Tag Archives: moorpark 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

Signal Hill Condo Selects William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC To Perform Their SB 326 Inspection

  • Board Treasurer Says Our Detailed Proposal Stood Heads Above Competing Firms
  • Our Expertise & Guarantee That Our Structural Engineer Performs the Inspection Stands Out Over Other Firms

We’re happy to announce that we were selected to perform balcony inspections at a mid rise HOA in Signal Hill by the Board of Directors. Our detailed proposal and years of experience gave the Board of Directors the confidence that we were the best choice out of the five firms bidding.

Cantilevered Balcony at A Signal Hill Condo Association

We are so happy to hear strong praise like this as it reinforces our belief that we are one of the best qualified firms in the balcony inspection industry.  Our guarantee of no conflicts of interest, our guarantee that a structural engineer personally performs the inspection and that our 20+ years of prior experience in waterproofing as deck contractors is a deciding factor, along with competitive rates for Boards faced with enormous pressure to get in compliance with SB326’s requirements to inspect.

Let us show you why we are one of the best firms in the balcony inspection industry and let us earn your business with our professionalism and expertise. Get in touch today by calling 805-801-2380 and talk to Bill Leys with no obligation.

SB 326 Balcony Inspections

High Compliments From an HOA Client

It is always nice to get unsolicited compliments from our clients and the one that we received yesterday from Joseph in Los Angeles is very appreciated.

We try very hard to bring the best in service and stay on top of current trends in the industry to make sure our clients get the very best advice that we can give.

If your HOA needs help in balcony inspections, roof consulting or building envelope water intrusion issues, let me help you. Reach out today for a free discussion on what William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC can bring to the table in value for your community.

From an HOA client in Los Angeles, we sincerely appreciate the compliments!
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

Contractors Who Pretend to be Deck Inspectors Agree To Stop Stealing from HOAs

Celebrate this!

All the contractors preying on HOAs by pretending to be Deck Inspectors have voluntarily agreed to stop offering repairs to HOAs they inspected.

They also agreed to stop using out of state architects and civil engineers to robo sign their reports that they wrote that benefit themselves.

Further more, they voluntarily agreed to have transparency, ethics and honesty in their dealings with their clients.

This of course is an April Fools day joke, unethical contractors who prey on HOAs and take advantage of them by exploiting the loophole CAI-CLAC  left in SB326 will continue to F over clients every chance they get!

Sign the petition demanding CLAC to insert language in the bill to ban inspectors from bidding on repairs to HOAs they inspect!
CAI-Orange County CAI BAYCEN CAI GRIE CAI-Greater Los Angeles Chapter  CAI BayCen

At William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC we guarantee in writing that we have no conflicts of interest!

Deck Inspections

Cayucos HOA Contracts With William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC For SB326 Balcony Inspection

We are pleased to announce that we have been selected by a 40 unit HOA in Cayucos on the Central Coast of California to inspect their balconies stairs and landings to bring them into compliance with SB326.

This Association sits near the ocean and enjoys great views down the coast. While residents enjoy the views from their decks, we want to be sure they can do so safely. With over 40 SB326 inspections under our belt and the fact that we’ve been inspecting decks since 2007, the Association found our experience to be just what they were looking for.

If your Associations decks need to be inspected under SB 326, reach out for a free quote today. We visit your property, we determine how many EEEs need to be inspected and we determine the best method of access to the EEEs. Then we can give you a fixed quote for your Stage 1 inspection.

Find out why managers trust us to be their authoritative source for balcony inspections and get started now! Call us direct at 805-801-2380 or use the contact us box on the left side of the page.

SB 326 Balcony Inspections

Another Satisfied Client Praises Our Knowledge

We love getting positive feedback, I mean who doesn’t?

We don’t ask our clients to review us or praise us, we think that’s kinda cheesy. However we love unsolicited emails like this one that came in today.

“Hello Bill, Thanks again for the work done with ABC HOA.  I’ve received high praise from the Board that they really respect your findings and knowledge of the inspection process.” Kevin HOA Manager

See the difference between William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC vs our competition and get in touch with us for a free EEE evaluation and proposal.

Guaranteed no conflicts of interest, competitive costs, award winning structural engineer and an expert ex Waterproofing contractor. Can they say that?

Contest us via the contact box to the left to get started.

 

SB 326 Balcony Inspections

Santa Barbara County HOA Selects William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC For SB 326 Deck Inspections

We’re pleased to have been selected by an HOA in Santa Barbara County to perform their SB 326 balcony inspections.

The 32 unit association has walkways, stairs and exclusive use decks that need to be inspected, and after a competitive bidding process, selected us as the best qualified firm to perform the inspection.

William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC guarantees that we have no conflicts of interest in owning any waterproofing or construction firm and that an award winning structural engineer inspects the EEEs and as waterproofing experts, our inspection of flashings, waterproofing and related items gives Associations confidence knowing that they have retained a well qualified firm.

