Puerto Rico Engineering

For investors & owners building, buying, or relocating to Puerto Rico

The regulatory surprises that stall PR projects? We map them before you buy, build, or relocate.

Licensed, bilingual Puerto Rico engineers. We reduce the risk in your purchase, build, or relocation: technical due diligence, permitting, civil/MEP/structural, heritage, and the engineering side of Act 60.

One contact. Total clarity. Zero ghosting.

Let's talk!

No-obligation project review.
We reply within one business day.

Led by a PR-licensed PE Bilingual EN · ES E. Santiago Martínez, PE #12474 Somos de Aquí

Services

What we do

Technical Due Diligence

Don't close on PR property blind. We assess structure, soil, flood/hurricane exposure, and permit status before you buy or build.

Property Damage & Hurricane Inspection

Licensed assessment after storm or structural damage, documented to the evidentiary standard carriers expect.

Act 60 Engineering & Permitting

Act 60 covers your taxes, not your build. We own the permitting, code, and construction-sequencing side so the permitting does not stall the build.

Permitting & Code Compliance

Permits through OGPe and the Reglamento Conjunto (PR's unified permit code), sequenced with ICP heritage review so one approval doesn't reset another.

Structural Engineering

Assessments and design for Puerto Rico's seismic and hurricane reality, so the structure holds when it is tested.

Civil Engineering

Drainage, grading, and retaining structures engineered so water and soil work for your build, not against it.

MEP Engineering

Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing coordinated under one lead, so the systems that run the building don't collide in the field.

Historic Preservation

Projects in or near historic zones answer to the ICP and federal Section 106. We navigate both so heritage rules don't stall your timeline.

Drone Documentation

See the roof, façade, and structure you can't safely reach, before a hidden defect becomes a closing surprise.

How we work

What our work looks like across Puerto Rico

What we check, and what you get, on real engagements. Details are anonymized for client confidentiality.

Corroding steel roof framing, joists, purlins, and metal deck seen from below during a structural inspection
Structural Inspection

Steel roof structure, corrosion inspection

What we checked
A steel-framed roof, its joists, purlins, and deck corroding from below, to judge how much sound section was left and whether it could still carry load.
What you get
A written structural read: what is sound, what is compromised, and the next step, in writing.
Representative image: empty, unfurnished interior with painted walls, ceiling, and column, and a row of tall dark-framed windows along one wall
Heritage + MEP

Adaptive reuse in a San Juan historic district

What we mapped
Heritage compliance (ICP, Ley 112 and Ley 89), MEP due diligence, and the OGPe permitting sequence for a 1930s reinforced-concrete building, before design.
Outcome
A favorable ICP conceptual recommendation, with the utility and code constraints documented up front.
Corroded two-way reinforcing steel exposed across a spalled concrete soffit during a structural condition assessment
Condition Assessment

Concrete deterioration assessment

What we checked
A mid-century reinforced-concrete home where the slab reinforcement had corroded and the concrete cover was breaking away, to judge how far the deterioration had gone and what it meant for safety.
Outcome
A structural memorandum with immediate safety controls and a stabilization path, so the owner could act on facts.

The accountability layer

Why owners bring us in

Most projects don't fail at construction. They fail at the start, when the regulatory layers weren't mapped before capital moved. We are the accountability layer: we select the right engineers, align scopes early, and sequence the federal and Puerto Rico tracks so they advance together instead of blocking each other. One accountable, licensed PE leads your project from first call to final stamp, not a broker’s referral chain or a generalist inspector’s checklist.

The accountable engineer

Who stands behind the work

Technical due diligence is a judgment call, and someone has to be accountable for it. Ours has a name, a license, and over 45 years on the island.

Portrait of Edgardo L. Santiago Martínez

Edgardo L. Santiago Martínez, PE

Chief Engineering Officer

One lead stays accountable for the whole.

Structural, civil, and chemical engineer with over 45 years on high-stakes projects in Puerto Rico. Each discipline is sealed by its own licensed Puerto Rico engineer or architect, so the right seal sits on every sheet.

  • 45+Years on high-stakes PR projects
  • #12474PR Professional Engineer license
  • CIAPRColegio de Ingenieros y Agrimensores de PR
  • EN · ESBilingual, locally rooted
Edgardo on LinkedIn → (opens in a new tab)

Guides for buyers

Before you buy, read the engineer's view

Plain-language guides on the questions that decide whether a Puerto Rico property is sound, legal, permitted, and insurable. Written by our licensed PE, not a listing agent.

More

View all guides →

Engineer-written guides on permits, hurricane and earthquake, flood, title, imported prefab homes, and the full due-diligence picture.

6 guides →

The standard

How we work

  1. One technical lead, one communication thread. No scope gaps between disciplines.
  2. We map the compliance path (permits, heritage, flood) before you mobilize.
  3. We reply to every inquiry within one business day, in writing. Weekly updates. Documented next steps.

Let's talk!

The compliance path we map first

Oficina de Gerencia de Permisos (OGPe)

Permit intake and routing. The unified front door for every build.

Reglamento Conjunto (Ley 161-2009)

Puerto Rico's unified permit code. The rulebook every approval answers to.

Instituto de Cultura de Puerto Rico (ICP)

Historic-zone heritage review under Ley 89-1955, when the site sits in a protected zone.

Section 106, National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)

The federal heritage track, sequenced to advance with the local one, not reset it.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood zones

The flood overlay, mapped before any capital moves.

Seismic and hurricane code

Puerto Rico's structural reality, checked before you mobilize.

Questions

What owners ask before reaching out

Six questions we answer before anyone signs anything.

Still unsure? Let's talk!

Do you work with stateside owners who aren't in Puerto Rico yet?

Yes. Most of our clients are buying, building, or relocating from the mainland. We run the technical and regulatory work locally, so you don't have to be on the ground for every step.

What does technical due diligence cover before I buy?

Structure, soil, flood and hurricane exposure, code and permit status, and any open violations. You get a clear go, conditions, or no-go read before you close.

Act 60 covers my taxes. Why would I need engineering?

Act 60 is the tax decree, not the build. We own the permitting, code, and construction-sequencing side (OGPe, the Reglamento Conjunto, ICP) so the permitting does not stall the build.

How long does permitting take in Puerto Rico?

It depends on the agency path and whether the site touches a flood or historic zone. We map the sequence up front so the federal and Puerto Rico tracks advance together instead of resetting each other.

Who stamps the drawings?

Each discipline is sealed by its own licensed Puerto Rico engineer or architect, never stamped outside its scope. Edgardo L. Santiago Martínez, PE (Lic. #12474), our Chief Engineering Officer, leads the team and stamps within his structural, civil, and chemical scope.

What happens after I reach out?

A short, no-obligation call to understand the project, then a scoped proposal. We reply to every inquiry within one business day, in writing.

Start here

Tell us about your project.

A few details and your timeline. We reply within one business day, in writing, with next steps.

* required

We answer within one business day. Your details go only to PRE; we do not sell or share them. Privacy Policy.

Direct channels

Other ways to reach us

WhatsApp us (opens in a new tab) +1-787-226-3749 projects@engineering.pr

Where we work: Dorado, PR, serving projects across Puerto Rico, island-wide.

One-business-day response standard. Reach us by any channel and you hear back within one business day, every time.

Prefer to book a time?

If you would rather start with a short, no-obligation call, the fastest path is to reach us on the contact page.