Structural Engineer visit's

[sja360]

I've just had a building warrant put together by our architect but actually we haven't even seen the structural engineer at the house to see anything, is this normal as we're paying £600-800 for a survey that really the guy didn't do s*** for.

Or do some jobs not even require a visit? Seems like easy money to me..

 

[Dis86]

Depends what they're paid to do. If they have drawings to scrutinise why would they need to visit the house?

 

[sja360]

Depends what they're paid to do. If they have drawings to scrutinise why would they need to visit the house?

I guess I'm just surprised that a structural engineer would be basing his calculations etc from an architect. Surely he'd have a brief look to see and confirm it is as reported.

If this is how it is normally then it's a bit sad i feel. The more detail and planning that can be put together less mistakes and costs would be involved for someone's project.

Even when the architect put the plans in we mentioned this or that isn't right and I said to the girlfriend i bet this will cost us for re-applying and also time and I was right, he said we can make changes later at a small cost.

See below floorplan of beams to be added and very small extension.

https://ibb.co/QHKyDQq

 

[Dis86]

I guess I'm just surprised that a structural engineer would be basing his calculations etc from an architect. Surely he'd have a brief look to see and confirm it is as reported.

If this is how it is normally then it's a bit sad i feel. The more detail and planning that can be put together less mistakes and costs would be involved for someone's project.

Even when the architect put the plans in we mentioned this or that isn't right and I said to the girlfriend i bet this will cost us for re-applying and also time and I was right, he said we can make changes later at a small cost.

See below floorplan of beams to be added and very small extension.

https://ibb.co/S0s4Vmf

Why would he need to look and see it's as reported? How do you think a structural engineer works before the building has been built?

 

[tom_nieto]

The money will be spent calculating how large the load bearing steels will have to be.

 

[Deleted member 66701]

I've just had a building warrant put together by our architect but actually we haven't even seen the structural engineer at the house to see anything, is this normal as we're paying £600-800 for a survey that really the guy didn't do s*** for.

Or do some jobs not even require a visit? Seems like easy money to me..

We had a side extension and a loft conversion done in two separate builds - structural engineer didn't visit for either one.

 

[{SAS}TB]

Completely normal

 

[Derek W]

Quite a lot of the time the engineer can do a 'desktop study' with regard to the ground conditions for any foundations. Your architect would have sent through site photos along with the drawings so they can do their calculations for the beams. There will be a degree of assumption made, however they wil tend to over engineer things, especially up here with the SER certificate scheme where they have to jump through several hoops over and above our English and Welsh counterparts. Dunno if the scheme has been extended to down south but it was started up here.

Also you may want to edit the image as it has your street address in the pdf name.

 

[sja360]

Alright i guess this is how its done. Cheers for the heads up derek about the pdf title.

 

[Haggisman]

He was probably too busy assessing the level of structural damaged caused by nailing screws into bricks

 

[Derek W]

Alright i guess this is how its done. Cheers for the heads up derek about the pdf title.

Just as a matter of interest as you're localish to me which engineer did you use?

 

[theone8181]

Does your house have a turret on the corner. I'd be tempted by bifolds rather than sliding doors into your garden. We have French doors and I'm kicking myself that we didn't go for bifolds.

 

[Semple]

Is your garage being built the wrong way around? From my assumptions the front door is at the side of the house, rather than the back of the house with the utility room. Which then makes it look like the garage is facing the garden rather than the road/entrance.

 

[Deleted User 298457]

Does your house have a turret on the corner. I'd be tempted by bifolds rather than sliding doors into your garden. We have French doors and I'm kicking myself that we didn't go for bifolds.

Came here to ask this too

 

[Gav_r26]

Is your garage being built the wrong way around? From my assumptions the front door is at the side of the house, rather than the back of the house with the utility room. Which then makes it look like the garage is facing the garden rather than the road/entrance.

It looks like the garage door is pointing towards the hole in the wall labeled 'new sliding gate in opening' with the note, 'Retain access from main road to access garden / parking area', so looks like its the correct way around

 

[bayo000]

He was probably too busy assessing the level of structural damaged caused by nailing screws into bricks

 

[Semple]

It looks like the garage door is pointing towards the hole in the wall labeled 'new sliding gate in opening' with the note, 'Retain access from main road to access garden / parking area', so looks like its the correct way around

Ah yes i didn't see that part. So it's just a bit of a weird orientation of the house, as naturally if you're coming off the road (and especially with a garage facing you) then the nearest door would normally be the front door. But in this case the front door leads straight into a utility room rather than a hallway which is far from the norm.

 

[Gav_r26]

Ah yes i didn't see that part. So it's just a bit of a weird orientation of the house, as naturally if you're coming off the road (and especially with a garage facing you) then the nearest door would normally be the front door. But in this case the front door leads straight into a utility room rather than a hallway which is far from the norm.

I imagine its a corner plot and there is also a path from the road to the front door, and the door facing the garage / garden used to be the back door into the garden, but the garden has been converted to parking.

 

[sja360]

I do love how we're all here trying to suss out this lol

We aren't going with sliding doors, it'll be crittal steel french doors 3.6m wide at the back extension.

Garage will be interesting... I have no idea if i can drive into it from the road. I am sure there is a way..

Our house is on a corner plot. Actually used to be one house back in 1890's according to the deeds.

Yes there is a turret, sadly front garden is noisy and the hedge isn't that tall. So not really used much. Maybe once that hedge grows.

I didn't even choose the structural engineer its a firm in st Andrew's weirdly. McKinney Nicolson. What neck of the woods are you from Derek W?

Gavs spot on with the layout. although the garden is grass at the back, its just the stupid garage & extension on it that you look onto that annoys us, also the kids can be let out but its like a pokey courtyard garden sorta.

 

[Derek W]

I didn't even choose the structural engineer its a firm in st Andrew's weirdly. McKinney Nicolson. Shag neck of the woods are you from Derek W?

.

That's some autocorrect

I'm just up the road in brechin.

Normally if we're getting engineers quotes for clients we'll get them two or three quotes so they at least get a range to see what the going rate is. But saying that the price you've been given does appear to be on a par with one of the regular engineers we use for an extension / garage.