Get matched with top structural engineers in Edison, GA

No, it’s not legal for unlicensed individuals to conduct structural calculations for buildings or building repairs. Not only do licensing requirements prevent DIYers from tackling this project, but mistakes can also be extremely dangerous and put your property and anyone inside or near it at risk of severe injury or even death. You should always hire a licensed and certified local structural engineer to make structural calculations.

Yes, you can put a doorway in a structural wall; in fact, most exterior doors are set into structural walls. The project is a little more challenging than installing a door in a non-load-bearing wall because you need a structural engineer to assess the wall and make sure it’s safe to create a wall opening. Your engineer’s report will include instructions for your contractor on how and where to install additional supports, like steel headers above the door, to distribute the weight above to the wall on either side of the door.

Structural engineers draw structural plans, which include detailed drawings of the structural components of a home only. Complete house plans will require additional work from an architect or draftsperson, whose drawings will take the structural drawings into account. They’ll also include more details about the finishing materials and layout of a home, including everything from roofing and flooring materials to the position of furniture, light fixtures, switches, and plumbing fixtures.

Foundation cracks that are 1/8 inch wide or less, aren’t uneven across the gap, and don’t continue widening over time are usually just normal settling cracks and don’t suggest structural issues. Horizontal cracks and stair-step cracks on foundation walls, any cracks that continue widening, are wider than 1/8 inch, or where one side juts out beyond the other, are often indicative of structural damage.