We’re the Central Coast’s Solution for Building Envelope Compliance Testing!
William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC is proud to announce that we have become members of the North American Building Compliance Testing Association (NABCTA) !
We’re constantly seeking to improve our skills, increase our knowledge and bring the Central Coast of California local expertise and professionalism.
If you need building envelope leak testing, litigation support on waterproofing defect claims or building envelope consulting, please reach out today! We provide ASTM E 1105 testing and full compliance reporting.
After a cyclic test, this recently repaired stucco wall was found to be leaking. Another wall, another test proves that the stucco wall was improperly reassembled resulting in water intrusion into the building.A spray rack is set up to test the walls and windows on a recently built medical building in Templeton CA
What is E 1105 you ask?
How the Testing Works
Water Spray: A calibrated outdoor spray rack applies water uniformly at a rate of 5.0 gallons per hour per square foot.Air Pressure: An interior or exterior chamber creates a controlled air-pressure difference to simulate wind pushing rain against the building.Observation: Inspectors watch the interior side of the test specimen to see if any water penetrates past the building envelope.
Testing Procedures
Procedure A (Uniform Static Pressure): Applies a steady, constant air pressure difference, usually for a 15-minute test period.
Procedure B (Cyclic Static Pressure): Cycles the air pressure on and off (e.g., 5 minutes on, 1 minute off) for multiple cycles to mimic gusting wind.
Why It Is Used
Quality Assurance: Verifies that field installation, flashing, and sealants were done correctly right after construction.
Forensic Investigation: Helps locate the source of active water leaks in existing buildings.
Quality assurance inspections can also help ensure that the building envelope is being installed correctly. We offer QA inspections for building owners during construction. Catch problems before the building is closed in.
If you are building new construction, get your windows and doors tested before closing in the building. Call today 805-801-2380
William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC is a founding member—and we are inviting other California inspection companies to participate.
California homeowners associations, apartment owners, community managers, and building owners are being asked to make important decisions about balcony and exterior elevated element inspections. Those decisions can affect occupant safety, association finances, reserve planning, repair priorities, and long-term property maintenance.
Consumers deserve to know exactly who they are hiring.
That is why William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC is a founding member of the Balcony Inspection Transparency Project, or BITP.
BITP is being developed as a source-based consumer-information project focused on companies offering balcony, deck, and exterior elevated element inspection services in California. Its purpose is straightforward: make important information about inspection providers easier to find, understand, compare, and correct.
I don’t want to do this just on my own, so if you would like to volunteer as a participant to ensure a fair and even process across the board, feel free to let me know!
We document. We disclose. You decide.
We Are Seeking Cooperation Across the Industry BITP should not be a directory in which one company gets to ask questions of everyone else while avoiding those same questions itself. William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC intends to complete the same transparency questionnaire offered to every participating company. We will identify our company’s ownership, services, professional relationships, role in SB 326 projects, relevant licenses and qualifications, business affiliations, and whether we or another participant may have a financial interest in related services.
We are inviting balcony inspection companies, engineering firms, architectural firms, contractors, consultants, and other businesses offering exterior elevated element inspection services to participate voluntarily and without charge.
Participating companies will have an opportunity to: Describe their company and inspection process in their own words;
Identify who performs field inspections;
Explain who prepares, reviews, signs, or seals the final report;
List applicable California professional and contractor licenses;
Explain certifications and professional designations they advertise;
Disclose relationships with credentialing organizations, training companies, associations, engineering firms, contractors, and repair providers;
Describe insurance and conflict-of-interest practices;
Provide supporting records and links; and Correct, clarify, or update information appearing in their profile.
Download the Fillable BITP Company Questionnaire
Submit a Company Profile Online
What Consumers Should Be Able to Learn
A company profile should answer more than, “Does this business advertise balcony inspections?”
Consumers should be able to determine:
Who is actually performing the fieldwork?
Who exercises the professional judgment required by the applicable law?
Who is responsible for the final report?
What California licenses do those people hold?
Is an advertised certification governmental, private, association-issued, manufacturer-issued, or simply evidence of completing a training course?
