I provide field review and reports to assist clients with their decision-making, whether for repair and restoration, for future planning, or for a professional opinion on an existing issue. My fees range from $600 to $1000 for the consultation and report, depending on the project location, my availability, and the level of analysis required. If necessary, repair drawings can be provided at additional cost.

Sometimes a renovation involves non-loadbearing walls. It is then necessary to hire a structural engineer to confirm this through on-site observation or review of existing structural drawings. I provide this service which includes a field review and a report, which confirms if the wall is non-loadbearing. My fees range from $600 to $800 for the consultation and report, depending on the structure involved, my availability, and the project location.

I provide engineered design and drawings for renovations that involve modifications to the existing structure. Renovation projects can vary from a new beam-and-post system to replace an interior wall, an extension to a window or door opening, or a rearranging of the interior space.

Additions and extensions to a residence will typically involve some degree of analysis on the existing structure and foundations, so having original building drawings is important. In addition, the jurisdiction may have their own requirements to be met. Please talk to the building department in your area to ensure the project can run smoothly:

City of Vancouver

City of Burnaby

City of North Vancouver

District of North Vancouver

City of Port Moody

City of Pitt Meadows

City of Maple Ridge

City of Mission

Township of Langley

District of West Vancouver

District of Squamish

City of Nanaimo

Town of Ladysmith

Send an email to [email protected]nullcavvystructural.ca to discuss your project, develop a plan, and provide a quote. Fees will vary depending on the time involved to complete the design, structural drawings, peer review, and field reviews.

New residential construction can be cost-driven and quite competitive. I aim to provide quality detailed drawings and accessible service during construction.

Send an email to [email protected]nullcavvystructural.ca to discuss your project. I’ll review the architectural plans to determine the scope of structural work involved and give you an estimate. Fees for new residential construction will typically start between $8,000 and $12,000. Custom additions such as open spaces, transition areas, full-height basements, slabs, or speciality roofs will all require additional time to design.

I provide design and review for T-bar, other suspended ceiling systems, interior steel-stud walls, as well as the seismic restraint for mechanical, electrical, and architectural components. These operational and functional components (OFCs) often provide a crucial role in transforming a space for a new tenant. As a delegated component, the contractor is often responsible for retaining a structural engineer that can provide a letter of assurance (Schedule B/C-B or Schedule S-B/S-C) once the installation is complete.

Please contact me early in the project so that we can discuss the details and plan for field review.

I provide structural analysis and design for steel buildings, connections, and lifting lugs. Where steel design and miscellaneous metals have been delegated to the fabricator, I can provide shop drawing review and field reviews during construction. I also have experience with assessments on industrial structures, including crane repair, lifting plans, and retrofit design. My fees are priced hourly and dependent on the scope of work.

These services are provided to other Engineers and Registrant Firms to assist with regulatory and professional compliance. I have experience with reviewing a variety of structures, components, and analysis methods including:

➤ Vertical and lateral systems for light wood-frame shear walls, structural steel moment frames and braced frames, conventional concrete, cold-formed steel

➤ Single-family residential structures, multi-unit residential structures (up to 5 storeys), and low-rise buildings

➤ Tenant improvements including the seismic restraint of operational and functional components

➤ Steel connection design, safe lift plans, and lifting lug design

➤ Irregular diaphragm analysis

➤ Seismic analysis methods for low-rise buildings

➤ Sign foundation structures

➤ Code analysis using NBCC 2015, BCBC 2018, VBBL 2019, CSA A23.3-14, CSA O86-19, CSA S16-19, CSA S136-12, CSA S37-18, CSA S832-14, CSA S350, ASME BTH-1-20, FEMA E-74

With a completed Independent Review Checklist, I also provide markups that indicate feedback or items noted in the review. My work is thorough and clear; I am happy to provide supporting discussion, calculations, or to continue working with collaborators in developing design tools for more efficiency in design.

Independent Reviews can range from $300 to $600 for Part 9 structures and $600 to $1200 for standard Part 4 structures. In either case, time is billed hourly and the review is completed in (3) to (10) days. I am happy to provide ongoing project support and review at a reduced hourly rate with established collaborators. Send me an email to discuss.

The first step is to review existing drawings. Request these drawings from the building department, building owner, or strata. If drawings are not available, I need to observe the framing on-site. If the wall can be removed, I design structure and foundations to support the new loads. I provide drawings to be submitted for building permit, and then I support the construction team with field reviews and consultation. Once all structural components have been reviewed to substantially comply with the Code, I provide my letter of assurance (Schedule C-B).

Removing walls is not always possible, especially in multi-storey buildings. This may be because the structure would need to be tracked down through all levels of the structure, or because the information and access provided does not provide enough information about the structure.

Send me an email. Provide some pictures and a description of what happened.

If it is within my scope of work, I can schedule a field review to assess the area. Be aware that cracking can be a result of any number of causes. This can make it difficult to come to a conclusion without performing some removal of finishes or providing a longer-term observation period.

A letter of assurance is a document that identifies who is responsible for what on a building project. Read about them here.

These letters can only be provided after completing a field review. I can provide the field review and note if there is compliance. I prefer to be involved before the work is constructed, so please feel free to retain me and discuss early on so that all the details are known and correct. In any event, find out if the Project Engineer wants a structural engineer’s Schedule B, or if they need a Schedule S. Sometimes this information is specified in the General Notes.

Yes. The deposit helps me prioritize and schedule my work accordingly.

Yes. Before confirming site visits or starting work, I request a deposit. This is part of the service request form that we'll discuss before starting the project.

July 2020. I needed to find a way to make a living during a very interesting time in the world. I registered my practice, made this HTML website, answered the phonecalls, and started designing. Since then, I've continued self-employment and have enjoyed the challenge thus far.

I handle all aspects from conceptual design through construction, manage my own availability, and get involved in projects that I'm interested in. Like all other compliant firms, I operate with a Professional Practice Management Plan that helps establish consistency and quality in engineering processes.

My role in the industry is to help designers, contractors, and homeowners that need direct service and attention.

No. I don’t price match. I do attempt to work within budget if that is known ahead of time. My fees are based on availability, scope of work, the required design time, and the required field review time. I am honest with providing an accurate fee estimate so that clients can plan accordingly.

Competition by price matching is overrated in engineering because the goal is to make society a safe place and to establish best practices. A client is free to determine the value of their project in terms that are critical to them.

Thanks for your interest! Unfortunately, I do not have the space to take on extra engineering staff at the moment. Occasionally I subcontract drafting or administration tasks.

Get in touch if you'd like to chat. I'm happy to have a conversation about how to align your career and make meaningful choices in your work.