Tag Archives: Northridge deck inspector SB 326

SB 326 Balcony Inspections

Why You Should Hire William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC For Coordinating Your Balcony Inspections

Here’s why William Leys Waterproofing Consultants, LLC stands out as your best choice for coordinating lbalcony (SB-326) inspections:

What Makes Us the Ideal Choice

1. Strong Experience & Genuine Expertise

A deep background in waterproofing.
Bill Leys brings more than two decades of hands-on experience, beginning in 2003 as a waterproofing contractor and working for a leading engineering/architect firm- Allana Buick & Bers in Palo Alto.

2. Trusted
Bill has been a licensed deck waterproofing contractor since 2007, actively installing waterproof deck coatings across California for HOAs, apartment complexes, and residential projects. Hundreds of clients over the years have trusted Bill to waterproof their decks.

3. Extensive deck inspection history
Since 2007, Bill has conducted deck inspections for HOAs, apartments, and real estate transactions—bringing 17+ years of field knowledge to each inspection.

4.  Ethical Integrity & No Conflicts of Interest

5. Strict ethical standards
We guarantee in writing that there are no conflicts of interest—we do not bid on repair work, nor are we tied to any alternative revenue streams.

6. Transparent and fair bidding
Instead of pushing repair contracts, William Leys encourages clients to obtain three competitive bids, maintaining the free market and transparency.

7. Compliance with SB-326 Requirements

8. Engineer-led inspections
We require that an independent licensed structural engineer be physically present during inspections—this ensures full compliance with SB-326, which mandates a qualified professional conduct the inspections.

Supplemental waterproofing reports
While the structural engineer handles the official inspection and report, we provide a supplementary waterproofing report that is appended to the engineer’s sealed report—creating a comprehensive and technically rigorous report.

9. Comprehensive, Client-Focused Service

100% sampling on EEEs (Exterior Elevated Elements)
Unlike some providers meeting only minimum statistical thresholds, we inspect 100% of all categories (decks, stairs, walkways), delivering a thorough, confidence-building evaluation.

Specialized for HOA needs
Bill’s previous experience as a CMCA-certified HOA manager gives him insight into reserve studies, ongoing maintenance concerns, and association priorities.

Relevant geographic coverage
Serving a wide area—from Paso Robles to Bakersfield, Orange County, and Palm Springs—we’re locally accessible and familiar with regional building conditions.

Insurance and protection
We carry robust General Liability, Workers’ Compensation, and Errors & Omissions insurance—valuable safeguards for HOAs and associations.

10. Proven Reputation & Client Trust

Positive client feedback
One HOA manager shared:

“I’ve received high praise from the Board that they really respect your findings and knowledge of the inspection process.”

Trusted repeat selection
We’ve been chosen by multiple HOAs—such as in Santa Barbara and Palm Springs—because of our reliability, ethical stand, and expertise to coordinate SB 326 inspections.

In Summary

Experience & Expertise 20+ years in waterproofing, licensed, deeply technical
Ethical Integrity No repair bidding; transparent client-focused approach
SB-326 Compliance Engineer on site; dual-report method for structural and waterproofing insights
Thorough Service 100% EEE inspection; HOA management savvy; wide service area
Client Trust & Reputation Praised by HOAs; chosen repeatedly for key projects

In short, William Leys Waterproofing Consultants excel through their blend of deep technical knowledge, unwavering ethics, regulatory compliance, and client-centric service. They provide both peace of mind and exceptional quality—making them a standout choice for balcony inspections under SB-326.

Reach out today for a free quote on your inspection.

SB 326 Balcony Inspections

Bill Leys Explains Why Job Site Visits are Essential For the Engineer to Determine How Many EEEs Must be  Inspected Under SB326

While on a property in Orange county I made this short video on why we walk properties before e give an HOA a bid on coordinating 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.

Continue reading You Gotta Read the Fine Print! HOA’s Need to be Careful of Companies Advertising “Free” or “20% Off” Type Offers on Balcony Inspections →
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 coordinating SB 326 balcony inspections with licensed independent structural engineers, 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

In Somber Remembrance of The Tenth Anniversary of the Berkeley Balcony Tragedy

A chilling tragedy at Library Gardens in Berkeley occurred ten years ago today, June 16th, 2015 when a deck collapsed with thirteen people on it, killing seven people and leaving six people permanently injured. This is why we inspect.

