While the engineering of your project may feel overwhelming and uncertain, it is my goal to provide you with as much information and answers to your questions, so you can have the peace of mind through your whole project process. You can have as much or as little involvement in this process as you want! See below for answers to some of my most frequently asked questions. Follow me on Facebook or Instagram for even more in depth discussion on these topics and more!
Why should I hire you over a larger firm with more employees and a bigger portfolio?
When you hire me to complete the engineering for your project, you’re hiring more than just an engineer, you’re hiring a client advocate and a personal friend who cares about your project and its success as much as you do. In my firm of one, your project does not get passed around to junior engineers training for the bigger and better. It doesn’t get lost in the shuffle of hundreds of small projects or pushed to the back burner because of a bigger, higher paying project. I bring over a decade of experience to your project and the confidence to see it through, advocate for you when necessary, and pivot efficiently as needed. When you hire me, you know exactly who you’re working with.
Does my project really need a permit?
The short answer is, it depends! Every project is unique and the scale of structural involvement varies. Additionally, each jurisdiction has different criteria on what dictates the need for a permit and the type of permit you may need. Your best bet is to start with a discussion with your local building department to determine whether or not your project will require a permit.
While I have clients that both choose to permit their projects, and others that choose not to, I always recommend completing the permitting process for a couple of reasons: Number one is that the permit process provides valuable oversight on your project and a useful extra set of eyes. Additionally, obtaining a permit and the follow-up inspections protects your investment in your home should you choose to sell down the road. Finally, having your permit during the construction phase can save you from costly fines and additional hassle should anybody complain about your project to the jurisdiction.
Do you have what it takes to engineer my highly complex home project?
Yes! I bring a wide variety of skills to your project! I have extensive experience in many different building materials including wood, steel, masonry, concrete, and even heavy timber! Some of the coolest design elements in a project require outside the box thinking when it comes to engineering. Additionally, I am design-savvy and recognize and respect the importance of the architect or designer in their design elements. No structural decisions on your project are ever made unilaterally, without consultation with your project designer to ensure the design intent for your project remains intact.
I want to remodel my kitchen, can you do all of the drawings?
Not necessarily. My expertise is in the structural components of your project, the bones that typically end up covered at the end of the project. In order to ensure you have complete documents for your project, I recommend obtaining the input of an architect or home designer to compliment the structural documents of your project. Things such as fire code, energy code, egress, water intrusion prevention, and general layout are just simply out of my wheelhouse!
What does the project process look like?
Check out my Typical Project Process post for a complete layout of the steps I take in engineering your project.
What services do you provide and what other professionals might I need for my project?
In short, my scope involves the bones of your remodel from the top of the soil to the roof. As I like to say it, I’m not in charge of making it look good. Fixtures, finishes, and colors all fall to a home designer or architect - or ultimately you. Additionally, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, fire code, energy code, and more falls to other professionals, sometimes your architect, and other times, straight to your contractor. If your project involves steep slopes or other existing geological elements, you may need to involve a geotechnical engineer in your project as well. I can help assess the need to pull a geotechnical engineer early in your project as their report frequently aids in a more efficient structural design!
I’m concerned about the quality of the construction on my project, what should I do?
With respect to structural, I ALWAYS want to hear from you if you have concerns about the quality of construction work. Any concerns you have are far better addressed before it’s covered up rather that waiting to see if it becomes a problem later. Use me as a resource to calm your mind of concerns so everyone can be satisfied with the final product!
My contractor wants to make revisions to the engineering, can we do that?
Once a permit is issued, different jurisdictions have different processes for design revisions. Typically an inspector can review formal memos and structural sketches that reflect revisions in the field at the time of the inspection. For major revisions, they may choose to push through an additional building department review. Field revisions are certainly possible, however I recommend revisions be made prior to submitting for permit whenever possible. There are many many ways to engineer a single project and every contractor has their preferences on how they like to complete them. I work diligently to be efficient with the design while allowing the flexibility where I can to give contractors the leeway they need in the field.
Budget is my top priority, how do you keep my budget in mind in your design?
Budget is very important in your project, whether or not it’s your top priority. First and foremost, I don’t engineer with blinders on - if I see opportunities to shift elements of your design or modify slightly to be more structurally efficient, I will absolutely bring that up with you or your designer early on in the project. It doesn’t have to change, but I work to identify the areas we can be more efficient with materials to help reduce sizes or complexity without detrimentally impacting your final product. I design with readily available materials in mind and am always open to contractor directed revisions should materials be unavailable, high cost, or have long lead times. I am on the team through construction and gladly look into alternatives when needed.
We just had an earthquake or other significant loading event, what red flags should I look for in my home?
Safety is the number one priority in all cases. Right off the bat, if you can visually see broken or failed structural elements to your home such as beams, studs, off of the foundation etc, do not occupy your home, and seek a local engineer for further assessment. Other things to look for are cracked drywall, sagging structural members, and pinched doors or windows. These types of things don’t necessarily indicate structural failure, but should be reviewed by an engineer. When in doubt, document the areas of concern with photos, a ruler, and thorough written or video documentation. Give yourself the information you need to be able to compare the area in the following days, weeks, months or years.