Should I Hire a Contractor or Engineer? What You Need to Know
The difference between a structural engineer and a contractor is quite simple. Engineers make the rules and contractors follow the rules. Building code provides the rules for non-structural components such as HVAC, plumbing electrical and general remodeling. Now, If you want repairs or upgrades that affect the structure: remove a wall, vault ceilings, build onto the home, repair water intrusion in a crawl space/basement or fix cracks and settling in a foundation you’ll need a structural engineer because you need someone to create the rules the contractor will follow. Some things are too complex to be distilled into building code.
If It's Structural Call An Engineer First: Here's Why
Most people call contractors first because they give free quotes and cost is what we really want to know. Contractors can give quotes on anything, including jobs requiring a structural engineer……. before they’ve consulted with an engineer.
When a contractor gives a quote on a job requiring a structural engineer they are making a guess as to what the engineer will require. They are not allowed to make the determination themselves. Guessing is risky so contractors increase their price to what they believe the worst case scenario will be. This can add 10-50% to the cost of the job depending on their experience. Not so good for you.
If you call a structural engineer first they will lay out, in excruciating detail, exactly what needs to be done. There will be no questions. You can then take the engineering plans and hand them to a few contractors effectively remove the guesswork, overbidding and salespersonship. All of the contractors will have to quote the same job making it easy for you to make an informed decision. If you don’t have the engineering done you’ll get lots of different “requirements” and prices making it very difficult to make a good decision.
When a contractor gives a quote on a job requiring a structural engineer they are making a guess as to what the engineer will require. They are not allowed to make the determination themselves. Guessing is risky so contractors increase their price to what they believe the worst case scenario will be. This can add 10-50% to the cost of the job depending on their experience. Not so good for you.
If you call a structural engineer first they will lay out, in excruciating detail, exactly what needs to be done. There will be no questions. You can then take the engineering plans and hand them to a few contractors effectively remove the guesswork, overbidding and salespersonship. All of the contractors will have to quote the same job making it easy for you to make an informed decision. If you don’t have the engineering done you’ll get lots of different “requirements” and prices making it very difficult to make a good decision.
How a structural engineer saved a homeowner $60,000 in Portland
Often times, the person that comes out to your home to give a “free quote” is a salesperson. Just recently we knew a homeowner that found several small foundation cracks while doing yard work. They called a local contracting company with good reviews that did “free quotes” and specialized in foundation repairs. They were quoted $60,000 in repairs. This was devastating.
Next, a structural engineer was hired to look at the cracks and said “these appear to be typical settlement cracks that are common on all types of foundations and present no notable structural issues.” We did a search online and found a job posting for the person who gave the quote. Under the heading “Necessary Knowledge, Skills and Experience” it says “Knowledge of construction or related trades preferred.” and “Compensation for this position is $20/hour + commission on upsells.” Commission is common practice with larger contracting companies.
Contracting companies can offer you anything. Asking a contracting company “What should I do?” is no different than walking into a car dealership and asking “what should I buy?” It’s up to you to know what you need.
If it’s structural or related to soil water call an engineer first.
Read more real life examples of engineers saving home owners.
Next, a structural engineer was hired to look at the cracks and said “these appear to be typical settlement cracks that are common on all types of foundations and present no notable structural issues.” We did a search online and found a job posting for the person who gave the quote. Under the heading “Necessary Knowledge, Skills and Experience” it says “Knowledge of construction or related trades preferred.” and “Compensation for this position is $20/hour + commission on upsells.” Commission is common practice with larger contracting companies.
Contracting companies can offer you anything. Asking a contracting company “What should I do?” is no different than walking into a car dealership and asking “what should I buy?” It’s up to you to know what you need.
If it’s structural or related to soil water call an engineer first.
Read more real life examples of engineers saving home owners.
Engineer vs Contractor jobs
Engineer
Contractor
- Earthquake protection
- Foundation cracks, settling or movement
- Standing water, high soil moisture or leaks under the home. You should get an engineer because the source of the water intrusion should be identified and the repairs done in way that maintains the structure of the home. Contractors often give quotes on fixing the symptoms and not the problem because they don’t have the education to understand local hydraulic processes.
- Replacing or altering any of the structural supports in the home (walls, floors, ceilings or foundation)
- Construction of any new portion of the building
- Bows in and structural supports.
Contractor
- Remodeling that doesn’t affect the structure (cabinets, drywall, flooring, moving utilities etc.)
- Electrical
- Plumbing
- HVAC
- Roofing