We invite you to experience the expertise that we offer as deck inspectors. Call us or email us using the contact us box today to get started.

Deck Inspections, SB 326 Balcony Inspections

Railing Failure Illustrates the Importance of Doing Balcony Inspections

A 9 year old child is lucky to be alive and only suffered some relatively minor injuries when the railing on a deck he was playing on gave way and he fell from the second story deck to the ground.

Our screen grabs from a TV news channel shows just how bad a shape the railing that still remains on the deck is in.

Stiles on the right side of the deck are obviously in poor condition. The whole front part of the railing is gone, indicating widespread dry-rot and likely improper fastening of the railing to the posts.
The remains of the railing lay below the upper deck.

I’ve seen similar railings like this in the past where a carpenter uses a nail in the top of the railing and one on the bottom to attach the stile. This method is not a very good method to achieve a 200 pound resistance to someone leaning against it, and especially for small children who are probably leaning on the stile’s themselves. These cheap wood stiles will often rot out in a few years from being exposed to water.

On one inspection I did at a property for sale, I kicked the wood stiles with a bit of minor force and the stiles failed. The seller was furious that I “damaged” his property, but I pointed out that if his grandchild leaned on that railing he likely would have fallen 15 feet to a concrete sidewalk below. My answer was I probably saved someone’s life, so fix it properly.

A better method of protecting occupants is to use pre built railings that are made of metal welded together in the factory.

Falls through railings are unfortunately a common occurrence, and many result in death or severe injuries. Years ago a Board member of a condo I managed fell through a dry-rotted railing while on vacation, after a few days he passed away from grievous injuries.

This is another example of why we inspect folks.

When it comes to life safety, don’t fool around folks, the reason we inspect is to prevent accidents.

If you are buying a property with decks and railings, have it inspected by an expert like ourselves before closing.

If you are an HOA get your decks inspected by the experts at William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC. We guarantee that we have no conflicts of interest and that we only work for the associations best interests.

SB 326 Balcony Inspections

Balcony Inspection Question

We were recently asked by a client a really good question about wording in the balcony bill, SB 326 regarding our interpretation of the section where it states “This section shall only apply to buildings containing three or more multifamily units ” The client’s buildings have only 2 units per building.

We aren’t attorneys, but we did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night… Sorry that’s a joke… We aren’t able to give legal advice even though we think we know the answer…

Being that we aren’t attorneys we turned to one of the preeminent authorities in the business, Mr Adrian Adams of Adams Stirling PC who runs Davis-Stirling.com and asked Adrian.

Invasive inspections can help save lives.


SMALL BUILDING
BALCONY INSPECTIONS

QUESTION: 

SB 326 states that “This section shall only apply to buildings containing three or more multifamily dwelling units.” Our association has twenty buildings, with only two condos per building. Does that mean we don’t need to inspect our balconies? -Bill

ANSWER: Even though you have 40 balconies (20 buildings times 2), a strict reading of the statute exempts your association from the requirements of invasive inspections. (Civ. Code § 5551(l).) Even though you are exempted, you still need to make visual inspections every three years for your reserve study requirements.

The problem with external visual inspections is that they are external. They can’t detect dry rot and termite damage to a balcony’s structural elements. If any of your balconies collapse causing injuries or deaths, it is almost guaranteed your association will be sued.

Plaintiffs will seek a jury trial and allege the board was negligent in their maintenance obligations and their failure to properly inspect balconies when every other association in the state was performing invasive inspections. A jury would likely agree with plaintiff’s counsel and award substantial damages to the victims. The litigation will negatively impact property values, the buying and selling of units, and insurance premiums. Moreover, the failure of one balcony means all balconies will need to be inspected either during or after the litigation.

RECOMMENDATION: It is less expensive to conduct a § 5551 inspection of your elevated structures than to defend against a wrongful death action. If the inspection finds problems, you can address them and avoid potential harm to residents. If the inspection determines your balconies are in good shape, it provides a layer of protection for the association (and directors) in the event one were to collapse. In addition to inspections, you should institute a regular plan of preventive maintenance and  balcony repairs.

The above information is copyrighted. Reprinted from Davis-Stirling.com by Adams|Stirling PLC

We completely concur with Adrian… My answer back to the client was in the form of a question… Are you willing to find out in a court of law if a jury thinks those balconies are exempt? I think your insurance company is just going to ask how many zeros do there need to be on the check that they write for a wrongful death suit?

It’s not worth the risk to try to avoid an inspection when the stakes are so high. Get in touch with us today about your balcony inspection needs and let us help guide you through the process. We guarantee in writing that a structural engineer performs the inspection in person and that we have no conflicts of interest. Our only interest is you, our client.