Engineers Certificate

metricspaces

I am getting building work done to knock out the back wall in my kitchen. I want an engineers certify work and provide certificate just in case I ever sell the house. Is there some official name for this certificate provided by an engineer?

Calahonda52

metricspaces wrote: »

I am getting building work done to knock out the back wall in my kitchen. I want an engineers certify work and provide certificate just in case I ever sell the house. Is there some official name for this certificate provided by an engineer?

Have a look here
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=101901640#post101901640

metricspaces

Thanks. So a "Chartered Structural Engineer's Certificate" is required?

Should I let the builder organise the engineer or should I organise it? Does it matter if I get a "Chartered Structural Engineer's Certificate" at the end of it?

dathi

metricspaces wrote: »

Thanks. So a "Chartered Structural Engineer's Certificate" is required?

Should I let the builder organise the engineer or should I organise it? Does it matter if I get a "Chartered Structural Engineer's Certificate" at the end of it?

you should organise the structural engineer yourself before any construction begins . as it is the engineer who specifies the size of steel required to hold up your house . it should not be the builder deciding this.

metricspaces

dathi wrote: »

you should organise the structural engineer yourself before any construction begins . as it is the engineer who specifies the size of steel required to hold up your house . it should not be the builder deciding this.

The builder suggested getting the engineer from the timber frame company. So it would be the engineer of the timber frame company deciding on the steel, not the builder right? So where's the difference in me getting a different engineer?

mickdw

Don't allow the builder to organise the engineer.
He could well come back and say he has gotten another Engineer. There are some who will sign off on anything if given a few quid.

You get engineer. you pay him and he will specify the works correctly and with your interests in mind.

metricspaces

Well. What I was thinking of doing was getting the contact details of the engineer from the timber frame company. Chatting to him. Ensure I was happy with what I heard back. If I was happy, then proceed with letting the builder use that engineer. What would be wrong with that?

The engineer from the timber frame company knows the building the best. No other engineer is going to have access to the same information as him.

mickdw

Yes. you are right. that would be a good person to use. But again, get him on board from your side, pay him direct and get all details issued through you with suitable inspection plan agreed instead of having the builder calling the shots.
Make no mistake, you are paying his fee whichever way you go.
It's possible your builder is excellent and non of this is an issue but there is about a 70 percent chance that the builder is attempting to gain advantage from getting the engineer on board from his side.

metricspaces

Ok, so hopefully all will be good when I talk to engineer from timber frame company.

What advantage could the builder gain by getting the engineer on board from his side?

mickdw

metricspaces wrote: »

Ok, so hopefully all will be good when I talk to engineer from timber frame company.

What advantage could the builder gain by getting the engineer on board from his side?

Ask yourself why would builder not prefer to have certified design handed to him by your engineer? Perhaps he is looking for a cheaper way out with engineer he has used before or intends to strong arm the engineer seeing as he is the one handing over the cash to him.
I think you have been well advised at this stage but you still are going ahead with the builder providing the engineer.
Its the oldest trick in the dodgy builder book - I will get it certified for ya. Owner agrees and dodgy work is the result 99 times out of 100.
In addition, I know of more than one case of Engineer not getting his fees and builder gone off site bust with more than his share of the money.. Homeowner left to fork out again to obtain the cert.
There is simply no upside for owner in having the builder connected to the engineer. Plenty opportunity for upside for the builder though.

Just don't say you haven't been warned.

metricspaces

Ok. Makes sense. So if I do as suggested above. This should be ok?

I get contact details of engineer from timber frame company that builder got timber frame from.

Builder will already know this engineer from building the house. This is ok?

I pay the engineer directly and agree plan for works with engineer. Engineer provides cert directly to me after work is done.

Metric Tensor

Remember you also need the engineer to design and supervise your foundations.

metricspaces

Metric Tensor wrote: »

Remember you also need the engineer to design and supervise your foundations.

I don't understand. Foundations aren't being touched. Just knocking out part of back wall to put in french doors. Why would this require design and supervision of foundations?

mickdw

metricspaces wrote: »

Ok. Makes sense. So if I do as suggested above. This should be ok?

I get contact details of engineer from timber frame company that builder got timber frame from.

Builder will already know this engineer from building the house. This is ok?

I pay the engineer directly and agree plan for works with engineer. Engineer provides cert directly to me after work is done.

Yes, have him working directly for you, paid by you.
Personally, what I would do is contact frame manufacturer and tell them you are planning to alter one of their frames. They would likely advise as to who to contact re structural detailing.

Metric Tensor

metricspaces wrote: »

I don't understand. Foundations aren't being touched. Just knocking out part of back wall to put in french doors. Why would this require design and supervision of foundations?

Apologies - I thought you were putting an extension outside of these new doors.

In most cases what you've described would not need changes to the foundations. (There are some situations where one might but your engineer will tell you.)