Tag Archives: Long beach deck inspection

SB 326 Balcony Inspections

SB-410 Takes Affect January 1st 2026, Is Your Inspector Compliant With Its Requirements? We Are!

January 1st is almost upon us and every year in California we see new laws come into effect on the first of the year and this year is no different.

You can watch our video here if you prefer

Deck Expert Bill Leys Discusses SB 410 & How It Effects HOAs & Deck Inspection Firms Reports

Notably for HOAs and balcony inspection companies SB 410 will take effect on January 1st and impose certain requirements on HOAs and on balcony inspection companies.

For HOA Boards of Directors, you are affected in several ways; the first being that SB326 reports are now considered to be HOA records, which means an owner can request and review them at any time. Secondly, reports cannot be withheld or redacted and third sellers of a common interest development property now must provide buyers with the most recent SB326 inspection report.

In regards to inspection companies, their reports must include as of January 1st, the date of the inspection, the total number of units in the community. How many exterior elevated elements there are? And I think it would be a good idea to break down how many of each type there are IE stairs versus balcones versus walkways. How many units have exterior elevated elements? How many exterior elevated elements were inspected and whether any safety concerns were identified.

Our engineering partner is already in compliance with these requirements and so we are ready to forge ahead and set the bar with our superior inspections and inspection reports.

Lastly But probably the most important part of sb410 is the requirement for HOAs to have an engineer issue a final report after repairs are made to life safety issues. This final report is needed to be able to enable buyers of property obtain mortgages and sellers of properties to be able to sell without undue delay. Personally, I expect that we will see legal claims brought against HOAs that fail to obtain final inspection reports and unnecessarily delay there homeowners to be able to close a sale.

As always, this is not legal advice. Please obtain the advice of your HOA attorney related to SB 410 sb326 and any other bills that may affect common interest developments related to balcony inspections.

Please contact us for a quote on a final inspection to be able to close out your documents related to your 326 inspections.

SB 326 Balcony Inspections

Santa Monica Condo Board Selects William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC to Perform Their SB 326 Inspection

We’re pleased to announce that we were awarded the contract to perform a SB 326 inspection for a condominium complex on Pacific Street in Santa Monica. The three story building with decks stairs and walkways requiring inspection received several bids from competitors.

The Board after reviewing the bids and each firms credentials, selected our bid over the others, citing that our bid included a guarantee that our engineer will personally inspect the EEEs, that we don’t perform repairs and that our inspection team’s bonafides gave them the confidence in awarding the job to William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC.

These walkways and stairs are EEEs as defined in SB 326 and will be inspected by the best inspection team in the industry.

Of course it might also have helped that the Associations Board has an engineer serving as president and recognized that qualifications matter. Our engineer is an award winning structural engineer with years of experience doing structural inspections.

Don’t leave your critical inspections to the lowest priced inspection company, there’s too much risk in thinking all inspectors are the same. They are not.

Our team has a waterproofing expert with over 20 years of experience in waterproofing and inspections. We guarantee in writing that an engineer will perform the inspection personally and that we don’t bid on any repairs as it’s a conflict of interest. Call today and ask for Bill Leys 805-801-2380.

We aren’t the biggest inspection company, but we are rated highly by our clients and peers as being one of the most diligent.

SB 326 Balcony Inspections

Bill Leys Gives an Update on CAI-CLAC’s Move to Fix SB326

Warning – language.

Termed controversial by one well known attorney in the HOA industry, Bill pulls no punches when it comes to seeing what’s going on and calling out the grifters that flooded the inspection market. We’ve made multiple complaints to state agencies, pissing off the bad apples, been sued to shut us up by POS pretend deck inspectors who use the bill to sucker HOAs into expensive repairs, we’re going to remain controversial and wear that label as a badge of pride.

Watch our video on our thoughts on  CLACs plans to fix SB326. We’ve seen so many issues, from insurance companies denying associations insurance coverage if they have structural issues with their EEEs, to banks denying buyers mortgages on condos with EEE issues to the grifters plaguing the balcony inspection industry using the bill to literally steal from HOAs.

