Owner-side advisory · No contractors · No conflicts
Private advisory · Los Angeles coastal estates
One side ofthe table.Yours.
Independent hazardous-materials and structural advisory for Los Angeles coastal estates. We don't do the work — we make sure the people who do are working for you.
View practiceThe Practice
Advocacy,notremediation.
We carry no hammers and file no invoices for work. Our only product is judgment applied exclusively on behalf of the owner.
01
Mold and Water Damage
Moisture mapping, containment strategy, clearance standards, and contractor performance reviewed before damage turns into a second problem.
02
Fire and Smoke Residue
Residue testing, odor pathways, cleaning protocols, and documentation tracked so restoration decisions are based on evidence, not pressure.
03
Asbestos and Legacy Materials
Legacy materials identified, sampled, abated, and closed out with the right custody trail before renovation or rebuild work moves forward.
04
Indoor Air Quality and VOCs
Airborne particulate, volatile organic compounds, and post-remediation clearance coordinated with independent testing and readable reporting.
05
Pre-Sale Diligence
Environmental and structural risk reviewed before acquisition, listing, or negotiation so hidden liability does not arrive after the transaction.
06
Contractor Procurement
License, insurance, bonding, scope, and field performance reviewed before any crew steps on site. Every contract questioned before it is signed.
Roman & Stephen · Malibu
Co-founders
The Origin
Twiceinthirtyyears,thecanyonclaimedtheridge.
Stephen James Gary was born in Malibu. He watched his family's home burn in 1993 and again in 2018. Both times, the hardest part wasn't the loss — it was what came after: contractors who couldn't be trusted, advisors who worked for the insurance company.
Roman Cantelearist spent years overseeing construction across Los Angeles and watched, repeatedly, how quickly standards drift when no one is clearly standing for the person paying the bill.
James Roman Advisory exists because both of them needed it, years before they built it.
Most owners meet this work at the worst possible moment. The house is damaged, the bids don't agree, the reports are unreadable, and someone wants a decision by Friday. We stay in it from the first test to the final clearance — reading the technical work, questioning the contracts, measuring what was done against what was promised, and putting all of it in writing. You still make every decision. You just stop guessing.
The Cornerstone
Thetermswedon'tnegotiate.
01
Privacy
NDA-protected engagements. No public client list. Your property and family context are held in confidential engagement records and shared only as the engagement, your instructions, or applicable law permits.
02
Transparency
Every test result, invoice, and report logged to your Private Office. Decisions are reconstructable. Nothing circulates informally.
03
Access
A direct line to the founding partner. We accept a limited number of engagements each quarter — deliberately. Judgment cannot be scaled.
The Private Office
YourPrivateOffice.
Every client receives a dedicated digital workspace — real-time transparency on compliance status, document custody, and site activity. Nothing circulates informally.
The Private Office
Engagement file
Malibu estate · Active · Week 7
64%
Progress
24
Documents logged
9
Site visits
Airborne asbestos
0.008 f/cc
Below the 0.01 f/cc clearance limit
independent PCM
Site safety
All personnel cleared
Asbestos notification
SCAQMD Rule 1403 · filed · #····7743
Next milestone
Independent clearance test · Week 8
Get in touch
Requestaconfidentialconsultation.
We review your inquiry before arranging a consultation. Secure document exchange begins after an engagement is accepted.