Palisade Engineering

Palisade Engineering (often branded PE-SE) is a structural engineering firm headquartered at 1680 Montclair, Suite B, in Reno, Nevada. The firm describes itself as a dual-licensed practice whose engineers hold both Professional Engineer (PE) and Structural Engineer (SE) credentials, and it markets itself on responsiveness, fixed-price quotes, and modern BIM/3D modeling workflows. Its stated service area covers five states — Nevada, California, Arizona, Utah, and Iowa — with a core concentration in Reno, Tahoe, and Northern Nevada. The company was founded by Paul Waite, PE, SE, and Joel Heidema, PE. Waite holds a Master's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno, and leads the firm's data center seismic anchorage practice; Heidema brings more than fifteen years of structural engineering and construction management experience. The founders have said they started the firm because they were frustrated with slow, process-light engineering practices, and they positioned PE-SE around picking up the phone, predictable schedules, and 3D modeling every project in Revit before drafting. Palisade Engineering's work spans several building types. On the residential and multifamily side, the firm reports more than 500 units designed across Nevada and California, including wood-frame, podium, and mixed-use buildings — from Midtown Reno infill to large-scale complexes. On the commercial side, it engineers tilt-up, tenant improvement, retail, office, and warehouse projects, with typical permit timelines of four to six weeks. It also offers BIM and 3D modeling, value engineering, and a specialized data center service covering seismic anchorage for server racks, UPS units, generators, and cooling equipment, quoted from $850 per rack with a standard 48-hour turnaround and Risk Category IV design. The firm advertises more than 100 completed projects, licenses in five states, and a typical quote turnaround of under one day, with a personal response from the engineering team within one business day. Its stated differentiators are fixed-price quotes, PE-stamped plans designed for constructability rather than code minimums, and value engineering intended to right-size structural steel and reduce material costs without sacrificing code compliance. Palisade Engineering is a privately held practice and does not appear to be part of a larger corporate group.

Palisade Engineering was founded in Reno, Nevada, by Paul Waite, PE, SE, and Joel Heidema, PE. The firm's own account of its origin is that the founders were dissatisfied with how many engineering firms operated — slow to return calls, lacking repeatable processes, and relying on outdated methods — and wanted to build a practice that answered the phone, delivered on a predictable schedule, and used modern tools such as BIM and 3D modeling because they improve the work rather than for marketing purposes. Paul Waite is a dual-licensed Professional Engineer and Structural Engineer with a Master's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno. His project background includes custom hillside homes in Somersett and Caughlin Ranch as well as multifamily developments of 200 or more units, and he models every project in 3D before it reaches the field. He also leads the firm's data center seismic anchorage work, producing PE-stamped calculations for server racks, UPS systems, generators, and cooling units. Joel Heidema, PE, has more than fifteen years of experience spanning structural engineering and construction management, including time on job sites. The firm has grown around a service area of five states — Nevada, California, Arizona, Utah, and Iowa — with its densest project activity in Reno, Tahoe, and Northern Nevada. Its portfolio, described as more than 100 completed projects, includes custom homes in Somersett, tilt-up warehouses in Sparks, multifamily podium buildings in Midtown Reno, and data center rack anchorage in the TRIC area. On the multifamily side, the firm reports more than 500 units designed across Nevada and California, covering wood-frame, podium, and mixed-use construction. On the commercial side, it handles tilt-up, tenant improvements, warehouses, retail, and office projects, with typical permit timelines of four to six weeks and expedited timelines available for simpler scopes. Palisade Engineering differentiates itself through fixed-price quotes, a typical quote turnaround of under one day, and a personal response from the engineering team within one business day. It emphasizes PE-stamped plans designed for constructability rather than code minimums, and value engineering intended to right-size structural steel and reduce unnecessary material costs while maintaining code compliance. The firm also markets a BIM-first workflow in which every project is modeled in Revit before drafting, with the goal of catching clashes in the model rather than in the field and reducing RFIs and change orders. Its data center offering is quoted from $850 per rack with a standard 48-hour turnaround and Risk Category IV design criteria. The company is privately held and operates from its office at 1680 Montclair, Suite B, Reno, Nevada.

• Palisade Engineering is founded in Reno, Nevada, by Paul Waite, PE, SE, and Joel Heidema, PE.

• Firm reports more than 100 completed projects across Reno, Tahoe, and Northern Nevada.

• Firm reports more than 500 multifamily units designed across Nevada and California.

• Firm expands licensure to five states: Nevada, California, Arizona, Utah, and Iowa.

Responsive, fixed-price structural engineering with dual PE/SE licensure, BIM-first workflows, and constructability-focused design for developers and general contractors in the western United States.

• Multifamily structural engineering

  Wood-frame, podium, and mixed-use design; 500+ units across NV and CA; value-engineered for pro forma viability.

• Commercial structural engineering

  Tilt-up, tenant improvements, warehouses, retail, and office; typical permits in 4–6 weeks.

• BIM & 3D modeling

  Every project modeled in Revit before drafting to catch clashes in the model and reduce RFIs and change orders.

• Value engineering

  Right-sizing structural steel to reduce material costs while maintaining code compliance.

• Data center seismic anchorage

  PE-stamped calcs for server racks, UPS, generators, and cooling units; from $850/rack; 48-hour turnaround; Risk Category IV.

1. 1Structural Engineering — Reno, NV | 100+ Projects | PE + SE Licensedpe-se.com
2. 2About Palisade Engineering — PE + SE Licensed Structural Engineers | Reno, NVpe-se.com
3. 3Contact Palisade Engineering — Free Quote, Responsive Engineering | (775) 323-6633pe-se.com
4. 4Commercial Structural Engineering — Tilt-Up, TI, Warehouse | PE + SE Licensed | Palisade Engineeringpe-se.com
5. 5Palisade Engineering — Wikidatawikidata.org