Architects and developers hire Engineous Group for mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering on Los Angeles projects. We are based in Pasadena, and our work runs from Downtown and Hollywood to Santa Monica, Venice and the San Fernando Valley: multifamily, senior housing, healthcare, retail and mixed-use.
One team designs all of the MEP systems, stamps the drawings, and takes the set through LADBS plan check and permitting.
Request a consultation → or call (626) 696-3850
What we design
- Mechanical (HVAC): heating, ventilation and air conditioning design
- Electrical: power distribution, lighting, and low-voltage systems
- Plumbing: domestic water, waste, and gas systems
- Fire protection: sprinkler and life-safety design
- Solar / PV: renewable energy and electrification
Every discipline is coordinated inside one firm, so conflicts get resolved on paper rather than in the field.
Recent projects in Los Angeles
Detailed case studies from our work across the metro:
- The Alfred – multifamily development, Los Angeles
- New Hampshire Apartments – multifamily housing, Los Angeles
- Larrabee Condominiums – condominiums, Santa Monica
- Geneva – mixed-use development, Venice
- Valley Vista Senior Living – senior housing, Van Nuys
Beyond these, our portfolio covers multifamily and mixed-use buildings, assisted living and senior housing, hospitals, outpatient healthcare, schools, historic buildings, hotels and tenant improvements. These building types have their own pages:
- Multifamily and senior housing: apartments, condominiums, and senior living
- Healthcare (OSHPD/HCAI): hospitals, clinics, and outpatient facilities
- Medical offices and clinics: dialysis, urgent care and outpatient clinics
- Restaurants: national chains and independent restaurants
- Tenant improvements: retail, office and multi-site programs
What LADBS plan check actually asks for
Projects in the City of Los Angeles are reviewed by the Department of Building and Safety, and the difference between a set that clears and one that comes back is usually preparation rather than engineering. Mechanical plan check is triggered at defined thresholds (LADBS requires plan check for comfort heating or cooling systems at 500,000 BTU/h input and above), and energy compliance documentation under Title 24, Part 6 has to be complete and consistent with the drawings it describes. Corrections most often come from documentation that does not match the design, not from the design itself.
Healthcare projects are reviewed by HCAI, formerly OSHPD, not by LADBS. See our guide to OSHPD and HCAI MEP engineering for healthcare projects.
Related reading: eight MEP plan check corrections that delay Los Angeles projects.
Where we work
Downtown, Hollywood, Koreatown, Mid-Wilshire, West LA, Culver City, Santa Monica, Venice, Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena, the San Fernando Valley (Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, North Hollywood, Northridge), Long Beach and the South Bay.
Jurisdiction matters as much as geography. Projects inside the City of Los Angeles go to LADBS, while Santa Monica, Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena and Long Beach each run their own building departments with their own submittal conventions. Knowing which applies before drawings are issued avoids a resubmittal cycle.
What architects say
“Engineous Group has been Westfield’s primary MEP Engineer since 2009, successfully completing over 30 projects. They are knowledgeable, competent, responsive, and owner-oriented in every phase of the project.”
Sam Ali, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
“We have worked with The Engineous Group for over 15 years on mixed-use, senior housing, student housing, OSHPD, and commercial projects. I wholeheartedly recommend them to any design firm seeking professional engineering services.”
Jay I. Blatter, Hochhauser Blatter Architecture and Planning
“A well-qualified regional expert, collaborating with us on various-scale projects throughout California and the greater Southwest.”
Jim Glina, Architects Orange, LLP
Those relationships are measured in decades: Hochhauser Blatter at over 15 years, Retail Design Collaborative at nearly two, Architects Orange at over a decade. Repeat work over that length of time is the clearest signal we can point to.
Questions worth asking any MEP firm
Most MEP firms can produce a drawing set. The differences that affect a schedule show up later, during plan check and construction. These are the questions worth asking any of them, including us:
- Who stamps the drawings, and are they in-house? Our mechanical, electrical and plumbing work is stamped by registered Professional Engineers on staff. Ask any firm whether the engineer of record is an employee or a contracted stamp.
- How often do their submittals clear plan check on the first pass? Corrections cost weeks. Most come from documentation that does not match the drawings rather than from the engineering itself.
- Have they done your building type in this jurisdiction? A firm that has done multifamily here knows what LADBS asks for. One that has not will learn on your schedule.
- Who answers during construction? RFIs and submittals continue long after the permit set is issued. Ask who handles them and how quickly.
- Are all disciplines under one roof? When mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection are coordinated inside one firm, conflicts get resolved before they reach the field rather than through a chain of consultants.
How a project runs with us
- Scope and fee. Send the architectural set and the project address. Those two items are usually enough for us to define scope and quote.
- Schematic coordination. Early decisions on shaft space, equipment locations and electrical service are the ones that are expensive to change later.
- Design development. Systems are sized, and Title 24 compliance is developed alongside the drawings rather than bolted on at the end.
- Construction documents. A permit-ready set with drawings, calculations and specifications.
- Plan check response. We respond to corrections directly with the reviewing department.
- Construction administration. Submittal review, RFI response, and site observation as required.
Licensure and professional credentials
Drawings are stamped by registered Professional Engineers on staff, not by contracted seal services. Our engineers hold:
- Registered Professional Engineers in California – mechanical (License No. M-27983), mechanical and plumbing (License No. 31157), and electrical (License No. E-21308).
- Licensure in additional states including Iowa, Illinois, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Colorado, Tennessee, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Washington, Florida and Michigan, so we can follow clients onto projects outside California.
- ASHRAE – American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
- ASPE – American Society of Plumbing Engineers.
- NFPA – National Fire Protection Association.
- I.C.B.O. Certified Electrical Inspector.
- LEED accreditation – LEED AP BD+C, supporting certification on projects including Vision Church at LEED Platinum and multiple LEED Silver buildings.
The firm has been in practice for more than 35 years and is headquartered in Pasadena.
Frequently asked questions
Do you work as the MEP consultant for architects and developers?
Yes. We act as the MEP consultant for architects, owners and developers, from schematic design through permitting and construction administration.
Do you handle multifamily and healthcare projects?
Yes. We regularly engineer multifamily, senior housing, and HCAI/OSHPD healthcare projects, including LADBS plan check and Title 24.
What do you need to quote a project?
The architectural set and the project address. That is usually enough to define scope and send a fee.
Where is your office?
898 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Suite E, Pasadena.
Planning a project that combines residential and commercial space? See our MEP engineering for mixed-use developments.
Talk to an engineer about your project
Call us directly, or send a few details and we will get back to you.
