Getting documentation together for your application can be a daunting process. This short guide gives you an outline of when to get an engineer involved.

What Do Project X’s Engineers Do?

We use science and experience to ensure that your structure is safe, economical and functional.

When should I get Engineering?

We normally need reasonably resolved level architectural documentation to be able to complete the engineering design. On simple jobs, we can sometimes work on rudimentary sketches. For complex or novel designs there can be a benefit for the engineering to be developed as a team with the client and the architectural design.

Checklist of documentation needed to get you Engineering design.

• Your contact details

• Architectural plans – Provided by an architect or building designer. Architects can use their training and creative flair to provide a superior aesthetic dimension, liveability and functionality to the end result. Building designers/draftspersons tend to work on simpler projects with less design input and so generally charge less.   

• Soil (geotechnical) report – for some projects it is possible to do without a soil report and we can make conservative assumptions in the design. However, often there will be a net cost benefit and improved reliability by getting a soil investigation done.

• Conditions of consent – if you have received Development Consent (your DA has been approved).

How much will it cost?

That depends. Like a TV, car, horse or a house – it depends on the product. We generally provide a firm written quote based on the architectural plans. We have provided engineering house designs that cost from $300 right through to $30,000! Major commercial or industrial buildings can cost more (or less).

We provide a more detailed design than most of our competitors. As a result, sometimes our engineering fees are more expensive. However, we find that taking more care in the design phase makes for safer, smoother, and ultimately cheaper construction.

What will Project X provide?

We will do the engineering design using the principles of structural mechanics, various Australian standards and using our decades of experience in the construction industry. Our structure must be safe; within that framework we aim to deliver a structure that is as serviceable and economical as possible.

You will receive a set of pdf plans. After payment is received we will certify the design and drawings.

We recommend that we have a supervision and checking role through the construction process because only we understand the reason why the construction details are as they are. We are better placed to pick up issues that need resolving during construction and that can save a whole lot of heartache and cost further down the track. Whilst it is the Council or accredited certifier’s duty to undertake supervision, they generally accept an engineer’s certification if you gain their authority to do so. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.