engineerS
When you need an expert
HCG Associates, Inc. provides structural design for residential and light commercial. We're small and enjoy the residential projects but love the challenging projects too! In San Francisco and the nearby proximity buildings often need seismic retrofit, Mandatory Soft Story Program improvements and similar structural upgrades. In the outlying areas we accommodate new construction, retrofit and additions. So whether it's a new home, your building needs to be brought up to code or if you just want to add a room, a retaining wall or a jacuzzi on your roof, we're the first place to call.
Here's some stuff we do!
Home Owners
- Structural design, plans and calculations
- Onsite inspections & assessments for existing buildings (single family, condos, etc.)
- Seismic upgrades for code and earthquake readiness
- Addition to living space (i.e. room additions, kitchen expansion, new deck, jacuzzi on the roof, etc.)
- Retaining Wall design
- Building Code compliance
Contractors
- Structural design, plans and calculations
- Inspections & assessments
- Seismic upgrades
- Working drawings / As-builts
- Seismic / pipe restraints
- Modifications to design
Seismic / Earthquake / Fire
- Foundation inspections
- Retrofit / upgrades
- URM (Un-reinforced Masonry) upgrades
- Assessment / Structural Review
Leadership
Darrel Harris, S.E. Licensed California Structural Engineer, has owned and operated HCG Associates since 1979. He's a registered Civil Engineer & Structural Engineer in the State of California and also holds a Building Contractor license in the State.
Born in Oklahoma but raised in California, he completed his B.S. Civil Engineering at California State University, Long Beach and then went on the complete his MBA at University of California, Berkeley. Go Bears!
Notable early experience includes Fluor Corporation, Bechtel Corporation, Bell Operations Corporation prior to starting HCG. Some of his work portfolio has been overseas which has brought experience building telecommunications infrastructure, defense facilities, petrochemical/refinery and power transmission infrastructure.
Here in the Bay Area, Darrel and HCG have served hundreds of clients ranging from residential to technology, manufacturing, education and transportation facilities.
He particularly enjoys working on residential structural design, soft-story retrofit, seismic evaluations and homes in need of seismic retrofit throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.