Areas served · Wyoming
Forensic Engineering in Jackson
In and around Jackson
What we investigate in Jackson
Few places in the country engineer roofs for the snow loads Jackson Hole carries, and the valley sits astride the active Teton Fault at the same time. We determine whether a crack, a sag, or a collapse traces to snow overload, seismic demand, or a defect. A licensed engineer responds within 24 hours with no travel charges.
The conditions we see in Jackson
The Teton Fault runs 60 to 70 km along the base of the range and is capable of a magnitude 7.0 to 7.5 earthquake. The USGS puts the seismic hazard here among the highest anywhere in the United States, with the last major surface rupture roughly 5,000 years ago and strain still building on the fault. Western Wyoming falls in a high seismic zone that places most structures in Seismic Design Category D or higher, so lateral systems, hold-downs, and connections carry real load rather than nominal load.
Teton County sets elevation-based ground snow loads that supersede the standard ASCE 7 maps, running from roughly 120 psf in the lower valley to 175 psf and past 350 psf at high elevation, with frost footings required at least 34 inches deep. The stock is heavily wood-frame, log, and timber-frame on high-value mountain lots, engineered for that extreme snow and seismic demand. Older cabins and pre-code structures predate the current snow-load and seismic standards, and the framing often shows it.
How we help in Jackson
The evaluations Jackson cases usually call for
- Snow-load and seismic evaluation
When a roof sags, a ridge cracks, or a foundation shifts in the valley, the cause can be snow overload, seismic movement, deep frost, or a framing defect. Our licensed engineers evaluate the structure against the county's elevation-based snow loads and its Seismic Design Category D demand, then document which force actually caused the damage.
Our structural engineering services- Snowmelt, ice-dam, and failure investigation
After a snowmelt surge, an ice dam, or a partial collapse, we establish what the water or the load actually did and whether the damage is from the event, a pre-existing condition, or a defect. We investigate the component and system failures behind a loss and ground every conclusion in the physical evidence.
Our forensic engineering services
Fire origin & cause
Fire origin and cause in Jackson
A USGS wildfire assessment of Jackson-area properties found 89 percent facing high, very high, or extreme risk, and the log and timber-frame homes tucked into forested lots at the wildland edge burn hot and fast once an ember takes. A high-elevation heating season keeps wood stoves and furnaces running for months, so at a structure loss the question is often whether an exterior ember exposure or an interior heating or electrical fault started it, and the answer degrades within hours.
Our NAFI-certified investigators build each determination on NFPA 921. They work the scene methodically, follow the burn and char patterns back to the area of origin, evaluate the electrical and mechanical systems, and rule causes out until the evidence supports one, accidental or incendiary. Reaching a remote mountain site early preserves evidence that weather and firefighting erase, and the same engineer documents the finding and testifies to it at deposition and trial.
Fires we investigate
- Residential and commercial fires
- Wildland-urban interface ember exposure
- Wood-stove and chimney fires
- Electrical faults in log and timber-frame homes
- Vehicle fires on mountain highways
Common questions
Forensic engineering in Jackson, Wyoming
A different question about your case? An engineer, not a call center, answers within 24 hours.
Does the Teton Fault really affect building damage in Jackson?
Yes. The USGS rates the seismic hazard here among the highest in the country, and most structures fall in Seismic Design Category D or higher. When we evaluate a crack or a shifted foundation, seismic movement is one of the causes we weigh against snow load, frost, and defects.
Can you tell snow-load damage from a construction defect?
Yes. Teton County's ground snow loads run far above the standard ASCE 7 maps, from about 120 psf up past 350 psf at elevation. We evaluate the roof and framing against the load the code required and document whether overload or a framing defect caused the failure.
Do you charge travel to reach Jackson?
No. We work Jackson-area cases from our Omaha lab and Los Angeles office with no travel charges, and a licensed engineer responds within 24 hours.
Have a loss that needs answers?
Tell us what happened. An engineer, not a call center, will review your case.