Do I Need An Engineer for Just A Garage?
I recenlty bought a plan for a 25×36′ gable roof garage with (2) 9×8 car doors on one of the gable ends. The wing walls are about 30″ wide and about a 18″ wide “center post/wall” between the doors. 4/12 truss roof. 9’High “T-111” plywood walls.
No details provided on what IBC will demand for foundation bolts/ holdowns whatever for the 30″ wing walls. Was all set to just buy Simpson pre-made shear walls untill I found out price ! Holly Moly!$$
Do you think I could just plagerize the hardware rite out of catalog pictures and that might pass code? I can’t beleive I should have to hire an architect or engineer to build my own garage. I want a concrete stem wall foundation with seperate slab poured later.
Any Ideas? Gun permits should be as hard to get as building permits – what a joke!
Replies
First thing find out the local authority requires.
Someplaces a sketch on the napkin is enough and other don't have no stinkin perimits at all.
Others might require a full engineers reports along with certain male body parts.
In my area of Florida, all structures must be engineered for wind loads, including garages. Where do you live?
Seattle area - My impression is that everyone is going towards using Int. Building Code which means I have to build to your standards and we have never had any wind storm here with sustained wind speeds above 50-60 MPH. Excepting waterfront properties and coastal areas.
I suspect you don't get much snow load very often.Thanks for reply.
I have not seen the IBC, but the IRC is a stripped down version for 1 & 2 family homes.The first thing that you need to know is what wind, snow, and earthquake zones you are in. That information is basic to knowing what the requirements are. While it might be aiming for a "one book fits all" it is not a one design fits all.
the irc that your state has adopted, spells out the wind zones for your locality... if you have the book, it's in thereMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
if you're in a high-wind zone... (110mph......120mph) or a seismic zone,
you will have to cross every T and dot every i
it's hard to build a garage in those areas without a 4' "wing-wall"
I know nothing about Seattle inspections, but it's right up there with central Ca for seismic risk. Every year inland Washington gets around a dozen quakes large enough to feel.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Yeah, for my garage here in Florida, I had to use 2X6 construction on 16" centers. Gable ends balloon framed on 12" centers. Structural sheathing throughout with a strict nailing schedule. Enough ties to keep Simpson in business.
I'm not familiar with the Seattle area, but it wouldn't surprise me if they require engineers for seismic forces.
Olmsted County, Minnesota: As I understand it, the main requirement is that any permanent structure (including a gazebo, if it has a foundation) have an engineer's stamp stating that the roof won't blow off.
I just completed a set of drawings for a similar garage. I paid a structural eingineer to review my rough plans and give me directives on construction methods I should follow particularly because the second floor was to be a game room with a pool table. I knew the narrow 24" and 18" center post wall wouldn't offer much resistance to wind load, especially considering the pool table and the large parties that would take place- alot of added, moving weight.
The eingineer stamped the final drawings which included sheer walls at the narrow wall sections on the front face (where the garage door openings take all the meat out of the wall) that were noted as 1/2" minimum, stand-up sheets, PL adhered and nailed at 8" on center, both sides of the 2X6 studs and top and bottom plates. There were also steel I-Beams supported by 4X4 steel tubes for the buildings floor ,etc. but I really think it's worth paying a good structural eingineer for details like this because you can definitely learn alot from them.
Edited 4/13/2005 10:32 pm ET by byrnsie
My locality in MA required plans certified by a state licensed engineer.
I went to a local architect, told him what I wanted. He pulled a plan he drew already for another client, changed a few dimensions to get me where I wanted to be.
Total charge $150-200. Thats what it would have cost to have an engineer certify a pre-existing set of drawings you buy from the catalogue.
I think the secret here, find an architect who is very experienced. (read that as has huge piles of drawings already)
Note that in some states, architects aren't generally licensed engineers, and can't give you the engineering stamp.
Ask also if your building department issues their own sheet of generic details. Ours has what they call the "Type V" sheet. Design a one story structure in accordance with the sheet, and they accept it without an engineer's stamp.
-- J.S.
Root-
I just went through the same deal in Portland. You should NOT need an engineer (BTW, I am an engineer - I ain't ranting against them). I Found some example plans to go off of, drew up my own and went in to see the plans examiner. I walked out with a permit. For the shear issues, the gave me a xerox copy of their prescriptive solution (here it was min 2'-8" wall with shear wall hold downs anchored in the concrete on each end (can't remember the load requirement - it was easy to achieve)). Portland is absolutely ridiculous with their permit process, so I was rather pleased to walk in, spend 45 minutes going over the design, and walk out with a permit. My advice - get all your questions answered and document everything - I had to appeal a fire wall rule because the plans examiner approved plans and overlooked something. I won in the end, but it was a PITA. The same could easily have happened for any other aspect of the project.
Good luck.
Jason