STLStructural
(314) 834-5853 Request a visit

Decks, additions, and roof framing.

Framing reviews and designs for decks, porches, additions, and sagging roofs.

Request this service
A flashlight on a cracked rafter in an attic

When does framing need an engineer?

When it is sagging, has been cut or altered, or is about to carry more than it was built for. The engineer checks whether the framing is adequate and designs the reinforcement if it is not.

When you need it

  • A roof ridge sags or a ceiling has a dip
  • A truss or rafter was cut
  • A floor bounces or slopes
  • You are adding a deck, porch, room, or heavy load
123
  1. 1Cut or notched member
  2. 2Sag at the ridge
  3. 3Bearing wall under each end

What the engineer looks at

  • Joists, rafters, trusses, beams, and their connections
  • Notches, holes, and cuts made for pipes, ducts, or stairs
  • How a deck or porch is attached to the house
  • Posts, footings, and what they bear on
  • New loads: a second story, a tile roof, a hot tub, solar panels

What you get

  • A written opinion on whether the framing is adequate
  • A reinforcement or repair design when it is not
  • A stamped design for new framing when a permit needs one
  • Details a carpenter can build from

Common questions

Can a cut truss be repaired?

Usually, but the repair has to be designed. Trusses work as a whole, so a cut member changes how every other member is loaded.

Do I need an engineer for a deck?

Many decks are built from standard tables. An engineer is needed when the deck is tall, large, attached in an unusual way, or the building department asks for one.

Will you draw full plans for an addition?

The engineer provides the structural design: framing, beams, posts, and footings. Full architectural drawings come from a designer or architect.

Read first

Sagging floors and sticking doors: what they meanWhat sloping floors, bounce and sticking doors can mean, and when they need an engineer. How to tell if a wall is load-bearingPractical clues that point to a bearing wall, and why you need confirmation before touching one. What is a stamped engineer letter?What a signed and sealed engineer letter is, and who asks for one.

Related services

Load-bearing wall removalFind out whether a wall carries load, and get the beam design to take it out. Damage assessmentAfter water, fire, a vehicle strike, a fallen tree, or a storm. Stamped engineer lettersThe signed and sealed letter a building department, lender, or contractor asked for.