Who created and controls the organization issuing that certification?
Does the inspection company—or a related business—perform repairs arising from its findings?
Are referral fees, commissions, reciprocal referrals, or other financial relationships involved?
Are important advertising claims supported by current, identifiable sources?
These questions do not assume that a particular business arrangement is improper. Inspection companies can be structured in many legitimate ways. Engineers, architects, contractors, consultants, technicians, and specialty firms can each have appropriate roles depending on the property, applicable statute, agreement, supervision, and scope of services.
The important point is that the consumer should not have to guess what those roles and relationships are.
Participation Is Not Certification or Endorsement
BITP will not call participating companies “BITP Certified.” Participation will not mean that BITP has approved, recommended, ranked, accredited, or guaranteed a company’s work.
A participating company will be identified as having supplied standardized information. Individual fields may be labeled:
Company supplied;
Company representation;
Corroborated by identified source;
Not independently reviewed;
Not disclosed; or
Disputed information.
Profiles may be published after private administrative review even when every factual field has not yet been independently corroborated. Unreviewed information will be labeled accordingly. That distinction allows companies to participate promptly without causing consumers to mistake company-supplied information for government verification or BITP endorsement.
What If a Company Does Not Participate?
Participation is voluntary. A company’s decision not to complete the questionnaire does not prove that the company has done anything wrong. BITP may nevertheless create a Public-Information Profile using identified sources such as government licensing databases, Secretary of State records, company websites, archived webpages, published advertising, organizational records, and other material that can reasonably be authenticated.
Those profiles will be conspicuously labeled:
Public-Information Profile
This profile was compiled from the identified public sources. No completed, authorized company questionnaire has been incorporated as of the date shown.
Companies will be encouraged to respond, submit corrections, provide additional context, or complete the full questionnaire.
Why Hesitation Deserves Closer Attention
Balcony and exterior elevated element inspections can involve life-safety concerns and significant financial consequences. A credible provider should be prepared to answer reasonable questions about identity, qualifications, responsibility, and financial relationships.
If a company is hesitant or unwilling to identify who performs the inspection, who signs the report, what license the responsible professional holds, who issues an advertised certification, or whether affiliated businesses may profit from resulting work, a prospective client should pause and investigate further before signing a contract.
That hesitation is not proof of illegality, incompetence, dishonesty, or an improper conflict. There may be a reasonable explanation. But unanswered questions involving professional responsibility and financial interests are relevant warning signs. Consumers should request written clarification, verify public records, compare other providers, and decide whether they are comfortable proceeding.
Transparency does not require every company to use the same business model. It requires the company to describe its model accurately.
Why We Believe Transparency Improves the Industry
Clear disclosure rewards companies that are willing to identify the people performing the work, explain credentials accurately, disclose affiliations, and distinguish inspection services from repair opportunities.
It also helps consumers compare proposals on something more meaningful than price alone. An HOA board should be able to compare:
The actual inspection scope;
The qualifications and role of each participant;
The applicable sampling approach;
The person responsible for professional findings;
The report and follow-up services included;
Potential additional charges;
Credential and association relationships; and Any financial interest in subsequent testing, design, construction, or repair work.
When those facts are clear, responsible providers compete based on documented qualifications, defined scope, professional accountability, and the value they provide.
BITP Will Accept Corrections, Responses, and Consumer Evidence
The Project is also being designed to accept documented corrections, company responses, and private consumer-experience submissions. Consumer submissions will not appear automatically as anonymous reviews or star ratings. BITP may privately verify the submitter, examine supporting documents, redact personal information, seek a company response, and distinguish between firsthand experience, company statements, public records, and BITP analysis.
The goal is not to create a complaint wall. The goal is to build a useful, fair, and correctable information resource.
Our Own Interest Will Be Disclosed
BITP is founded and published by William Leys and William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC. WLWC operates in the waterproofing consulting and balcony inspection-related industry. We therefore have a commercial and professional interest in the subject matter.
We will disclose that interest rather than describe BITP as an independent review website. When BITP discusses a person or company with whom the publisher has had a material business, regulatory, legal, or competitive relationship, that relationship should be specifically disclosed on the relevant page.
