Someone on the owner's side who knows what the drawings mean.
Zambrano Enterprises stays with the project after the design is permitted: bids compared on the same defined system, submittals checked against the design, field questions answered, inspections coordinated and the closeout file assembled.
The call usually starts like this.
If one of these sounds like your site, the form above is the fastest way to get a defined path back.
We have three bids and they are not for the same thing.”
The contractor submitted a different tank than the one on the drawings.”
The inspector failed the sump test and the contractor says the design is the problem.”
Nobody on our staff can read these submittals.”
The job is done and we cannot get the permit to operate because the closeout documents are missing.”
The architect asked who is going to answer the fuel-system RFIs.”
Concrete deliverables, not a proposal to write one.
- Bid review memo: scope comparison, exclusions and clarifications so the bids can be compared line for line
- Submittal and shop-drawing review comments against the approved design and the AHJ's requirements
- Written RFI responses and field directives
- Site visit reports at critical stages: excavation and bedding, tank set, piping and sump installation, testing and startup
- Inspection coordination with the health department, fire marshal, building department and DEC or DEQ
- Closeout documentation: as-built drawings, test certificates, equipment listings, warranties, operator training records and the permit to operate
How ZE approaches construction support and owner representation.
Zambrano Enterprises provides specialized fuel-system design and technical consulting services. When professional engineering review or certification is required, ZE coordinates with appropriately licensed Professional Engineers through established professional relationships nationwide.
Everyone prices the same system
A defined design lets contractors bid the same tank, the same piping, the same sumps and the same monitoring. ZE reviews the bids against that scope and flags the exclusions and substitutions, so the owner is comparing prices, not guessing at what each bidder left out.
Substitutions get checked before they get installed
A different tank listing, a different sump, a different leak-detection sensor: each one can void the permit approval or fail the inspection. ZE reviews submittals against the design and the AHJ's approval before the material ships, not after the inspector rejects it.
The person who designed it is the person on site
Matt Zambrano reviews the bids, answers the RFIs and visits the site himself. Field questions get answered by someone who knows why the drawing says what it says, and the owner has one point of contact from design through the permit to operate.
How the work runs.
- STEP 1
Bid review and scope alignment
Compare each bid against the design and the permit conditions. Identify exclusions, allowances, substitutions and gaps. Issue clarifications so the owner can award on a like-for-like basis.
- STEP 2
Submittal and shop-drawing review
Review tank, piping, sump, dispenser, monitoring and containment submittals against the design and the listings the AHJ approved. Return comments quickly so the schedule does not wait on paper.
- STEP 3
RFIs and field questions
Answer the contractor's questions in writing, resolve conflicts between the drawings and site conditions, and document any change so the as-builts and the agency file stay accurate.
- STEP 4
Site visits and AHJ inspections
Visit at the stages where a mistake is expensive to undo: bedding and backfill, tank set, piping and sump installation, tightness and sump testing, and startup. Coordinate the inspections the agencies require to witness.
- STEP 5
Closeout
Assemble the as-builts, test certificates, listings, warranties and training records, confirm the installation matches the approved drawings, and secure the permit to operate or final approval.
About construction support and owner representation.
Not answered here? Ask directly.
Talk to a Fuel-System SpecialistIs this construction management or general contracting?
No. Zambrano Enterprises does not hold the construction contract, schedule the trades or carry construction risk. ZE represents the owner's technical interest: making sure what gets bid, submitted, built and inspected is the system that was designed and permitted. The contractor builds the system.
Do you compete with the contractor?
No. Petroleum contractors are partners and, in many cases, the people who bring ZE onto a project. A defined design and a reviewer who answers questions quickly makes the contractor's job easier and reduces the change orders that come from field assumptions. ZE also works directly alongside contractors as their design and permitting resource.
Can you review bids on a design ZE did not prepare?
Yes. The review is most useful when the design defines the system well enough that bids can be compared. If the drawings leave the tank, piping or monitoring undefined, ZE will say so and may recommend a short scope document before bids go out, so the owner is not awarding on price for a system nobody has defined.
How many site visits are included?
It depends on the project. A single AST replacement may need two or three visits at the critical stages; a retail UST system replacement needs more. ZE proposes the visit schedule with the engagement, keyed to the stages where an error is expensive to undo and to the inspections the agency wants to witness.
What happens if the inspector fails a test?
ZE determines whether the failure is an installation issue, a material issue or a test-procedure issue, works out the correction with the contractor and the inspector, and documents the retest. Because the design was permitted around the AHJ's requirements, the question is almost always about the installation rather than the approval.
Usually part of the same project.
Fuel System Design
Complete, constructible fuel-system designs with equipment, configuration, codes and AHJ requirements vetted before the contractor prices the job.
Fuel Tank Permitting
Permit due diligence and approvals from every authority having jurisdiction, handled as part of the design rather than an afterthought.
Technical Design Support for Firms
Fuel-system specialist support for engineering firms, architects, consultants and petroleum contractors, behind the scenes.
Send us the situation. We'll tell you the path.
Photos, a violation notice, an inspection report, or just a description of the site. Matt reviews every inquiry personally and comes back with a clear next step.