Do we need an engineer for this project?

There are many different reasons why a Condominium may need to hire an engineer. First of all, for some types of projects, an engineer’s stamp is required by law (structural repairs, septic systems, for example). In addition, local building officials sometimes require an engineer’s stamp in order to approve a building permit, or they may require engineering oversight and inspection affidavits if the project falls under the category of “controlled construction.”

In most cases, however, a condo association should consider hiring an engineer for this simple reason: there’s no such thing as a simple or easy construction project.

Construction projects are more complicated than they may seem. Material properties and costs (both initial installation and future maintenance costs), installation means and methods, Code stipulations, government regulations, product manufacturer requirements, project-specific construction details, scheduling, access and staging issues, and jobsite layout must all be carefully considered and mapped out before beginning the work. Equally important is the establishment of the contract terms, which typically cover insurance requirements, payment terms and procedures, change orders, unit price work, warranties, final inspection, project closeout, and other general contract conditions.

At a Condominium property, a construction project can be further complicated by multiple Unit access issues, common area vs. unit-owned distinctions, and, perhaps most importantly, the extra diplomatic and political energy that must be expended by the contractor to deal with the numerous Unit Owners affected by the work. Many contractors avoid condo projects for these reasons.

Understandably, condominium trustees and managers often wrestle with fears such as, “Will this really solve the problem?” and “Can we trust this contractor to do the job right and to not cut corners?” and “Is this really the best use of our money?” Trustees are often under intense pressure from their neighbors and fellow owners, many of who are at odds with one another about what should be done. Conflict arises when large sums of money are at stake.

This is why you should hire an engineer: an engineer brings invaluable technical knowledge, real world construction experience, and administrative skills to the project, and serves as an objective professional third party that the Association can rely on for technical guidance throughout all phases of the work.

An engineer can:

1. Systematically investigate and diagnose the problem.

2. Make recommendations and evaluate different repair options.

3. Provide budgetary cost estimates.

4. Prepare a detailed specification package for bidding to contractors.

5. Evaluate and select qualified contractors to bid on the project.

6. Facilitate the bidding process and analyze of the bid results.

7. Assist in contract preparation with the condo’s legal counsel.

8. Coordinate a pre-construction meeting with the contractor.

9. Facilitate the permitting process with local building authorities.

10. Ensure that the contractor is using the proper materials (submittals).

11. Perform periodic site visits to inspect the contractor’s work and make sure they are following the specification and aren’t cutting corners.

12. Review payment requisitions to keep the contractor’s payments in line with the amount of work actually completed.

13. Review change orders and deal with unforeseen conditions that may arise during the project.

14. Perform a final inspection and facilitate the project closeout (final payment, warranties, waiver of liens, etc.).

15. Resolve disputes that may arise between the contractor and the condominium.

Basically, hiring an engineer to head up a project takes pressure off of the Trustees and can alleviate a lot of potential conflict brewing in the condominium community. Furthermore, engineering oversight during a construction project helps keep the contractor in line in terms of quality of work, costs, and schedule.