Take a moment to remember the victims of Berkeley who lost their lives that terrible night on June 16th 2015 – Ashley Donohoe, Olivia Burke, Eoghan Culligan, Niccolai “Nick” Schuster, Lorcán Miller, Eimear Walsh and Aoife Beary and the survivors, who remain permanently injured, Clodagh Cogley, Seán Fahey, Conor Flynn, Jack Halpin, Niall Murray and Hannah Waters.

This should never have happened, yet it did. Poor construction practices and in my opinion outright negligence caused this accident..

In somber remembrance of the victims of the Berkeley balcony tragedy, we want to remind everyone that this is accident is why we inspect. This can never happen again, this is why SB326 and SB721 are now in effect. As professional inspectors, we take our duty to save lives and property very seriously.

Please get your decks inspected, the life you save could be your own.

Articles & Videos

Check Out Our YouTube Videos Here

We just wanted to send you to our articles and videos page to check out the videos from our YouTube channel!

http://sb326deckinspectors.com/articles-powerpoint-presentations-by-bill-leys/

Here are a couple of our most popular vids. Leave a comment and subscribe to our channel!

Learn about how deck drains and scuppers should be installed and why it’s important to counter flash scuppers on the exterior walls.
Learn about ember resistant vents for balconies. Soffits + crawl spaces
Here we discuss who can perform inspections and who must write and sign the report for sb326.
Poor workmanship doomed this new addition with intrusion, resulting in tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage to restore the waterproofing. 

Deck Inspections, SB 326 Balcony Inspections, Uncategorized

Protect Your HOA, Insist That any Company Bidding Your SB326 Inspection Signs This Certification Guarantee

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.

Continue reading Protect Your HOA, Insist That any Company Bidding Your SB326 Inspection Signs This Certification Guarantee →
SB 326 Balcony Inspections

SB326 & The Board of Directors Fiduciary Duties To Act In the Best Interests of the Association

Fiduciary duty is defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary as a “duty obligating a fiduciary as an agent or trustee to act with loyalty and honesty in a manner consistent with the best interest of the beneficiary of the fiduciary relationship as a principal or trust beneficiary.”

CAI’ magazine “Common Ground” has a very good article in their March April issue on fiduciary duty. Quoting from the article Bob Diamond, senior council at Reed Smith in McLean Virginia says”the essence of fiduciary duty is to act in the best interests of those who you serve. A director must put aside personal considerations when making decisions on behalf of the owners.”

Rotting wood on a deck.

When it comes to SB326 and fiduciary duty the duty of the board is to carry out the inspections as required by law regardless of cost or a lack of  money in the associations accounts to pay for it. A lack of knowledge or understanding about SB326 will not be a legal defense or at least won’t be a strong defense to not carry out an inspection of the common area Exterior Elevated Elements in my non legal opinion.

Continue reading SB326 & The Board of Directors Fiduciary Duties To Act In the Best Interests of the Association →
Deck Inspections, SB 326 Balcony Inspections, SB 721 Inspections

Balcony Collapses After SB326 Balcony Inspection Bill Deadline Passes, SB721 Apartment Inspection Bill Was Extended

Balcony collapses in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles CA. Fortunately only minor injuries.



I have questions.
Was this a condo or an apartment?
Was an SB326 or SB721 inspection done and what were the findings?
Who did the inspection if it was inspected?
If it wasn’t inspected, why not? SB326 required inspections to be done by January 1, 2025 and SB721 was extended a year until January 1, 2026.
Did a landlord/property manager delay the inspection if it was an apartment?
Did a board of directors delay an inspection despite the deadline?

All these questions need to be asked by ABC7 Los Angeles who reported this incident. ABC 7 please reach out to me and I will meet you on site today, Sunday Feb 16th to review the accident scene from the street. 805-801-2380 Bill Leys

Someone or someone’s will be getting sued.

SB 326 Balcony Inspections

Independent SB 326 Balcony Inspection Report Earns High Marks From a Recent Client

We recently completed making observations of the waterproofing systems during an SB 326 inspection for a client in Los Angeles where our independent structural engineer discovered several concerning issues with their decks. The client had no idea that these problems existed, and appreciated that we recognized the severity of the issues, which resulted in our having to immediately close several balconies from being used. Even though the news wasn’t exactly what they wanted to hear, after reading our report they sent us an email saying in part;

“The HOA appreciates the detailed feedback you and Eric provided as a result of your inspection on September 19th.” Joe B Los Angeles CA

The independent structural engineers report strictly adheres to the requirements set by SB 326, in which an engineer or architect must perform the inspection themselves. We write a supplemental report related to the waterproofing, which is appended to our structural engineers report who is reporting on the structural components of the EEE’s.