The credibility of the Project must come from consistent questions, identified sources, fair attribution, meaningful responses, visible corrections, and standards applied to WLWC as well as everyone else.
An Open Invitation to California Inspection Providers
If your company provides SB 326, SB 721, balcony, deck, waterproofing, or exterior elevated element inspection services in California, we invite you to become part of the Balcony Inspection Transparency Project. Participation is free.
Tell consumers who you are. Identify the people responsible for your work. Explain your credentials. Disclose relevant affiliations. Provide sources that allow important information to be checked. If something in a profile is incomplete or wrong, help us correct it. We are not asking other companies to disclose information that we are unwilling to disclose ourselves.
Download the Fillable Questionnaire (Coming soon)
Learn More About the Balcony Inspection Transparency Project
Publisher disclosure: The Balcony Inspection Transparency Project is founded and published by William Leys and William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC, which provides waterproofing consulting and balcony inspection-related services in California. Participation in BITP does not constitute certification, approval, ranking, recommendation, or endorsement.
William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC 805-801-2380 wleyswaterproofingconsultants.com
We’re still trying to get more information, a balcony collapsed in Hawaii with 7 people on it. The balcony appears to have only been nailed to the building from what we can see.
As seen here, the deck appears to have fallen off the building. It appears to have been nailed into the building instead of bolted. An inspection probably would have caught that flaw. Photo used under the fair use doctrine for education.
This is why inspections matter! The 11th anniversary of Berkeley was two days ago, and here we are again, another collapse. For the people on this balcony, they were injured but they will all be going home from reports I’ve read.
Please schedule your inspection ASAP, if you are renting property either through Airbnb or long-term, protect yourself and your tenants with an inspection.
We serve San Luis Obispo County as well as Santa Barbara and Ventura County for deck inspections under SB326 and general inspections for rental and personal property.
This is another reason why EEE inspections are necessary!
At William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC, we take balcony inspections very seriously as life safety is paramount! Don’t wait until an accident happens, even though no one died in this accident, we’ll bet good money that one or both victims of this railing failure will bring a lawsuit against the building owner. A good inspector likely would have flagged the railing as being unsafe.
Here at William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC we have found many structural deficiencies over the years on EEEs we have inspected. We have had to post notices informing residents that the balconies were off limits until repairs were made.
The answer in short is no, all inspection companies are not the same. Here is an explanation on why inspection companies are not at all equal in experience, ethics and in following the balcony bill requirements.
The SB 326 balcony inspection bill failed to ban inspectors from owning construction companies and failed to ban inspectors who own waterproofing and construction companies from bidding on jobs they inspected, so unscrupulous individuals are popping up to take advantage of unsuspecting and unknowledgeable consumers.
Without a doubt, during your Google search you are bound to come across deck inspection companies advertising on the world wide web which are run by individuals who opened a deck inspection company to take unfair advantage of HOAs despite their contractors licenses having complaint disclosures listed on their license for such offenses such as failing to complete work for the price quoted in their contract, taking a deposit in excess of $1,000, hiring unlicensed sub contractors and departing from trade standards.
We personally know of one deck inspector/deck inspection company who is under active investigation by the Board of Engineers for practicing engineering without an engineering license. That investigation was opened in July 2025 and remains active today.
“Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am, stuck in the middle…”
A recent Insta video posted by One Structural/Balcony 1 reminded me of the lyrics from a 1972 song by Stealers Wheel… And after watching the video several times I wondered why I wasn’t having a stroke over the numerous defects in their work. The video purports to show their expertise in rebuilding a set of stairs and waterproofing them. (The video appears to have been removed from their profile located here https://www.instagram.com/onestructural?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)
In the video it showed a timeline of rebuilding a set of stairs. As I watched it play out I screenshot a few pics, see below.
Recently one of our clients who we have a proposal out with to coordinate their deck inspections under SB326 reached out with some follow-up questions. They wanted to know if we were going to use a boroscope camera and if we were “certified deck inspectors”. Our answer is no, we are not “certified”. Allow me to explain.