Had enough of the companies that are unethical, devious and sordid? Find out why William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC gives written guarantees that our award winning structural engineer will inspect the EEEs, that we will not bid on any repairs because that’s unethical and why with our experience and professionalism your HOA will be in good hands.

Call today 805-801-2380 and start your SB 326 inspection with William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC.

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SB 326 Balcony Inspections

What Are the Biggest Red Flags  Consumers Should Look For When Hiring an  SB326 Deck Inspection Company?

Great question — SB326 inspections (balcony/deck inspections for multifamily housing in California) are a big deal, and unfortunately, not every company advertising them is legitimate. The biggest red flag consumers should watch for is:

🚩 If the company performing inspections also performs repairs.

Here’s why:

Conflict of interest – The law (SB326/SB721) was designed so that inspections are objective and not influenced by profit motives from repair work. If the same company inspects and repairs, they may be financially motivated to exaggerate problems or recommend unnecessary work.

At William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC we guarantee in writing that we do not have any conflicts of interest. 

🚩 Compliance issues – The statute is clear: inspections must be done by a licensed architect, structural engineer, or a qualified building inspector who is not associated with a repair contractor. If someone is offering both, they may not be following the law.


Other red flags to watch for:

🚩No license disclosure (can’t prove they’re an architect, engineer, or building inspector). Who will be inspecting? An engineer or architect, or just some random people who may not be qualified in any way shape or form.

At William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC we guarantee that a structural engineer that we partner with will perform the physical inspection. Some companies flirt with danger by hiring subcontractors who do the inspection, and then those companies have an engineer robo sign your report.

🚩 Low-ball pricing far below market rates — often a sign they’re using inspections as a “loss leader” to sell repair work.

This is exactly right, and that’s what they are doing. We’ve done second inspections for clients and they were very happy to learn that the repairs the other company said had to be done in an emergency basis was exaggerated.

🚩Vague or incomplete reports — a proper SB326 inspection requires documented findings, photographs, and repair recommendations (if needed).

🚩 High pressure sales tactics — pushing you to sign a repair contract right after the inspection.


👉 Bottom line: Choose an independent, inspection-only professional who has no stake in whether repairs are needed. That independence is what protects you and your HOA from unnecessary costs.

At William Leys Waterproofing Consultants, as our client, we only work in your best interests.

Reach out today to get a quote and see the difference in our professionalism, due diligence and expertise. This is why we’re known as the deck experts.

SB 326 Balcony Inspections

Bill Leys Explains Why Job Site Visits are Essential For Bidding on SB326 Inspections

While on a property in Orange county I made this short video on why we walk properties before we give an HOA a bid on their SB 326 inspection.

Watch our short video as I explain why I want to walk your HOA before bidding your SB 326 inspection.
Deck Inspections, SB 326 Balcony Inspections, SB 721 Inspections

You Gotta Read the Fine Print! HOA’s Need to be Careful of Companies Advertising “Free” or “20% Off” Type Offers on Balcony Inspections

Many companies are offering deals that have hidden motives behind them. Before buying, you need to know what it’s really going to end up costing your HOA.

William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC was recently contacted by a member of an HOA in Ventura County where that member had learned that his association’s Board of Directors were considering passing a special assessment in the range of 2 million dollars for repairs to balconies and stairs.

Information we got from the owner was that a large nationwide HOA reconstruction firm told the HOA that they had 13 emergency repairs and 300+ non emergency repairs to do and the budget was apx 2 million dollars for this work.

The resident also learned that this nationwide HOA reconstruction firm had waived the $41,000+/- Stage 1 inspection fee provided they were given the repair work. We believe that to be highly unethical and so does that owner. We provided a letter of opinion that the association could self finance the non emergency repairs over a period of several years, taking on a couple buildings at a time to make repairs.

We’re also seeing  companies now advertising “free inspections” and “20% off” specials. With all of these offers, there is always fine print, and fine print never benefits the consumer. If you’re going to buy into these offers, make sure your legal counsel is protecting your interests by reviewing their contract before you sign.

