Structural Engineering

Not always. Some simple buildings can be designed using prescriptive standards like NZS 3604 (timber-framed buildings) or NZS 4229 (masonry buildings). These cover common, straightforward construction where engineering design isn’t required. Provided your building falls within the scope of these documents then you may not require structural engineering input.

For most other projects, you will need a structural engineer if your project involves:

• Buildings that fall outside the scope of NZS 3604 or 4229 (e.g. larger spans, unusual building layouts, steep sites etc.).

• Multi-storey, commercial, or industrial structures.

• Seismic assessment of existing buildings and strengthening or retrofitting.

• Alterations that affect load-bearing elements.

A structural engineer ensures your design is safe, code-compliant, and practical to build, reducing risk and avoiding costly mistakes.

Unsure what elements of your project requires structural design input, book a free consultation today! We’ll review your plans and help you decide on which services are most suitable to progress your project.

Structural engineers will:

• Analyse how loads (such as self-weight, wind, earthquakes, traffic etc.) will act on a structure.

• Design foundations, beams, columns, and walls to safely carry those loads.

• Provide producer statements (PS1–PS4) and documentation needed for council approval.

• Monitor construction to check it’s built as designed.

• Assess existing structures for seismic risk and determine appropriate strengthening works

• Forensic assessment of buildings that have suffered damage from earthquakes or other causes.

In short, we make sure your building design is safe, fit-for-purpose and buildable. We can assess existing buildings to determine if they are prone to collapse during earthquakes. We can assess damaged buildings to determine the likely cause and appropriate remedial solution.

Costs depend on the size and complexity of the project. For example:

• A simple beam check or retaining wall design may only take a few hours.

• A new house design may cost a few thousand dollars.

• Commercial or multi-storey projects require more detailed modelling, analysis and coordination with other professionals and costs will increase accordingly.

We’ll review your plans and provide a clear, tailored fee proposal before starting.

Think of them as two different levels of detail:

1. Initial Seismic Assessment (ISA) – a broad, high-level check to screen a building’s seismic performance. The intent of the ISA is not to be precise, but quickly screen whether the building might potentially be earthquake prone using a simplified approach. If any aspects of the building are considered to be high rick, then this will likely trigger a more detailed assessment.

2. Detailed Seismic Assessment (DSA) – a more in-depth investigation and analysis that confirms how the building would perform in an earthquake, diagnoses the key seismic performance issues and whether upgrades are needed.

Together, they help owners, buyers, tenants and insurers understand and manage seismic risk.

Absolutely. Any time you remove walls, add extra storeys, or extend a building, we check how the changes affect the structure. We design the strengthening needed so your project is safe, compliant, and integrates smoothly with the existing building.

Even the best design can fail if it’s not built correctly. Our site inspections and PS4 certification confirm that critical structural elements, like reinforcing steel, connections, and foundations, are installed as designed. This reduces the risk of defects, delays, or expensive rework.