Stephen Cheatham: Why Most Structural Failures Are Not Surprises

Stephen Cheatham, a Florida-based structural engineer and independent consultant, explains why the buildings that fail in storms are usually the result of risks people chose to ignore.

The Problem Hiding in Plain Sight

Florida, USA, Jul 26, 2026, ZEX PR WIRE, A developer called Stephen Cheatham three weeks before hurricane season with plans to retrofit a beachfront property. The building had survived two decades of storms, but recent inspections revealed corrosion in critical structural connections. The owner wanted a quick fix to get tenants back in before peak rental season.

Cheatham walked the site and reviewed the original plans. The problems were not sudden. They were predictable. Salt exposure, inadequate protective coatings, and deferred maintenance had created exactly the kind of vulnerability that shows up when wind speeds exceed 100 miles per hour.

Instead of a cosmetic repair, Cheatham recommended a phased reinforcement plan that addressed underlying weaknesses. The owner balked at the timeline. Cheatham held firm. Six months later, the building weathered a Category 3 hurricane with minimal damage while neighboring structures sustained costly failures.

“Most failures are not surprises,” Cheatham says. “They’re the result of things people chose to ignore.”

The Short-Term Trap

Cheatham spent nearly a decade working with coastal development firms in Florida before launching his independent consulting practice in 2010. During that time, he watched a pattern repeat itself: pressure to move projects quickly, decisions driven by immediate costs, and long-term risks treated as unlikely scenarios.

“There’s always pressure to move fast,” he explains. “But the environment doesn’t care about deadlines.”

He saw buildings designed to meet minimum code requirements without accounting for site-specific conditions. He saw materials selected for cost savings that would degrade faster in salt air. He saw maintenance plans that looked adequate on paper but were never executed.

“I started seeing how easy it was for people to focus on what needed to happen today without thinking enough about what might happen years from now,” Cheatham recalls.

That realization shaped his decision to transition into independent work. He wanted to spend more time on projects that aligned with his values, helping clients make decisions that would hold up over decades rather than quarters.

How Things Actually Hold Up

Cheatham’s approach is rooted in a principle he has carried since childhood: understanding how things work means understanding what happens when they are put to the test.

Growing up in northern Florida, he spent time taking apart small engines, helping neighbors with repairs, and observing how storms affected buildings in his area. He was always curious about why some structures lasted and others did not.

“I learned more by doing than by being told,” he says.

That hands-on curiosity evolved into a career focused on durability and resilience. As a structural engineer, Cheatham evaluates not just whether a building meets code, but whether it can withstand the specific environmental forces it will face over 20 or 30 years.

“It’s one thing to build something,” he notes. “It’s another thing to understand what that structure will face over the next twenty or thirty years.”

His work involves analyzing wind loads, flood risk, soil conditions, material performance in coastal climates, and maintenance realities. He helps property owners and developers see the difference between what looks sufficient and what will actually hold up.

“I’ve always been more interested in how things hold up than how they look,” Cheatham says.

Copy This Framework: Five Phases to Build for the Long Term

Cheatham’s methodology for assessing and improving structural resilience can be applied by property owners, investors, and developers working in storm-prone regions. Here are the five phases he follows:

Phase 1: Understand Your Exposure Identify the specific environmental forces your structure will face. This includes wind speed zones, flood elevation requirements, soil type, proximity to salt water, and historical storm data for your location. Do not rely solely on generalized code minimums. Study what has actually happened in your area.

Phase 2: Evaluate Current Condition Conduct a thorough structural assessment that goes beyond surface-level inspections. Look for signs of corrosion, material degradation, connection integrity, and drainage issues. Hire an independent engineer who is not tied to a contractor or vendor. Get an honest baseline.

Phase 3: Map the Vulnerabilities Prioritize risks based on likelihood and consequence. Identify which components are most critical to structural integrity and which are most susceptible to failure. Focus on connections, fasteners, roof-to-wall attachments, foundation anchoring, and protective coatings in salt environments.

Phase 4: Plan for Realistic Maintenance Design a maintenance schedule that accounts for actual resource availability, not ideal scenarios. If a protective coating requires reapplication every three years, build that into your operating budget and calendar. Most failures happen because planned maintenance never occurs.

Phase 5: Build in Margins Design and retrofit with buffers that account for uncertainty. Use materials rated above minimum requirements. Oversize critical connections. Account for changing environmental conditions. The goal is not perfection but resilience when conditions exceed expectations.

Quick Wins: Start Here This Week

• Request a copy of your property’s original structural drawings and review them with a licensed engineer.

• Walk your property after the next rainstorm to observe drainage patterns and identify standing water.

• Photograph all visible connections, fasteners, and metal components for a baseline condition record.

• Schedule an independent structural assessment before the next storm season.

• Review your insurance policy to confirm coverage aligns with actual replacement cost and current flood maps.

Red Flags: Warning Signs You Cannot Ignore

• Rust stains or corrosion visible on structural metal components.

• Cracks in foundation walls or slabs that have widened over time.

• Doors or windows that no longer close properly, indicating settlement or movement.

• Water intrusion or staining in attics, crawl spaces, or around roof connections.

• Missing or damaged fasteners on roof sheathing or wall panels.

• Previous repairs that addressed symptoms but not underlying causes.

• Maintenance plans that exist on paper but have not been executed in years.

Apply This Framework to Your Own Situation This Week

If you own or manage property in a storm-prone region, the time to assess your risk is not after a hurricane warning is issued. It is now.

Start by identifying one critical system in your building and evaluate it using the five-phase framework. Roof connections are a good starting point. So are foundation anchors. Pick one, assess it honestly, and take action based on what you find.

“It’s not just about putting something up,” Cheatham says. “It’s about asking what it will face over time.”

The structures that survive are the ones built by people who asked that question early and answered it honestly.

About Stephen Cheatham

Stephen Cheatham is a structural engineer and independent consulting professional based in Florida. He specializes in coastal resilience, risk assessment, and structural evaluation for property owners, investors, and developers. After working with coastal development firms for nearly a decade, he launched his independent practice in 2010. His work focuses on helping clients understand long-term risk and build structures that endure in storm-prone environments. He holds a degree in structural engineering and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Florida.