One thing these companies have in common is that they are larger firms with a lot of overhead and with the slowdown of inspection requests coming in they need to churn business. Due to the other services that we offer, we are staying busy with work that they don’t offer such as construction monitoring and building envelope inspections.

At William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC, we provide upfront honest bids on SB326 inspections. We strictly follow SB 326 requirements by guaranteeing that an engineer is physically present at the inspection and inspecting the structural elements. We have competitive prices that are straightforward without fine print in our contract. We have a waterproofing expert who writes the waterproofing report which is then appended to the engineers sealed and signed report.

Our strict ethical standards demand that we only inspect and report for the benefit of our clients, not ourselves. We believe that inspectors should not be bidding on repairs.

Reach out today for a discussion on how we can assist you with your balcony inspection requirements. Call us at 805-801-2380

Download our free inspection certificate and ask every inspection company you are considering hiring to sign it. This will rapidly separate the legitimate inspection companies to the top when the contractors who also inspect don’t want to sign it.

Inspection Certificate-1Download
Deck Inspections, SB 326 Balcony Inspections, Uncategorized

Protect Your HOA With Our SB326 Inspection Certification

If you have been following our blog for any time now you know that we have been railing against the practice that is roiling the inspection industry where unethical inspection companies are using Engineers or Architects to robo sign reports that they have written after they have done the inspection. Sb326 clearly requires a licensed architect or engineer to perform the inspection however some companies are trying to deliberately circumvent that requirement and are using contracted labor to do the inspection instead of an architect or engineer.

We made up this form that you should ask your inspection company to fill out and certify/attest that their inspections follow the letter of the law and that a architect or engineer shall be performing the inspection.

The SB326 inspection certification form will give your HOA some legal protection (inquire with your attorney as to what limits there might be) from liability if a company tries to slip one by you. An example is a report that we saw from empire works where the report was clearly written by empire works and there was a letter attached to the report by the architect saying that empire works perform the inspection and that that architect concurred with their findings. Our discussions with attorneys has determined that the report does not meet the requirements of 326.

Download it here for free! The first doc is in word form. For the PDF version click the second that says  Inspection Certificate PDF

Inspection Certificate word versionDownload
Inspection Certification PDF version Download
SB 326 Balcony Inspections

My Email To CLAC Regarding Modifying SB326 to Ban Inspectors from Bidding on Repairs

My email to CAI-CLAC  asking them to modify SB 326 to ban inspectors from bidding on repairs.

If you’ve experienced high pressure tactics, feel taken advantage of, that unnecessary work was done it you are being told needs to be done, let CLAC know by emailing them at lsrc@caiclac.com

Please see below

Good afternoon,

Here’s some documents from EMPIREWORKS, a vendor member of CAI who isliterally using SB 326 to steal from HOAs. They are considered among the the worst of the worst by my fellow inspectors and I who do not bid on repairs.

We’re being asked for second opinions by HOAs who are being told all their decks need to be replaced ( they don’t) at hugely inflated costs. These companies use pressure tactics, to threatening to report the HOA and that there’s huge penalties if they don’t comply.

Please call some of the inspection companies listed at Davis Stirling. These companies will tell you the same thing I’m telling you.

Please read some of the contracts; are they a company that you as counsel to an HOA client would advise the contract is ok to sign? Seeing these egregious clauses , which I’ve been told are unethical at best and illegal and unenforceable at worst, would you even advise a client to continue negotiating with or would you advise them to run?

This is what’s out here and what we’re dealing with on a near daily basis.

I’m sick to death of the people who will literally walk through the blood on that sidewalk in Berkeley to steal a dollar. The anniversary of Berkeley is coming up in June, and those victims must be remembered and their deaths not be in vain. That is why I am so vocal. Appreciate you listening.

Thank you,

Bill Leys President
William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC
Follow me on Twitter BlueSky Threads Insta and Tik Tok, search @deckinspector

Call or text me anytime at 805-801-2380 for fastest service.

