How to Choose a Structural Engineer: 7 Questions to Ask Before You Hire

Choosing the wrong structural engineer is one of the most expensive mistakes a developer or homeowner can make. Bad calculations don't just fail — they fail late, after the steels are in, after the floors are down, after you've paid the builder. This is the vetting checklist we'd use ourselves.

1. Are they chartered?

Look for one of these post-nominals:

• Pr.Eng — Professional Engineer (Pr.Eng) with SAICE
• Pr.Eng — Professional Engineer (Pr.Eng) with SAICE
• Pr.Eng with senior standing — Fellow grade (senior chartered)

Chartered status means the engineer has demonstrated competence by examination and professional review. For Local Authority Building Control work on anything beyond a single beam, this is the floor — not the ceiling.

Ask for the registration number. Verify on the ECSA or ECSA online register. It takes 30 seconds.

2. What does their PI insurance (under SAICE schemes) cover?

Professional Indemnity insurance protects you when the engineer's work causes loss. Minimum cover should be:

• R5,000,000 for typical residential work
• R20m+ for extensions, conversions, and small commercial
• R100m+ for basements, mid-rise, and significant commercial projects

Ask for a copy of the certificate. Check it's current. Note any exclusions (some policies exclude basement work or work over RX value).

3. Have they done your type of project?

An engineer who has designed twenty Victorian basement extensions in inner Johannesburg is not the same as one who has designed twenty out-of-town warehouses. Both are competent — for different work.

Ask for two or three recent examples that closely resemble your project. Ask for site addresses. Drive past them if you can.

4. Who will actually do the work?

At many firms, the partner you meet at the pitch is not the engineer who'll do your calculations. Ask:

• Who will lead the design?
• What is their experience?
• Will they attend the site visit?
• Who reviews and signs the drawings?

Junior engineers under chartered supervision is normal and fine. Junior engineers without it is not.

5. What's included — and what isn't?

A surprising number of disputes come from "I assumed that was included." Get a written fee proposal that explicitly lists:

• Number of site visits
• Number of drawing revisions
• Local Authority Building Control submission preparation
• Competent Person (NHBRC / ECSA) liaison if applicable
• Party wall surveyor liaison
• Construction-stage attendance and inspections
• Method statement and temporary works review

If something isn't on the list, it isn't included. Add it before you sign.

6. What's their turnaround?

Standard residential calculations should take 2–3 weeks. Anything faster carries a premium. Anything slower than 5 weeks suggests an over-stretched practice.

For commercial work, ask for a programme tied to your build sequence. An engineer who can't commit to dates probably won't deliver to them.

7. How do they handle disputes?

The vast majority of structural engineering jobs go smoothly. When they don't, the engineer's behaviour under pressure tells you everything. Ask:

• If the contractor rejects your calculations, what do you do?
• If Local Authority Building Control raises a query, who responds and when?
• If a site issue requires re-design, what's the process and who pays?

You want clear, calm answers — not vagueness or defensiveness.

Red flags

• Reluctance to provide registration numbers or insurance details
• No written fee proposal
• Significantly below-market pricing
• Sub-contracting to unknown third parties
• No PI insurance (under SAICE schemes) certificate or out-of-date cover
• No physical office or only a mobile-phone contact
• Engineer also offering to do the construction work (conflict of interest)

The cheapest quote is rarely the cheapest job

Re-doing calculations because a contractor refused to accept them costs more than getting them right first time. Delays caused by Local Authority Building Control rejection cost more than a competent engineer's fee. Disputes from missed coordination cost more again.

MCFAR has provided chartered structural engineering across South Africa since 1998. Talk to our team about your project — fixed fees, Pr.Eng chartered, full PI cover.

Frequently Asked Questions