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You’ll want to consult a structural engineer if you’re making changes that include altering your home’s load-bearing properties. You should also hire a structural engineer if your architect, realtor, or local home inspector recommends it. You may want a structural engineer to help modify a home in an earthquake, hurricane, or flood zone, modify the locations of doors and windows, or add additional floors to a home.

You'll need to choose whether you need an architect, home inspector, or structural engineer, depending on what you need. Architects work to design the form and function of the home, including structural elements. Structural engineers focus on the home’s load-bearing and functional aspects, while home inspectors assess a home’s condition during real estate transactions, after natural disasters, or during appraisals.

During a site visit, residential structural engineers near you inspect the foundation, infrastructure, curtain wall, insulation, and building envelope. Through careful inspection and comparison to the approved building plans, the pro ensures the actual building meets the drawings provided or advises corrections. They must approve the completion of each stage, often required before the next development phase can begin.

A structural engineer makes approximately $68,000 to $147,000 per year or around $70 to $250 per hour.

Structural and mechanical engineering are both subdisciplines of civil engineering. Structural engineers specialize in loads and forces put on structures and often work in residential and commercial settings to create load-bearing structures like walls, foundations, and bridges.

Civil engineers work on infrastructure projects in both public and private settings. These include roadways, sewage systems, bridges, and tunnels. Mechanical engineers design and maintain power systems such as generators, engines, turbines, refrigeration systems, escalators, and elevators.