Consulting

Whether we are speaking for a plaintiff or a defendant, or as a neutral expert, our work is backed by real-life project experience, thorough preparation, and thoughtful delivery. Our collaborative approach with attorneys, mediators, and forensic experts, including opposing experts, has resulted in thousands of successful cases—including testimony in depositions, mediations, trials, and arbitrations—in both state and federal court, across six states. We deliver cost-of-repair estimates that we can actually guarantee—an offering that is unique to our company.


Investigating building problems is challenging. It often involves the surgical disassembly and removal of building components, one layer at a time, to reveal underlying conditions—all with a scrutinizing audience. Our dedicated teams of construction personnel have been specifically trained to operate cleanly and carefully, while under pressure in occupied spaces, at the direction of a variety of forensic experts in support of these investigations. Once testing is completed, our destructive testing teams skillfully repair and replace any affected building components and finishes, leaving no trace of the testing work performed.

Sometimes, a reconstruction assignment doesn’t need a reconstruction contractor. Rather, a client might need that same expertise, contracted in a different way, or sometimes a client just needs an advocate on their side to oversee their project and protect their interests. As a user-friendly trade partner, we can tailor our services to meet that need. We use the same skills and construction knowledge that we use to perform reconstruction, as well as the same technical and management tools, to oversee reconstruction projects as a construction manager—a client advocate who can ensure that work is performed as contracted, timely and complete, and advise our clients through the process. 

Planning reconstruction can be a daunting task for a homeowners association. There is often an overload of contradictory and confusing information, and almost always a budget limitation. We understand these challenges. Using our project knowledge, reconstruction experience and architectural training, we can help prioritize repairs, establish budgets, value-engineer repair options, and develop cost-effective scopes of work to meet those budgets. Additionally, with our extensive reconstruction and cost estimating expertise, and network of subcontractors and trade partners, we are able to provide you with project budgets that are both reasonable and realistic. 


The 2015 Berkeley deck collapse killed six and injured seven—a tragedy that should never be repeated. California Senate Bill 326 requires common interest developments to comply with an inspection and repair process for exterior elevated elements that is overseen by a licensed architect or engineer, to ensure their safety. As one of the first consultants to respond to and implement this process, Nautilus is a pioneer in developing cost-effective inspection and testing procedures, utilizing statistical models and technology to minimize costs and disruption, and providing real-world advice to our homeowners association clients.