What SIP consulting actually covers
SIP consulting is independent, project-specific technical guidance on structural insulated panel construction. It is not sales, not installation, and not architecture. It is the work that happens before all of those — the decisions that determine whether the project performs as intended, costs what it should, and gets built by the right people with the right materials.
Darryl Simpson has provided SIP consulting on more than $150 million in construction across every project type in the industry: U.S. military installations, commercial processing and cold storage facilities, residential custom homes, tiny homes, timber frame hybrids, ADUs, and subdivision developments. That range of experience is what makes the consulting useful — the problems in a military facility are not the same as the problems in a 2,400 sf custom home, and neither requires the same panel specification.
The eight services
1. Panel selection
Panel selection is the decision at the center of every SIP project. EPS or polyurethane core. What nominal thickness. What manufacturer for this application, this climate zone, this structural requirement. These variables interact — a 6.5″ EPS panel that performs correctly in Climate Zone 4 is undersized for Climate Zone 6 and potentially over-specified for Zone 2. Getting panel selection right requires understanding all of those variables at once, without a financial stake in any particular manufacturer’s product.
2. Value engineering
Value engineering on a SIP project is not cost-cutting. It is precision specification. Most over-budget SIP projects are over-budget because someone specified more panel than the application required, ordered too much, or selected a manufacturer whose lead times forced expensive schedule changes. Value engineering identifies those inefficiencies before they become line items on a contractor invoice. On residential projects, clients routinely recover the cost of consulting through value engineering alone.
3. Architectural plan development
SIP construction requires plan sets drawn with the panel system in mind — structural connections, spline locations, chase routing for electrical and mechanical, panel lift sequencing. A plan set produced for conventional framing and adapted after the fact is a common source of field problems and change orders. Plan development from the consulting side means those decisions are made correctly the first time.
4. Engineering stamps
Many jurisdictions require stamped engineering drawings for SIP projects. Darryl provides engineering stamps valid in all 50 states. The stamp process includes plan review, structural confirmation, and documentation prepared for permit submission. For projects in multiple jurisdictions — commercial or subdivision work — this eliminates the coordination problem of managing multiple stamping engineers across state lines.
5. Spec writing
A SIP specification document tells the contractor exactly what panels to order, from whom, at what dimension, and how to handle them on site. Vague specifications produce substitutions. Substitutions produce performance deviations. Spec writing closes that gap — the document is specific enough that there is no room for a contractor to make a material decision on the owner’s behalf.
6. Contractor vetting
SIP installation is a skilled trade. The difference between an experienced SIP crew and one that has installed two buildings is measurable in the finished product — air tightness, structural integrity, panel joint quality, chase routing. Vetting a contractor before hire involves reviewing completed project history, questioning their panel installation process, and in some cases visiting a project they have under construction. It is faster and cheaper than managing an installation problem after the fact.
7. Project management
For clients who need active oversight through the construction phase, project management includes coordination between the owner, architect, engineer, contractor, and manufacturer — from panel order confirmation through delivery, installation milestone review, and final inspection. Commercial and specialty projects typically require this level of engagement. Some residential owners request it as well, particularly on first-time SIP builds.
8. Site inspections
Site inspections are conducted at critical construction milestones — typically at panel delivery, at structural frame completion, and at air barrier close-in. The inspection report documents panel placement accuracy, joint sealing quality, structural connection conformance, and any installation deficiencies with recommended corrections. On military and commercial projects, multiple inspections are standard. On residential projects, a single mid-construction inspection catches most problems while they are still correctable.
Who hires a SIP consultant
Homeowners planning a custom build
The homeowner who has done enough research to know they want SIP construction — but not enough to know which panel fits their climate zone, which manufacturer is appropriate, or whether their builder has actually installed SIPs correctly before. The consulting call gets them to a confident decision before money is committed.
Builders and developers
Builders who use SIPs regularly and need an independent panel specification to protect themselves from manufacturer bias. Developers who are taking an entire project to SIP construction and need value engineering at scale. Both need spec accuracy and engineering documentation without the overhead of managing it internally.
Architects and engineers
AEC professionals who encounter SIP projects periodically and need a technical consultant with panel-specific depth. Engineering stamps, spec writing, and plan review are the most common requests. These are professionals who know construction — they need SIP-specific expertise, not a generalist.
Commercial and specialty clients
Military procurement officers, commercial facility managers, and specialty project owners who need a consultant with proven experience at their scale. These projects have narrow tolerance for error. The consulting relationship on a $5M commercial facility is different in scope but identical in principle to a residential engagement: right panel, right spec, right contractor, right outcome.
What makes this different from calling a manufacturer
A manufacturer knows their panels. They also sell their panels. These two facts coexist without contradiction — and they define the limit of what a manufacturer can honestly advise on. They cannot tell you whether a competitor’s product is better suited to your application. They will not tell you that their highest-performing panel is also their highest-margin product. They have no incentive to recommend a lighter specification than what they can sell.
Independent consulting removes that filter. The recommendation is based on what fits the project — not what’s in a manufacturer’s catalog or what generates a better margin. On a project with a panel budget of $150,000 to $500,000+, the difference is material.
The industry myth worth addressing
Myth: “Any SIP panel works for any build.”
This is wrong, and it costs people money. EPS panels perform differently from polyurethane panels in the same climate zone. A panel appropriate for a 1,800 sf residential build in Georgia is not appropriate for a cold storage facility in Minnesota or a military structure requiring ballistic attenuation. Panel selection is a decision — not a default. The assumption that any panel fits any build is the most expensive assumption in SIP construction.
The consulting process
Every engagement starts with the paid intro call — 45 to 60 minutes, project-specific, no generic agenda. From there, scope is defined in writing and the work begins. Most residential projects run two to four weeks from intro call to final deliverable. Commercial projects scale with complexity. See the full process →
Service packages
Five structured packages cover the most common engagement types, from residential under 1,500 sf to commercial and specialty projects at any scale. View service packages →