When building with timber frame, who can I get to oversee the build?

In this article we cover:

  • How to find an independent certifier
  • Where to search for an engineer
  • Issues finding someone to project manage the build

Q: I’m having great difficulty finding someone to oversee my timber frame build in north Tipperary, near Co Offaly and Co Galway. How can I find an independent engineer who is not connected to my drafter or the timber frame company, and who can sign off on the various stages as the build progresses?

“It could be down to unavailability of local structural engineers, or their perception of potential risk tells them to avoid the project.”

A quick search on the Institute of Structural Engineers (IstructE) website looking for structural engineers (with the post-nominal designation of MIStructE) in the Galway area has revealed a list of 30 so I would suspect that availability is not the issue.

If the timber frame manufacturer can produce the correct certification (e.g. compliance with I.S. 440), evidence of quality control, warranty and structural design paperwork a few weeks prior to the commencement of the works; design professionals (i.e. architects, chartered architectural technologists or structural engineers) would in most cases, be willing to undertake the certification of each phase.

Reluctance amongst design professionals to become involved with timber frame projects can sometimes be due to an unusual or complex design, over-use of large openings, inadequate structural stability, a perceived lack of quality control or competency, the use of non-standard components, onerous mortgage conditions, site-specific issues, or works already commenced.

For example, the certifier would have doubts about it if the timber frame manufacturer did not employ structural engineers for design and checking, or did not belong to a recognised trade body or could not provide evidence of compliance with a nationally recognised quality control strategy such as the NSAI Timber Frame Manufacturers Approval Scheme.

If these assurances are missing or if the paperwork is somehow deemed unreliable, few if any, certifiers would wish to sign off a project where there is a higher risk of missing hidden defects.