Structural Engineering · Project Information

What Does a Structural Engineer Need to Start?

Structural engineering typically requires architectural plans showing the proposed scope, existing building information if the project involves modifications, a geotechnical report for foundation design, and a clear scope description. The more complete the information, the faster engineering can begin and the more accurate the fee proposal.

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Quick Answer

What Does a Structural Engineer Need to Start?

Information Structural Engineers Need for Most Projects

Architectural plans — PDF at minimum, CAD or Revit if available
Existing building drawings — structural drawings if available for renovation projects
Geotechnical report — required for foundation design on new construction and additions
Project address and jurisdiction — determines seismic design category and local code requirements
Scope description — what's changing, what's staying, what the project objectives are
Schedule requirements — permit target date and any construction start constraints

Additional Information for Specific Project Types

Rooftop equipment — manufacturer data sheets with operating weight
Wall removal — floor plan showing wall location and what's above
Additions — site plan, existing foundation information
Existing building without drawings — access for field verification
Solar — panel layout, total weight, and mounting system description
Mezzanines — intended use and expected floor loads

What If You Don't Have All the Information

Contact us with what you have — we'll tell you what additional information is needed
Missing existing drawings can often be addressed through field verification
We can stage engineering to begin with available information
A brief project description is enough to start a fee proposal conversation

How a Structural Engineer Uses This Information

Load paths: the floor and roof plans show the engineer how gravity loads travel from the roof through beams, columns, and walls down to the foundation — and where the proposed work interrupts that path
Existing conditions: as-built drawings, photos, and field measurements establish what is actually in place, so the design works with the real structure instead of an assumed one
Foundation design: the geotechnical report's bearing capacity and soil conditions set footing sizes and foundation type — without it, foundation design rests on an assumption the building department will not accept
Code criteria: the project address fixes the jurisdiction, and with it the governing code edition, the wind and seismic design criteria, and any local amendments the calculations must follow
Equipment and special loads: manufacturer data for rooftop units, kitchen equipment, storage racking, or solar arrays replaces a generic allowance with the actual loads the structure gets checked against

What to Send, Project by Project

New building: architectural plans, a site plan, and the geotechnical report — plus the intended occupancy and construction type if the design team has set them
Tenant improvement or remodel: the proposed floor plan, the existing drawings if they exist, and photos of the areas being changed
Wall removal or new opening: a floor plan marking the wall, photos of both sides, and whatever is known about what the wall supports above it — roof, floor, or another wall
Addition: existing drawings, a site plan showing where the addition ties into the building, and the geotechnical report the new foundation design will rely on
Rooftop equipment or solar: the equipment layout, manufacturer data sheets with operating weights, and any roof framing information that is available
Not sure what applies: send what you have — part of the engineer's first pass is naming exactly what is missing and what can proceed without it

What Goes Wrong When Information Is Missing

Foundation design stalls: without a geotechnical report the engineer cannot size footings, and most building departments will not accept foundation drawings that guess at soil capacity
Concealed conditions surface mid-project: an opening cut into a wall that turns out to be load-bearing stops the work until the header and the load path around it are redesigned
Equipment arrives that the structure was never checked for: a heavier replacement rooftop unit can exceed the original design load and require reinforcement before it can be set
Permit corrections multiply: incomplete or superseded plans generate plan-check comments that a complete package would have avoided, and each correction cycle adds review time
Scope and fees get re-cut: engineering priced on one scope and designed on another has to be re-proposed — a complete package up front is what makes the first fee proposal accurate

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