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO CONSUMERS! “California does not issue or require a credential called a ‘Certified Deck Inspector’ for SB 326 inspections. Private organizations may issue their own certificates, but consumers should determine who issued the credential, whether the certifying organization is independent of the inspection company, and whether the credential actually qualifies the individual to perform the inspection required by the applicable California statute.”
A quick search on Google showed us that there are several companies that advertise they are “certified deck inspectors”. Diving deeper, it seems all these unscrupulous inspection companies claiming they are certified inspectors are directly affiliated or owned by contractors. By claiming they are “certified inspectors” they seek to elevate their bonafides by saying they’re something that doesn’t exist in the SB326/SB721 inspection field. Continuing our search, the legitimate companies that we compete with make no such claim that they are certified. They make statements that they are architects or engineers, which is readily confirmed via the Board of Engineers and Board of Architects.
Watch this quick video about using fire pits, turkey fryers and grills on combustible decks… To ruin the plot line, do not use turkey, fryers, fire pits or grills on any decks.
Please be safe this Thanksgiving holiday and don’t grill, use a fire pit or fry the turkey on your deck!
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.
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!
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.
We are pleased to announce that we have been selected by a 40 unit HOA in Cayucos on the Central Coast of California to coordinate their SB 326 inspections of balconies stairs and landings to bring them into compliance with Civil Code 5551 aka SB326.
If your Associations decks need to be inspected under SB 326, reach out for a free quote on our coordination servicestoday. We visit your property, r independent licensed structural engineer determines 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 coordinating your Stage 1 inspection.
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.
Find out why managers trust us to be their authoritative source for coordinating 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.
Watch out for monsters that are disguised as “Deck Inspectors” but are really contractors out to steal your HOAs money.
It’s almost Halloween and soon children will be out ringing doorbells for candy by saying trick or treat… And we’ll smile and admire their costumes and fill their bags with some treats and send them on their way.
HOAs are at risk every day of the year however from “trick or treaters” that are disguised as deck inspectors but are really contractors looking to empty your bank account. We’ve seen an uptick in complaints from several HOA managers and HOAs that the deck inspector they retained is now giving them a contract to repair the decks and it seems very high in price and has clauses in it that are onerous and very one sided.
How can you weed out these characters from your bid list and protect your HOAs from being fleeced? While nothing is guaranteed, there are ways to stop these hoodlums in their tracks. To start with, ask your bidders if they have any ownership or other interest in a construction or waterproofing company (we don’t). Ask that they sign a no conflicts of interest guarantee ( we do) and if they do have an ownership or other interest in a contracting company, decline to accept their bid.
Bidding on work after doing an inspection is a gross conflict of interest in our opinion and managers agree with us. Tell your CLAC representative that SB326 needs to be amended to eliminate the loopholes in the current bill. Tell them to ban inspectors from providing bids.
If we find work is needed at your Association, we assist you with writing scopes of work, qualifying 3 contractors to bid and ensure that you are receiving apples to apples bids.
We are open and upfront, if your deck inspector sends to be cagey or avoids answering your questions, you may be getting set up by a contractor.
Have questions? Send us an email with the contact box to the left and we’ll get started on giving you a free EEE evaluation and proposal for your deck inspections. Don’t wait, the deadline is fast approaching.
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.
We are pleased to announce that we have been selected to perform the SB326 balcony inspection for a large community in Camarillo. With 48 decks and 90+ stairs and landings, the Board of Directors vetted three firm’s qualifications before choosing us as the best qualified inspection firm for the job.
Cantilevered decks like this need to be inspected under SB326 Although the stairs are concrete, these stairs are supported by wood and therefore must be inspected.
“We are pleased to be selected as the best qualified inspection company in Ventura County.” Our reputation as an ethical firm, with guarantees that our structural engineer is performing the inspection of the structural elements and not just robosigning a report assures our clients that they are getting the best value for their money.” said Bill Leys, president of William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC.
We invite your Association to put the expertise of William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC team of waterproofing experts and structural engineers to work on your balcony inspection project. Contact us today using the contact form on the right or call Bill Leys directly at 805-801-2380.
