Hiring a structural engineer for the first time is a little intimidating because most people don't know what good looks like. The work is technical, the deliverable is a piece of paper, and you can't really compare bids on quality the way you can compare bids on a kitchen remodel. So here are the eight questions worth asking before you sign anything, with what good answers sound like.
1. Are you a licensed Utah PE?
The answer should be a simple yes, with a license number you can verify on Utah's DOPL website. If the answer is "we have a PE on staff" or "we work under so-and-so's stamp," ask who will actually be designing your project and whether that person is licensed. Junior staff doing the work under someone else's seal is legal but it's not what you want for a residential project.
2. Will you do the work yourself, or will it go to a junior?
At big multi-engineer firms, your project almost always goes to a junior. The senior engineer reviews and stamps. That's how the model works, and it's fine for many projects. For residential work, though, having the senior do the design directly usually produces better outcomes. Ask explicitly.
3. What's the fixed fee for my project?
The right answer is "let me look at your project and give you a fixed fee." The wrong answer is "we bill hourly at $X per hour, and I'll estimate after we start." Hourly billing creates incentives to drag out scope. Fixed fees create incentives to be efficient. If a firm refuses to give you a fixed fee for a clearly-defined scope, that's a flag.
4. What's included and what isn't?
Specifically: are revisions included? Are plan-check responses included? Is the site visit included? Is the wet stamp included? At our shop, all of those are included unless the scope changes. Many firms charge extra for revisions and plan-check responses, which is annoying because it punishes you for things that aren't your fault.
5. How long will it take?
For a single letter, the right answer is days. For a small plan set, the right answer is 1-3 weeks. For a custom home package, 3-6 weeks. If a firm tells you 8 weeks for a load- bearing wall letter, they're either swamped or they don't prioritize residential work.
6. Do you respond to plan-check comments?
Yes, and at no extra charge. If your city kicks something back, the engineer should fix it. Period. If a firm wants to bill you for plan-check responses, they're externalizing their own work onto you.
7. What happens if I need a small change after the stamp?
Real-world projects change. Beam location moves a foot. Header gets bigger. The right answer to "what if I need a small change" is "send me a photo and I'll handle it." Some firms treat every change as a new contract. Some don't.
8. Have you worked in my city before?
Local familiarity matters. Different cities have different plan reviewers, different code adoption years, different local amendments, and different quirks at submittal. An engineer who has worked in your city before knows what the plan reviewer will and won't accept, which means fewer rejections and faster approval. We've worked in every Davis and Weber County city in our service area.
The meta-question
Beyond the eight questions above, the meta-question is: do you trust this person? Engineering is a service business, and most of what you're buying is judgment. The engineer who gives you a five-minute honest answer to your question over the phone is usually a better hire than the one who tries to pitch you on a bigger scope.
See our about page for more about who we are, our process page for how we work, and our pricing page for real numbers.