Serving Tampa, FL
Storm Damage Structural Engineer Serving Tampa and Hillsborough County, FL
Independent PE-Stamped Storm Damage Inspections for Tampa Bay
Tampa and Hillsborough County are home to a significant and growing residential and commercial property base and a wide range of housing stock that spans several decades of construction. Older Tampa neighborhoods built in the 1950s through the 1980s were constructed under building codes that predate current Florida wind load and impact resistance requirements. When a major storm event affects the Tampa area, these older structures face structural demands they were never designed to handle, and the damage that results goes well beyond what standard inspections identify.
Raymond Gessner, PE, provides independent storm damage inspections and PE-stamped structural engineering reports for residential and commercial properties across Tampa, Brandon, Riverview, Plant City, Temple Terrace, New Tampa, and surrounding Hillsborough County communities. Every report is signed and sealed by Ray personally. Engineering is never subcontracted.
Hail and Storm Damage Inspection in Tampa and Hillsborough County
Tampa Bay sits at the convergence of Gulf of Mexico moisture and Atlantic weather patterns, making it one of the most active thunderstorm regions in the United States. Beyond the well-known hurricane threat, Hillsborough County sees frequent severe thunderstorm activity that produces hail, damaging straight-line winds, and embedded rotation that can cause significant structural impact well outside of named storm events.
Hail damage in the Tampa area is frequently underestimated because Florida storms tend to produce smaller but high-density hailstones embedded in heavy rainfall. The damage to shingle granule layers, flashing, and soft metal surfaces is real but difficult to identify without close inspection using the right methodology.
Our storm damage inspections specifically assess:
- Hurricane and severe thunderstorm wind uplift damage to roof systems and structural connections
- Hail impact patterns across all exterior roof and wall surfaces, with soft metal calibration surfaces used to establish hail size at the specific property location
- Structural load path effects from debris impact, tree falls, or sustained wind loading
- Foundation and slab conditions following heavy saturation or localized flooding
- Exterior wall framing and sheathing conditions after storm exposure
- Flashing and seal failures at roof penetrations, chimneys, and wall openings that allow ongoing moisture entry
Why an Independent Structural Engineer Matters for Tampa Homeowners
Tampa’s growth ensures that there will be many homeowners who will go through claims, permits for renovations, and transactions in which the structures come into question. The moment that there is damage due to a storm, the claim process starts right away. This will ensure that there will be a good understanding of how much the storm damaged the structure.
Getting an independent PE-stamped engineering assessment early in the process is the most effective way to ensure the documentation reflects the full scope of the storm’s structural impact. Raymond Gessner, PE, works for no insurer and has no financial stake in any outcome. His assessments reflect field evidence and engineering conclusions.
His reports are accepted by Florida insurance carriers, Hillsborough County building departments, and courts, and he is available to provide expert witness testimony in insurance disputes and legal proceedings.
Additional Structural Engineering Services in Tampa and Hillsborough County
Beyond storm damage assessment, we provide the following structural engineering services throughout Hillsborough County:
Foundation Inspections
Engineering assessment of slab and foundation conditions, particularly relevant for Tampa’s older housing stock where original construction standards differ from current code requirements, and for properties that experienced soil saturation during recent storm events.
Load-Bearing Wall Analysis
PE-stamped engineering reports for wall removal or modification, required for structural permit applications in Tampa and Hillsborough County. Open-plan renovations in older Tampa homes frequently require engineering analysis before a contractor can proceed.
Residential Structural Inspections
Independent engineering assessment for buyers, sellers, lenders, and homeowners who need documented structural conclusions before making significant property decisions.
Structural Damage Assessment – Cause and extent analysis for damage from wind, water, impact, settlement, termite activity, or deterioration, with
PE-stamped reports for insurance and legal purposes.
Permit Engineering Reports
PE-stamped documentation for building permit applications involving structural work in Tampa, unincorporated Hillsborough County, and surrounding jurisdictions.
Credentials and Qualifications
Raymond Gessner, PE, holds the following active credentials relevant to storm damage and structural engineering services in Florida:
- Licensed Professional Engineer, State of Florida (active licensure)
- HAAG Certified Residential Roof Inspector — the most recognized credential for forensic roof damage evaluation
- InterNACHI Certified Home Inspector
- CSIA Certified — Chimney Safety Institute of America
- F.I.R.E. Certified — Fireplace Investigation Research and Education
- OSHA 30 Certified
- Virginia Class A Contractor License #2705139016
- Licensed Professional Engineer #0402032901
- Master Tradesman License (HVAC, Plumbing, Gasfitting) — Commonwealth of Virginia
- 20+ states of active PE licensure, including Florida
- General Liability Insurance: $1,000,000 per occurrence, $3,000,000 aggregate
- Professional Liability Insurance: $1,000,000
- A+ Rating, Better Business Bureau
- 25+ years of structural engineering experience
Frequently Asked Questions
The home inspector conducts a general visual inspection. The structural engineer conducts an engineering evaluation by assessing the particular structural components, recording the cause and scope of the damage using engineering methods and field data, and preparing an engineering report that is stamped by a PE. For storm damage, that difference makes a huge difference.
Many houses in the Tampa area are constructed during the years between 1950s and 1980s and do not comply with Florida’s new requirements for wind load and impact. The houses were built before the new hurricane requirements and therefore do not have proper connections, roof-wall connection, and frame systems that would make them resilient to hurricanes. Engineering evaluation is done on the existing structure rather than new code.
Yes. An independent PE-stamped report documenting the cause and extent of storm damage, tied to verified meteorological data from the event, provides the professional engineering documentation needed to support a claim review. Many Hillsborough County homeowners have found that independent engineering documentation gave them a stronger basis for continuing the claims process.
Yes. We serve Brandon, Riverview, Valrico, Plant City, Temple Terrace, New Tampa, Lutz, Land O Lakes, and communities throughout Hillsborough County.
Yes. Raymond Gessner, PE, holds active PE licensure in Florida and personally stamps every report issued for Florida properties.
Request an Independent Storm Damage Assessment in Tampa or Hillsborough County
- Licensed PE, Florida and 20+ states
- HAAG Certified Roof Inspector
- NOAA and radar-verified meteorological data
- PE-stamped reports accepted by Florida insurers and courts
- Expert witness available
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