Coe + Company — multi-disciplined construction experts
Services

Comprehensive solutions for every stage of a construction dispute

From the first confidential inquiry through trial testimony — independent investigation, defensible analysis, and clear reporting across eight core disciplines.

Close inspection of cracking in a concrete slab during a forensic investigation01

Forensic Construction Consulting

Coe & Company conducts independent forensic investigations of construction failures and defects across residential, commercial, industrial, and public projects. Each investigation follows the physical evidence — from document review through site inspection and testing — to establish what was built, how it deviates from the plans, codes, and standards that governed it, and what it will take to correct.

Commonly Evaluated

  • Construction defect claims on new and remodeled buildings
  • System failures and start-up problems in building systems
  • Water intrusion, moisture, and mold-related damage
  • Workmanship and standard-of-care disputes

Typical Activities

  • Root-cause analysis to identify the origin of failure
  • Site inspections with technical field documentation
  • Intrusive and destructive testing oversight
  • Code compliance verification against applicable standards
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Commercial office building with curved glass facade, subject of construction claims analysis02

Construction Claims Analysis & Support

Construction claims turn on documentation. Coe & Company analyzes contracts, change orders, schedules, and work in place to clarify responsibility and quantify damages. At the San Francisco International Terminal, Mr. Coe estimated and negotiated over a thousand change orders of more than $100 million and reviewed over two hundred change orders with savings for the airport of over $20 million. He has also supported claims on delay, work stoppage, bonding, and nonperformance matters.

Commonly Evaluated

  • Change order and extra-work disputes
  • Cost overrun and back-charge claims
  • Construction delay and work stoppage actions
  • Bond and nonperformance claims

Typical Activities

  • Change order review and negotiation support
  • Work-in-place and contract value cost evaluations
  • Estimating from plan takeoffs and supplier invoices
  • Schedule and sequence-of-work review
Service DetailsRequest a Case Review →
Courtroom witness stand and judicial bench where expert testimony is delivered03

Expert Witness Testimony & Litigation Support

Mr. Coe has been disclosed as the designated expert on more than 190 cases and has consulted on over three hundred additional cases, providing both plaintiff and defense expert witness representation. He has served as a court-appointed third-party expert, has given testimony in arbitrations involving construction delays and bond actions, and has helped in contract mediation and dispute resolution on projects involving issues of more than $10 million. His opinions address the standard of care for contractors, construction managers, inspection companies, and specialty subcontractors.

Commonly Evaluated

  • Construction defect litigation
  • Standard-of-care disputes
  • Contract and payment litigation
  • Fire investigations and electrical fire causes

Typical Activities

  • Expert designation and disclosure support
  • Deposition and trial testimony
  • Arbitration and mediation participation
  • Rebuttal of opposing expert opinions
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Rooftop mechanical equipment and ductwork examined during an MEP system evaluation04

MEP & Fire Sprinkler Analysis

Coe & Company brings top-level expertise in mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire sprinkler (MEPF) systems. Mr. Coe began his electrical apprenticeship in 1973, has been a certified journeyman inside wireman since 1977, and holds California general and electrical contractor licenses. He has led investigations into system failures and start-up design problems involving lighting, energy management systems, flash freezers, HVAC, fire sprinklers, chilled water systems, electrical power, automated conveyors, and photovoltaic systems, and acts as an expert witness and provides cost estimates on MEPF issues for buildings up to 1,200,000 square feet or more.

Commonly Evaluated

  • Non-performing HVAC and duct installations
  • Undersized electrical services and faulty planning
  • Fire sprinkler installation and coverage defects
  • Plumbing, piping, and drainage failures

Typical Activities

  • System performance testing and evaluation
  • Design intent verification
  • Control logic analysis
  • Installation quality and code review
Service DetailsRequest a Case Review →
Electrical conduit and wiring conditions reviewed for code compliance05

Code Compliance & Standards Review

Whether work meets code is often the central technical question in a construction dispute. Coe & Company evaluates installations against the applicable building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and fire codes, and against industry standards from organizations including ASTM, ANSI, ASHRAE, ASME, NFPA, and UL. Mr. Coe's background includes ICBO residential electrical inspection training and membership in the International Association of Electrical Inspectors from 2003 to 2018.

Commonly Evaluated

  • Code violation allegations
  • Un-permitted and non-compliant work
  • Habitability compliance cases
  • Life-safety code questions

Typical Activities

  • Code research for the applicable edition and jurisdiction
  • Field verification of as-built conditions
  • Comparison of installations to standards and listings
  • Permit history review
Service DetailsRequest a Case Review →
Opened stucco wall assembly revealing conditions that inform repair cost estimates06

Cost Estimating & Damage Assessment

Damages must be proven, not asserted. Coe & Company develops cost estimates from plan takeoffs, supplier invoices, and industry costing data — experience built as Deputy Chief Estimator on the $2 billion San Francisco International Terminal project and as Senior Construction Planner/Estimator at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where Mr. Coe reviewed all outside budget estimates on $120 million of Title I and II projects.

Commonly Evaluated

  • Cost of repair disagreements
  • Change order pricing disputes
  • Insurance claim valuations
  • Restoration and remediation costs

Typical Activities

  • Repair scope development
  • Plan takeoff estimating
  • Invoice and job-cost auditing
  • Comparative bid analysis
Service DetailsRequest a Case Review →
Building system detail examined during a safety and hazard investigation07

Personal Injury & Electrocution Investigation

Electrical injury cases demand an expert who understands how electrical systems are actually built and maintained. Mr. Coe — a certified journeyman inside wireman since 1977, a licensed California electrical contractor, and formerly a California-certified general electrician — has served as an expert in electrocution cases at a waste treatment facility, a state-owned building, and a single-family home, along with expert and consulting work on electrical fires and accidents.

Commonly Evaluated

  • Electrocution and electrical shock injuries
  • Electrical fire causes
  • Premises liability involving building systems
  • Construction site safety incidents

Typical Activities

  • Incident scene inspection and documentation
  • Electrical system tracing and testing
  • Hazard identification and analysis
  • Code and safety-standard comparison
Service DetailsRequest a Case Review →
Calibrated water spray test in progress on a building window assembly08

Building Envelope, Roofing & Waterproofing Analysis

Water finds every defect. Coe & Company investigates roofing, flashing, siding, stucco and EIFS, windows, decks, and below-grade waterproofing to determine how water enters a building and what damage it has caused. Investigations frequently combine visual inspection with water testing and destructive openings to expose the concealed conditions that documents alone cannot show.

Commonly Evaluated

  • Roof leaks and premature roofing failures
  • Window and door water intrusion
  • Stucco and EIFS exterior damage
  • Deck and balcony waterproofing failures

Typical Activities

  • Water spray testing of windows and assemblies
  • Destructive testing of wall and deck assemblies
  • Roof condition surveys
  • Flashing and sealant joint evaluation
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At a Glance

The practice on one page

A one-page overview of Coe & Company's forensic electrical and construction analysis services — useful for sharing with colleagues, counsel, or claims teams.

Coe & Company one-page overview: forensic electrical and construction analysis — typical services including site inspections, evidence review, electrical system evaluation, construction document review, maintenance record review, code and standards analysis, failure reconstruction support, technical reporting, litigation support, and expert witness testimony; supporting attorneys and law firms, insurance carriers and adjusters, property owners, developers, general contractors, subcontractors, manufacturers, government agencies, public agencies, and HOAs and building owners
Forensic Electrical & Construction Analysis — service overviewDownload Overview
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Describe the matter in a confidential case inquiry and Coe & Company will identify the right scope — or tell you candidly if the matter is outside the firm's expertise.

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