This architect admits he didn’t inspect the EEEs, and he lives in Tennessee, so he’s literally robo-signing reports that are being inspected by a contractor who is writing the report to their advantage.
The Board of Engineers says yes it appears that the engineer violated the law, but there’s nothing we can do

SB 326 Balcony Inspections, SB 721 Inspections

Grover Beach Deck Destroyed By High Winds Reveals Why It Failed -Extensive Dry-rot & Improper Connections

A high wind event that hit Grover Beach in San Luis Obispo county on Wednesday shows us why inspections of decks are so important.

Improper connections of wood panels with glazing in them to the framing & Extensive Dry-rot at posts.

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The apartment building on Grand Ave has a walkway on the second floor, and at some point someone added large panes of acrylic sheets or glass in wood frames to help block the near constant wind that comes through.

The high winds exposed the significant dry-rot that was present in the framing and posts, along with exposing the weak connections. Unfortunately due to the structural damage several residents are not able to access their homes and are living in a motel temporarily.

Because of the damage residents could not return to their homes.

Landlords and HOAs can avoid the liability and potential injuries to residents and guests by having their EEEs inspected by the experts at William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC.

We can do your SB721 and SB326 balcony inspections for you and get you into compliance. Do not expose yourself to unnecessary liability by failing to get inspected.

Reach out today for a free EEE evaluation and proposal.

SB 326 Balcony Inspections

Stage 2 Destructive Testing Balcony Reveals Significant Deterioration

As a balcony inspector performing #SB326 inspections on condos in California, I often hear the complaints about costs of these inspections. Stage 1 visual inspections are costly, and if the Structural Engineer determines that further Stage 2 destructive testing is necessary, it can get very expensive very quickly.

However, Stage 2 inspections are very important. When I’m doing my inspection of the waterproofing elements, I often find signs of water intrusion into the framing. My engineer and I confer and I explain what I’m seeing, what I think is the cause and we generally agree that a Stage 2 inspection ( destructive testing inspection) is necessary.

Recently we performed Stage 1 inspections in a condo building near Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. We determined that there was evidence of water intrusion into the framing and called for a Stage 2 inspection. Working with a team from Whitestone Construction, we had Whitestone remove stucco and masonite siding on 5 decks that are on the 3rd floor of the building. These decks are covered with 1″+ of concrete on them, and after the crew from Whitestone removed stucco and masonite siding, we discovered significant structural damage that was so alarming we immediately closed the decks to use.

The concrete decking and stucco siding hid serious damage that presented immediate life safety concerns to us. This meant the decks were unsafe to be occupied until repairs are made.

While looking at the damage, the Berkeley balcony tragedy came to mind. Here, as in Berkeley, students used the decks to hang out on, perhaps leaning on the railings to talk to friends below. A person in these balconies could have fallen from a railing giving way because the framing it was secured to was so rotted out wouldn’t hold.

The horrors of Berkeley can never happen again. Thirteen students in Berkeley fell 40′ to a concrete sidewalk. Seven died and six are left with serious life long debilitating injuries and the mental pain of that terrible evening.

Berkeley is why we inspect, and Berkeley is why I have become a warrior in the battle against bad contractors doing bad work that gets people killed. SB 326 needs some fine tuning, but overall it is saving lives. My peers in the industry and I stand up for keeping buildings and decks safe.

Independent inspectors, free from conflicts of interest, are your Associations best defense against another Berkeley tragedy from happening again. Yes inspections aren’t cheap, but a lifetime of being haunted by nightmares of people dying in a fall from a balcony and the costs of a lawsuit for negligence will quickly outrun the costs of doing inspections.

Reach out today to get started on your balcony inspections and get your association compliant now. Don’t delay thinking the deadline will be extended ( it might be) and even if it is, dry-rot is working on weakening your decks, putting people’s lives at risk.

Our warning notice to not use the deck until it is fixed
Don’t delay your balcony inspection! The life you save could be your own.