Structural Engineering

Practical
Structural Engineering
That Actually Builds

From a single wall-removal certificate to a full-building structural design — our CPEng team delivers documentation that builders can construct, certifiers can sign off, and councils don't bounce back.

Request a Fixed-Fee Quote 0434 283 703
DEP0001529 Registered Design Practitioner — Structural
CPEng Chartered Engineers
Structural engineer reviewing residential design drawings on site CPEng & DEP Registered
Why It Matters

Structural Documentation That Holds Up

Bad structural documentation costs more than good documentation — through site variations, certifier rejections, builder rework and, occasionally, structural failure. Here's what gets it wrong on most jobs we inherit.

Generic Details, Wrong Conditions

A pattern detail copied from another job that doesn't actually match the site's soil class, wind region or load path. The certifier signs it off, the builder builds it, the cracks appear two years later.

Missing Load Paths

A wall removed without tracing the full vertical and lateral load path to ground. Common in renovations where a designer treats the immediate beam as the whole problem — ignoring what the wall above was bracing.

Over-Designed Cost Blowouts

The flip side: an engineer who plays it safe by specifying 250UB steel where 150UC would do, doubling the bearer count, calling for piles when pads work. The structure stands — but the client paid for it twice.

What We Design

Structural Engineering Services

Full structural design and certification across residential, commercial and industrial scopes — from a single beam to a 10-storey apartment building.

Wall Removals & Beam Design

Load-bearing wall removal certificates, post-installed lintels and beam-replacement schemes — with full load-path documentation for certifier sign-off.

  • Internal load-bearing wall removal
  • Post-installed steel and timber lintels
  • Renovation strucutral certificates
  • Heritage and weatherboard alterations

Retaining Walls

Masonry, blockwork, gabion and concrete retaining wall design to AS 4678 — for residential boundary walls, basement edges and landscape works.

  • Masonry & reinforced concrete walls
  • Gravity, cantilever and propped walls
  • Designs to AS 4678 / AS 3700
  • Council DA / CC documentation

Footings & Foundations

Strip, pad, raft and pier-and-beam footings sized to the geotechnical report and the project loads — including reactive soil sites and infill blocks.

  • Class A through Class P reactive sites
  • Pad, strip, raft and pile design
  • Underpinning and remedial footings
  • AS 2870 residential / AS 3600 commercial

Structural Adequacy Assessments

Independent assessment of existing structures for change-of-use, additional storeys, new loads or insurance proceedings — backed by calculations to current Standards.

  • Change-of-use load reviews
  • Second-storey addition feasibility
  • Solar / antenna / HVAC load checks
  • Insurance damage adequacy assessments

Structural Certificates

Engineer's certificates for completed structural work — wall removals, beams, footings, retaining walls — accepted by NSW certifiers, councils and lenders.

  • Form 11 / structural compliance certs
  • DA, CC and OC supporting evidence
  • Post-construction inspection certs
  • Strata works structural sign-off

Dilapidation Reports

Pre- and post-construction condition surveys of neighbouring properties — protecting all parties before excavation, demolition or piling begins next door.

  • Pre-construction baseline survey
  • Post-construction comparison report
  • Vibration & settlement monitoring
  • Photographic evidence documentation
Our Process

How We Work

A structured, transparent process from first contact to issued certificate — so you always know where things stand.

1

Brief & Scope

Tell us about the project. We'll review the documentation, define a fixed-fee scope of works and turn around a quote — usually within 24 hours.

2

Engineering Work

Our engineers carry out the design, calculation, inspection or assessment to the relevant Australian Standards, NCC provisions and project-specific requirements.

3

Report & Documentation

We deliver clear, signed engineering documentation — drawings, specifications, compliance certificates or reports — built to satisfy certifiers, councils, insurers and the courts.

4

Ongoing Support

Construction support, certifier RFIs, site inspections, post-issue revisions — we stay engaged through to project completion, not just until the document is issued.

Real Projects

Case Studies

Selected structural projects we've completed — anonymised where needed for client confidentiality.

Rosebery office building structural fitout Commercial Fitout · Rosebery

150 m² Office Fitout — Two Walls Removed, Cleanly

An owner-occupier wanted two load-bearing walls removed to open up a tenancy in a 1980s commercial slab block. The previous engineer had quoted full propping and a complex transfer scheme. We re-analysed the load path, confirmed the floor above could span between the remaining walls without intermediate support, and designed a single 310UB transfer beam with welded shear plates.

