FAQ
Structural engineer questions, answered
Short, direct answers on prices, licensing, Tasmanian approvals, site visits, commercial work, reports and the limits of what an engineer can tell you. Most answers link to the service or guide that covers the topic in depth.
In short
These are the questions Hobart homeowners, buyers, builders and businesses ask us most. Our fees start at $350 + GST, quotes are fixed and arrive within 1–2 business hours, our engineers are licensed in Tasmania as Engineer – Civil, and we visit sites across Greater Hobart. We design and certify, but we never sell or carry out repairs.
- Fees from
- $350 + GST
- Quote time
- Within 1–2 business hours
- Licence
- Tasmanian Engineer – Civil
- Site visits
- Greater Hobart
- Desktop work
- Tasmania-wide
- Independence
- Engineering only, no repairs
Prices and quotes
What our work costs, how fixed quotes work and how quickly you'll have one.
How much does a structural engineer cost in Hobart?
Our starting fees are $350 + GST for a Form 55 certificate, $590 + GST for a structural inspection or crack report and $750 + GST for a retaining wall design. Underpinning design, restumping, extensions, landslip reports and all commercial work are priced by fixed quote per job. See all prices.
Is the quote fixed?
Yes. Before any work starts you get a fixed quote with the fee (ex GST), what's included, whether a site visit is needed and the delivery date. Anything outside that scope is quoted separately before we start it.
How quickly will I get a quote?
Within 1–2 business hours, Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm. Photos or plans are usually enough to quote; see how it works.
Can you check an underpinning quote I've been given?
Yes. An underpinning quote second opinion is done from the contractor's quote, any reports and your photos, with no site visit, from $390 + GST. It tells you whether the underpinning looks necessary and whether the scope fits the problem. See underpinning advice and design.
Licensing and credentials
How structural engineers are licensed in Tasmania, and how an engineer differs from a building surveyor.
Are your engineers licensed in Tasmania?
Yes. Structural engineers in Tasmania are licensed under the Occupational Licensing Act 2005 in the Engineer – Civil class, and that is the licence we hold. The licence number is in the footer of every page.
Is CPEng or NER the same as a Tasmanian licence?
No. CPEng (Chartered Professional Engineer) and NER (National Engineering Register) are Engineers Australia credentials and can be a pathway to the licence. The Tasmanian licence under the Occupational Licensing Act 2005 is a separate requirement for engineers working in the building industry.
Is a structural engineer the same as a building surveyor?
No. A building surveyor checks that building work will comply and issues the Certificate of Likely Compliance for notifiable and permit work. A structural engineer designs and certifies the structure and supplies the Form 35 or Form 55 the surveyor asks for. Read do I need a structural engineer?
Approvals and paperwork
Low risk, notifiable and permit work, the certificates your building surveyor asks for, and the rules for walls and landslip areas.
Does my building work need a permit in Tasmania?
It depends on the category: building work is low risk, notifiable or permit work under the Director's Determination. Underpinning, major structural repairs, residential decks, retaining walls and swimming pools are notifiable, so a building surveyor issues a Certificate of Likely Compliance before work starts. See building approvals in Tasmania.
What are Form 35 and Form 55?
Form 35 is the Certificate of the Responsible Designer, which we sign for our designs. Form 55 is the Certificate of Qualified Person – Assessable Item, used when a qualified person certifies an assessable item, such as an as-built structure. See Form 35 and Form 55 certificates.
When does a retaining wall need an engineer?
A wall retaining more than 0.5 m within 1.5 m of a boundary, road or right of way, or more than 1.2 m elsewhere, is no longer low-risk work. Walls up to 1.8 m can be built by a licensed builder with an engineer's design, larger walls are notifiable, and an easement or landslip band also takes a wall out of low risk. See retaining wall design.
How do I know if my block is in a landslip area?
Check your property on LISTmap for the Landslip Hazard Code bands: low, medium, medium-active and high. Low-risk work in a band becomes notifiable, and Class 1 work in a high band becomes permit work. See landslip reports or read building in a landslip area.
Site visits and areas
Where we visit, and which jobs we can do from photos and plans.
Which areas do you visit?
We visit sites across Greater Hobart: the Hobart, Clarence, Glenorchy, Kingborough, Brighton, Sorell, Huon Valley and Derwent Valley council areas. Desktop reviews, design and certification from photos and plans are available anywhere in Tasmania. See areas we cover.
Do you always need to visit the site?
No. Your fixed quote says whether the job needs a site visit. Inspections, crack reports and dilapidation reports do, while many designs, certificates and quote reviews can be done from photos and plans.
Commercial and builders
Engineering for commercial buildings, developers, builders and building designers.
Do you work on commercial buildings?
Yes. We design and certify fit-outs, mezzanines, new openings, steel structures, warehouses and townhouse or unit developments, and inspect commercial buildings for condition or a change of use. Commercial work is priced by fixed quote per project; see commercial structural engineering.
Do you work for builders and building designers?
Yes. We prepare structural drawings, calculations and Form 35 or Form 55 certificates for builders, building designers and architects, documented for the building surveyor. See for builders and designers.
Reports
What a structural engineer's report contains, and how it differs from a building inspection.
What's in a structural engineer's report?
A signed report sets out what was inspected, what was observed and measured, the likely cause, how serious it is and what to do next, with photos and the limits of the inspection. Wall cracks are rated against the AS 2870 damage categories. See structural inspection and report.
Is a building inspection the same as a structural inspection?
No. A building inspector reports on a property's general condition, while a structural engineer assesses the structure itself, works out the likely cause of cracking or movement and can design a repair. Read building inspector or structural engineer?
Insurance, legal and other limits
What our reports can be used for, and the work we leave to others. General information only, not legal or insurance advice.
Can I use your report for an insurance claim?
Yes, you can give it to your insurer. The report sets out the engineering facts, such as the likely cause of the damage and how serious it is, but whether a claim is accepted is the insurer's decision under your policy, so we can't predict or promise the outcome.
Can you help with a dispute with my builder?
We prepare independent building defect reports as engineering evidence, but we don't give legal advice. For residential building contracts of $20,000 or more, statutory warranty claims must be made within 6 years of practical completion, and disputes go to the Director of Building Control, then mediation, then TASCAT.
Do you carry out repairs or bushfire (BAL) assessments?
No to both. We are engineering only, so we never sell, recommend a contractor for or carry out repairs, and a bushfire hazard practitioner prepares BAL assessments and bushfire hazard management plans. If a repair is needed, we design it and any licensed builder can build it.