Giving someone the trust of organising your building services is a pretty big deal, so you’ll need to make sure you’re working with a firm that you trust and that you ask them the right questions. So, with this in mind, what questions do you need to ask a structural engineer?
Do You Have Experience?
It’s certainly a good idea to find out if the company you hire has worked on this kind of project previously, and better still if they have examples of their work they can share with you: it will all help build confidence in the project. It’s worth taking a look at their website and seek a few testimonials.
Do You Possess Professional Indemnity Insurance?
It’s crucial that any engineering professional you use has this insurance so that you will be able to be sure that you’re covered in the unlikely event that something goes wrong with the structural design or advice they offer.
What Statutory Consents Do I Need?
Your Structural Engineer or designer should be able to help you identify which of Building Regulations approval, Planning permission or Listed Building consent is needed for your design to proceed. Once you have the necessary approvals it will be simpler for you to move your project forward: Builders will need more interest as this is so fundamental to the project’s viability.
Does the Party Wall Act Apply to These Works?
Boundary and shared walls are covered by this Act, which requires you to notify neighbours of your intention to do works on your side of the wall. It’s crucial to ask your Structural Engineer if this is applicable to your building work going forth.
Will A Building Over Agreement Be Required?
This is legislation that applies to build over or near a public drain. All shared drains are now considered public and come under the ownership of your water company. Many residential extensions are affected and an application for approval needs to show how the drain will be protected during the build and how future maintenance can be done without damaging your property.
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