One thing clients seem to like in particular is markups on the inspection photo’s we include in our report. It makes it easy for them to “see” the issues we see.

Time is running out for the inspection deadline date, but don’t worry, we can make your inspection happen before Jan 1 if you act now and call us at 805-801-2380 to get started with a free estimate on your inspection.

SB 326 Balcony Inspections

Using Humorous Memes To Get Our Message Out- Protect Your HOA from Unethical SB326 Inspectors Who Own Waterproofing/Contracting Companies

Is humor the best way to market our SB326 inspection coordination services? Viral memes seem to resonate with people these days so it’s worth a shot.

If you need a SB326 inspection you need to vet your inspector thoroughly. Are they independent and free of conflicts of interest? Any inspection company that owns a waterproofing or contracting company is not free of conflicts of interest.

We’ve seen multiple clients coming to us with SB326 reports in hand that were written by contractors, signed off on by an engineer who didn’t actually inspect the EEEs and the report is written to favor the contractor who now uses that report to extort HOAs reserve funds.

At William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC we guarantee in writing that we have no conflicts of interest. We don’t own a waterproofing or contracting company, we hire an independent licensed structural engineer who writes the report and we write a supplemental waterproofing report that is appended to the engineers report.

Call today, time is running out for getting your inspection done before the deadline. 805-801-2380 ask for Bill.

SB 326 Balcony Inspections

Article Written by Adrian Chiang Esq Leaves Zero Doubt About Who Can Inspect EEEs Under SB 326

This past week I got my quarterly issue of Channels Of Communication from the Channel Islands Cheaper of CAI. I was very excited to see that Adrian Chang of Swedelson Gottlieb had written an article on SB 326.

The article references who can inspect association balconies and other EEEs under SB326. Attorney Chiang lays it out with this answer to his own question,

“Who inspects the EEEs and what to expect?“


“A licensed architect or civil or structural engineer* must perform the work.

Continue reading Article Written by Adrian Chiang Esq Leaves Zero Doubt About Who Can Inspect EEEs Under SB 326 →
SB 326 Balcony Inspections

Follow Us! We’re Now On YouTube!

Yes it’s true, we have a YouTube channel that we will be bringing educational content too.

Our first video discusses who can inspect EEEs under SB326, what warning signs to watch for when considering inspectors and why William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC is a great choice for your inspections.

Be sure to subscribe to our channel and comments are always welcome!

SB 326 Balcony Inspections, Uncategorized

A Competitors Guarantee Gives Away Their Game

We compete against Dr Balcony around central and southern California. They are members of multiple CAI Chapters. Despte their low price offer, I know of at least 2x we won a job against them even though my company submitted a bid that was more than theirs.


Why? When I was able to give a presentation to a board of directors and explain how we operated, that we had a licensed structural engineer performing the inspections, that I did a supplemental waterproofing report that was attended to the engineers stamped and sealed report, that we inspected 100% of all the EEEs to ensure that nothing was overlooked, we were awarded the job. They saw my years of experience as a waterproofing contractor, that an engineer was personally on site doing the inspection, that our no conflicts of interest guarantee that we don’t bid on repairs, that we get competitive bids without obstructing the free market, that the 20% discount is a fraudulent attempt to subvert the market, where competitive bidding and a companies experience matter.

I have it on good authority from a client who had this company on site & when they saw who was inspecting the deck complained to their HOA, lo and behold an architect appeared and inspected their deck at that time. They did not know if the architect continued to inspect other decks or just theirs.

I am making inquiries to the Architectural Board & the Board of Engineers as to whether the engineer or architect has to actually be on site & perform the inspections or if they can allow an individual without any engineering or architectural qualifications to perform the inspection basically write the report & then they will put a cover letter on that says the report is accurate.

This offer of taking 20% off the lowest bid that the association received  is just a bad sales tactic because they want to do the repairs, & that 20% off will be easily added back into the cost of the repairs because who is keeping them honest once they get the work?

Continue reading A Competitors Guarantee Gives Away Their Game →
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.

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