Owners · Developers · Designers · Architects · Builders
Commercial structural engineer for Hobart projects
Structural design, certification and inspections for fit-outs, mezzanines, steel buildings, townhouse developments and existing commercial buildings across Greater Hobart. Drawings your builder can price, calculations your building surveyor can check, and the Form 35 that goes with the application.
Documented for your surveyor
Drawings, calculations and a Form 35 your building surveyor can rely on.
Fixed quote in 1–2 business hours
Get a fixed quote for your project
Send the plans, or photos of the building, with the address and what you need engineered.
Fixed quote for your job. No obligation. Or call 03 6146 4747
In short
A commercial structural engineer in Hobart designs and certifies the structure of fit-outs, mezzanines, new openings, steel buildings and townhouse developments, and inspects existing commercial buildings. We provide calculations, drawings, a Form 35 for your building surveyor, Form 55 certificates and stage inspections across Greater Hobart. Every commercial project is priced by fixed quote, sent within 1–2 business hours of receiving your plans.
- Fee
- Fixed quote per project
- Quote
- Within 1–2 business hours, Mon–Fri
- You receive
- Calculations, drawings, Form 35 and Form 55
Commercial services
What commercial structural engineering do we do?
We are consulting engineers for commercial, industrial and small multi-residential buildings across Greater Hobart: we design, certify and inspect the structure. Four services cover most projects, each priced by fixed quote.
Fit-outs & mezzanines
Mezzanine floors, shop and office fit-outs, new openings in commercial walls, rooftop plant and solar panel loads, designed and certified for your building surveyor.
Fit-outs & mezzanines: scope and processSteel structures & warehouses
Portal frames, sheds, warehouses and light industrial buildings, with site-specific wind loads, footings and slabs, designed and documented for your building surveyor.
Steel structures & warehouses: scope and processTownhouses & units
Structural and civil design for townhouses, units and small multi-residential developments, from site classification and footings to framing, retaining walls and stormwater.
Townhouses & units: scope and processCommercial building inspections
Structural condition assessments, change of use checks, commercial defect reports and concrete spalling reports for car parks and older buildings.
Commercial building inspections: scope and processAlso on commercial sites: stormwater and on-site detention, site classification and footings, retaining walls, landslip reports and dilapidation reports before you excavate next to a neighbour.
Who we work for
Who uses a commercial structural engineer?
Owners, developers, building designers, architects and builders all need the same thing from us: a structure that works, documented so the building surveyor can approve it.
Owners and landlords
Condition assessments, change of use checks and repair designs for buildings you own or lease out.
Developers
Townhouse, unit and light industrial projects designed from the site classification up, with retaining walls and stormwater in the same package.
Building designers
Structural design that sits under your drawings: beams, footings, bracing and the Form 35 your client's surveyor asks for.
Architects
Structural input from concept, so spans, openings and steelwork suit the design intent and the budget.
Builders
Drawings you can price and build from, answers to site questions, and stage inspections booked to your program. More on working with builders and designers.
Tenants and fit-out managers
Mezzanines, new openings, heavy shelving and rooftop plant checked before the fit-out starts.
Deliverables
What do you receive from a commercial structural engineer?
You receive calculations, drawings and the Tasmanian certificates your building surveyor needs, plus inspections during construction. Your quote lists exactly which of these your project includes.
| Deliverable | What it is | Who relies on it |
|---|---|---|
| Structural calculations | Design checks for each member, connection and footing, to the AS/NZS 1170 loading standards and the steel, concrete, timber or masonry standard that applies | Building surveyor |
| Structural drawings | Plans, sections and details: member sizes, connections, bracing, footings, slabs and construction notes | Builder, fabricator, building designer |
| Form 35 | Certificate of the Responsible Designer, required with every application for a Certificate of Likely Compliance | Building surveyor |
| Form 55 | Certificate of Qualified Person – Assessable Item, for items such as geotechnical reports, independent checks and work already built | Building surveyor |
| Stage inspections | Site inspections at the stages listed in your quote, such as footings before the pour, reinforcement and the steel frame | Builder, building surveyor, owner |
| Inspection reports | Condition assessments, change of use reports and defect reports on existing buildings | Owner, buyer, tenant, building surveyor |
More on the certificates: Form 35 and Form 55 certificates.
How it works
How does a commercial project work with us?
A commercial project runs from your plans to a signed-off structure in five steps, and the fee for all of them is fixed in the quote.
- Step 1
Send plans or photos
Architectural drawings, a fit-out layout or photos of the existing building, with the address and your program.
- Within 1–2 business hours
Get a fixed quote
The scope, any site visits and inspections, and the delivery date for the design.
- Design
Calculations and drawings
We design the structure, coordinate with your designer or architect, and flag anything that changes the layout early.
- Approval
Form 35 for the surveyor
Our drawings, calculations and Form 35 go with the application for a Certificate of Likely Compliance.
- Construction
Stage inspections and sign-off
We inspect the stages listed in the quote and sign off our part of the work.
Which approvals does commercial building work need in Tasmania?
Building work that isn't low risk needs a building surveyor's Certificate of Likely Compliance before it starts, and permit work also needs a council building permit. Every designer of the work, including the structural engineer, signs a Form 35 that goes with that application. Your building surveyor decides the category under the Director's Determination (Categories of Building and Demolition Work). A planning permit from council is a separate approval.
Which code edition?
NCC 2022 applies in Tasmania until 30 April 2027, and NCC 2025 from 1 May 2027. We design to the edition your building surveyor assesses the project against.
Heritage buildings
Works to a place on the Tasmanian Heritage Register need Heritage Council approval, and structural changes need drawings of the existing condition alongside the proposed works. We prepare both.
Built for Hobart sites
What changes a commercial design in Hobart?
Wind exposure, reactive clays, landslip bands and older masonry change commercial designs in Hobart more than anything else. We check each one for the actual site, never from a city-wide assumption.
Wind, site by site
Tasmania is in non-cyclonic wind Region A, but terrain, shielding, topography and building height change the design wind for each site. We never use a single Hobart wind figure.
Reactive clays
Clays weathered from dolerite are documented as expansive in Hobart. Footings and slabs are designed from a site classification or geotechnical investigation, not a guess.
Landslip bands
The Landslip Hazard Code maps low, medium, medium-active and high bands. A site in a band can need a landslip hazard report to AGS 2007 before design starts.
Older buildings
Sandstone, brick and timber buildings carry loads differently from modern frames. We check the existing structure before anyone cuts into it.
Engineering only
We design, certify and inspect. We never build, sell repairs or recommend a contractor, so our drawings are written for your project and any licensed builder can price them. Commercial prices are explained on the prices page.
More commercial engineering
Also useful on commercial projects
For builders & designers
Footing and beam design, Form 35 and Form 55 certificates, site visits and stage inspections for builders, building designers, architects and building surveyors.
Learn more
Stormwater & drainage design
Drainage plans, stormwater reports and on-site detention designs for houses, units and subdivisions, with the Form 35 council needs.
Learn more
Dilapidation reports
An engineer's record of a building's condition before nearby excavation, demolition or construction, with dated photos and a measured crack register.
Learn moreFAQ
Commercial structural engineering FAQs
Still unsure? Call 03 6146 4747 or send photos for a fixed quote.