Home Inspection vs. Structural Engineer Inspection: What’s the difference?
Both common inspection services have their merits. In New York State (“NYS”), a home inspection must at least cover the Standards of Practice Law (“SOP”). The SOP consists of a general visual inspection covering major home components or systems including mechanical, electrical, structural, and more.
A home inspection is not technically exhaustive, and home inspectors by law are not permitted to provide engineering or architectural services. In addition, home inspectors are not allowed to render an opinion regarding the stability and safety of a structure. A common analogy used in the industry is that a home inspector is like a general practitioner in the medical field – they identify problems but do not treat them themselves. Instead, they make a referral to a specialist.
A specialist may be a structural engineer, a qualified heating and air conditioning technician, or any other number of professionals. Since NYS regulates the home inspection industry, home inspectors must obtain a license through the Department of State to provide their services.
Professional Engineers (“PE”) and Registered Architects (“RA”), however, are exempt from this licensing requirement, provided they offer home inspection as part of their professional practice.
A structural engineer inspection, on the other hand, is performed by an NYS registered PE. To become licensed, engineers must complete a four-year engineering degree, work under a PE for at least four years, and pass two 8-hour competency exams to earn a license. Engineers must hold a license and a certificate of authorization through NYS to legally provide engineering services to the public. PEs focus on the structural aspects of a property, such as its foundation, framing, retaining structures, and more.
Structural engineer inspections are more comprehensive – they cover all structural aspects and may involve recommendations on repair solutions if needed. Whether they find a foundation crack, a sagging roof, or another serious issue, engineers can troubleshoot the problem and give assurance on the overall safety of the home in question.
How does W.D. Hill Engineering approach structural inspections?
The process starts when a client, realtor, or investor calls us about a structural evaluation of a property. That call is usually followed by a 1- or 2-day information gathering process, depending on the size of the property and complexity/number of issues involved.
When we arrive on site, we start by examining the exterior, basement/crawl space, attic, roof, and other readily visible structural systems. Following that, we take detailed interior and exterior measurements and create an “as-built” using 3D modeling software (Autodesk Revit and AutoCAD). Capturing this data provide many benefits:
- They allow us to superimpose floor plans on top of the foundation, so we can better understand the load paths of a structure.
- They allow us to craft scaled architectural drawings, which can be utilized for design or structural improvements.
Our inspections are technically exhaustive, meaning they involve the use of measurements, instruments, calculations, and other means to develop engineering findings, conclusions, and recommendations. This may include:
- A floor-level survey. Floor elevations show exactly how much higher or lower different sections of your floor are. This provides verifiable data to back up the visual signs that a home may be experiencing movement (e.g., settlement or heaving).
- A soil survey report of the surrounding areas. This will provide information on soil types, which may in turn address questions regarding the suitability of local geology for a building foundation.
- A determination of load bearing walls as readily visible (as observed from the basement or attic). The load-path transfer from roof/ceiling, floor loads to the foundation, etc. can be derived from these observations.
- The sizes/spans of rafters, ceiling joists, floor joists, main beams, and locations of foundation piers/posts.
All this information is used in conjunction with evidence of land grade issues, water intrusion, foundation crack patterns, and structure movement. Once all of this is mapped out and the inspection is complete, we can explain issues to involved parties from a pure engineering standpoint. We can also explain why, or why not, a repair is necessary.
As members of the engineering profession, we are ethically bound to act in the best interest of our clients and the health and safety of the general public. An in-depth study is often required to gain a full picture of the issues at hand, and it puts you in the best position, financially, to make a well-informed decision regarding your property.
How much does a structural inspection cost?
Several factors come into play, perhaps the most important of these being the size/complexity of a given property. The age and condition of a property will also influence inspection costs.
We encourage you to contact us for a free proposal as every project is unique.
Below are the median costs for various tasks:
| Task | Price Range | Square Feet |
Building inspection and report (Includes one site visit) | $300 – $1,500 | Up to 3,000* |
| Repair recommendations | $200 – $500 | |
| Architectural plans & 3D Modeling | $300 – $1,600 | |
| Additional design and architectural services (Renovations, Additions, Beam Sizing, Decks, etc.) | Contact us for proposal | |
| *If over 3,000 SF, contact us for proposal | ||
On average, for a home up to 1,500 ft2, an inspection will cost about $800.00. This includes the inspection, photography, preparation of the architectural plans, soil survey, and repair methodology (as deemed necessary). All these are included in a final written report.
<span data-metadata=""><span data-buffer="">What are the advantages of a structural engineer inspection?
There are numerous benefits to structural engineer inspections:
- If you plan to buy or invest in a property, an inspection will let you know if there are major structural issues with the foundation or structural framing. Foundation issues can be costly, so it’s money well spent to have an engineer look everything over.
- You can complete an inspection prior to listing a property for sale. By providing an engineering report to a prospective buyer, you demonstrate the home or structure you’re selling is structurally sound
- Do you already have a home that needs some repairs? If so, a report can be given to multiple contractors, so you can compare repair costs from a true apples-to-apples position. You need not receive multiple quotes all offering different repair solutions.
- Using the latest modeling software, we include architectural floor plans as part of our inspection services. This preliminary work can be used for your repair planning or for future design purposes (e.g., home extensions or major renovations).
- PEs are ethically bound to act in your best interest. Most contractors provide “free estimates” when reviewing a foundation issue, but their goal is to sell repair services. It is always worth it to get a second opinion from a structural engineer before you decide to invest several thousands of dollars on a repair that may be unnecessary.
Registered Architect (RA) vs. Professional Engineer (PE): What’s the Difference?
In the residential sector, there are more similarities than differences between PEs and RAs – much of it boils down to individual professional’s experience.
The commonly held stereotype is that RAs focus on the aesthetic and artistic sides of the design process, whereas PEs focus more on the structural stability and technical “nitty-gritty” details.
Usually, an architect will consult with an engineer to ensure their abstract design meets required code and strength requirements – or, sometimes, vice versa.
While there may be some truth to the stereotypes, both RAs and PEs share the same expertise. That is, they both design, plan, evaluate, and oversee the construction of buildings. In addition, NYS treats them in relatively the same way. Both PEs and RAs can offer professional services to the public and legally sign and seal design plans for local jurisdiction approval. For this reason, an individual’s experience should be a factor when you’re making a hiring decision. There are many engineers who are aesthetically oriented, and there are many architects who are comfortable with providing structural details.