Construction cost reduced by ~40% on the structural scope. Certifier signed off on first submission.
Cronulla apartment building second-storey addition Adequacy Assessment · Cronulla

Second-Storey Addition on a 1960s Brick Bungalow

Client wanted to add a full second storey to a single-storey brick house on Class M reactive clay. We undertook geotechnical interpretation, traced the existing strip-footing loads, modelled the new live and dead loads, and confirmed underpinning was needed at three locations but not the whole perimeter.

Project proceeded with targeted underpinning at $18k rather than the $60k full-perimeter scheme proposed initially.
Blacktown industrial retaining wall design Retaining Wall · Blacktown

3.2 m Boundary Retaining Wall to AS 4678

An industrial site required a 3.2 m structural retaining wall along a shared boundary. The original drainage scheme would have triggered drained-back-fill design and a much heavier wall. We worked with the civil engineer to integrate subsurface drainage, which let us drop one design surcharge category and lighten the wall.

Wall thickness reduced from 350 mm to 250 mm RC, saving ~$22k in steel and concrete across the 24 m length.
Yagoona residential first-floor extension Wall Removal · Yagoona

Wall Removal Certificate Builder Could Actually Use

Renovation client engaged a different engineer first — got back a one-page certificate with a vague "steel lintel as required" note that the certifier refused to accept. We re-issued with a proper section detail, member schedule, bearing reactions and a marked-up plan showing the load path.

Certifier accepted on the next business day. Documentation now sits in the strata records for future renovations.
Who We Help

Trusted by Builders, Strata & Owners

Practical, code-compliant structural engineering for projects of every size.

Owners Corporations & Strata Managers

Common property scopes, capital works planning, defect investigations and compliance certification for Class 2 buildings.

Builders & Developers

Design declarations, Performance Solutions, certification packages and staged inspections — built to satisfy the certifier on the first submission.

Architects & Consultants

Specialist engineering input on facade, waterproofing and structural elements where Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions don't apply.

Homeowners & Investors

Practical engineering advice on renovations, defects and pre-purchase risk assessments — translated out of jargon.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you issue a wall-removal certificate from a video walk-through?

Yes — for simple single-storey load-bearing wall removals we can scope and quote off a builder's video walk-through and dimensioned sketch. We'll attend site once before issuing, but most of the design work happens in the office. Fixed-fee, usually $1,200–$1,800 for the certificate.

Do I need a structural engineer for a renovation?

If the renovation removes or modifies a load-bearing element, alters a footing, changes the building's lateral stability, or adds a second storey — yes. If it's a kitchen refit with no structural change, no. Send us the brief and we'll give you a yes/no in writing within a day.

How long does a structural certificate take?

Standard wall-removal or beam certificates are issued within 5–7 business days of site inspection. Larger projects (full-building designs, adequacy assessments with calculations to multiple Standards) typically take 2–3 weeks.

Are your engineers registered to issue DBPA design declarations?

Yes. Our principal engineer Jimmy Tran is a registered Design Practitioner (DEP0001529 — Civil and Structural) and a registered Professional Engineer (PRE0001088). We lodge declarations directly via the NSW Planning Portal.

Can you work to a fixed fee?

For 95% of projects, yes. We give you a fixed-fee quote upfront after we've reviewed the scope. The remaining 5% are open-ended scopes (e.g. unknown existing structure) where we'd quote a Stage 1 investigation fee, then a fixed fee for the design once the unknowns are resolved.

Do you do site inspections during construction?

Yes. We offer staged hold-point inspections for footings, framing and key structural elements — usually 2–4 visits depending on project size. These are often a certifier requirement on DBPA Class 2 projects.

Do you cover all of Australia?

Yes. We have offices in Sydney (Surry Hills), Melbourne (Cremorne) and the Gold Coast (Bundall), and regularly work across all states and territories. Travel costs for regional work are quoted separately and confirmed before engagement.

What if my project is held up by a council or certifier query?

We respond to certifier and council RFIs as part of our service for 30 days after issue at no extra cost. Beyond that we charge an hourly rate. Most queries are resolved in one back-and-forth.

Need a Structural Engineer?

From wall removals to full-building designs, tell us about your project and we'll come back with a fixed-fee quote — usually within 24 hours.

Get in Touch