Common Questions About
Structural Engineering

We provide structural engineering services across the entire Province of Ontario — including Toronto, Scarborough, Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton, Ottawa, Petawawa, Bowmanville, Barrie, Kingston, Windsor, London, Kitchener, Guelph, Oshawa, Ajax, Whitby, Newmarket, Vaughan, Markham, Oakville, Burlington, and all surrounding municipalities — as well as Prince Edward Island.

Yes. AMGH Engineering carries professional liability (errors & omissions) insurance. Every drawing we produce is stamped by a licensed Professional Engineer registered with the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO), taking full professional and legal accountability for the structural design.

Neither. AMGH Engineering is a licensed structural engineering firm. A licensed P.Eng. takes full professional responsibility for every design. Our stamped drawings are legally accepted by Ontario and PEI municipalities for building permits — something a drafting service cannot provide.

A structural engineer analyzes and designs the load-bearing systems of buildings — foundations, beams, columns, walls, slabs, and connections — to ensure the structure is safe, stable, and code-compliant. Their P.Eng. stamp is required by law for many residential and commercial Ontario building permit applications.

A licensed P.Eng. is legally authorized to take professional responsibility for a structural design. P.Eng.-stamped drawings are required by Ontario municipalities for most permit applications. A drafting service cannot stamp structural drawings, cannot take professional responsibility for the design, and cannot represent you in the technical review process with the building department.

You need a structural engineer whenever your project involves modifications to load-bearing elements — removing or modifying walls, adding floors, lowering a basement, building additions, or constructing new structures. Ontario Building Code requires structural engineering drawings for these project types as part of the permit application.

Most Ontario municipalities respond to residential permit applications within 10–15 business days for smaller scopes such as wall removals. Larger projects including additions and underpinning may take 4–6 weeks. AMGH Engineering prepares complete, accurate packages that minimize revision requests and help speed up your approval.

A typical residential permit application in Ontario requires: completed application forms, architectural drawings, P.Eng.-stamped structural drawings, structural calculations, site plan, and any project-specific documentation required by your municipality. AMGH Engineering prepares the full structural engineering portion and can coordinate with your architect or designer.

Yes. Minor revision requests from building examiners that fall within the original project scope are addressed at no additional charge. We stand behind our work through the permit review process.

A permit refusal typically results from incomplete documentation or design issues. AMGH Engineering will review the refusal reasons, revise the structural drawings as needed, and resubmit the application. In most cases, refusals on structural matters are resolved through design adjustments or clarification letters.

A structural assessment by a licensed engineer is required. AMGH Engineering evaluates your existing foundation, load-bearing walls, floor structure, and framing to determine the capacity of the current structure. In many cases, older homes can be reinforced to support a full second storey.

When structural elements are hidden, AMGH Engineering makes documented structural assumptions based on the home's age, geometry, and construction type. These are clearly noted on the drawings. If the contractor finds conditions that differ during demolition, we issue revisions promptly at no extra charge for minor changes.

Underpinning involves excavating beneath your existing foundation footings in controlled sections, pouring new concrete at a lower depth, and repeating around the perimeter. AMGH Engineering designs the complete underpinning sequence, section sizes, pour sequence, and rebar reinforcement.

Yes. The shared party wall requires special attention — underpinning it requires a written agreement from your neighbour before a permit can be issued. If consent is unavailable, AMGH Engineering can design a benching solution that maximizes ceiling height gain without requiring neighbour permission.

Underpinning lowers the foundation footing by excavating beneath it — maximizing ceiling height gain across the full basement width. Benching cuts back the floor at an angle from the foundation wall. Benching is simpler and doesn't require neighbour consent for party walls, but results in reduced flat floor area near the walls.

Yes. Adding a basement walkout or separate entrance requires a building permit in Ontario because it modifies the foundation wall — a structural element. AMGH Engineering designs the structural opening, lintel, and required reinforcement, and prepares all permit drawings.

Traditional underpinning maintains the full floor area of your basement — you gain ceiling height without losing floor space. Benching, by contrast, does reduce usable floor area near the walls. AMGH Engineering can help you evaluate which option is best for your specific home.

Requirements vary by municipality, but most Ontario building departments require a site plan showing property boundaries, building footprint, and setbacks as part of the underpinning permit application. AMGH Engineering advises on the specific documentation required by your municipality.

Common indicators include: the wall runs perpendicular to floor joists, is near the centre of the house, has a wall/beam/column directly below it in the basement, or runs from foundation to roof. However, these are only guidelines — a licensed structural engineer's assessment is the only reliable confirmation.

Yes, if the wall is load-bearing. Ontario Building Code requires P.Eng.-stamped drawings for load-bearing wall removals as part of the building permit. The engineer designs the replacement beam and column system. Removing a load-bearing wall without proper engineering can cause serious structural damage.

You need: a structural engineering assessment, P.Eng.-stamped drawings specifying the replacement beam size, column locations, and connection details, and a building permit from your municipality. AMGH Engineering provides the complete structural package.

Rebar detail drawings translate the structural engineer's reinforced concrete design into construction-ready documents. They show the exact size, spacing, placement, laps, hooks, and bending shapes of every rebar in the structure. Required for any reinforced concrete work — foundations, slabs, beams, columns, underpinning, and retaining walls.

Shop drawings are detailed fabrication drawings for the steel fabricator — showing exact dimensions, connection details, weld symbols, bolt patterns, and member sizes for each steel component. AMGH Engineering produces shop drawings to CWB and CSA S16 standards.

Yes. AMGH Engineering provides P.Eng.-stamped rebar detail drawings and coordinates the review and approval of shop drawings where required. Having a licensed engineer stamp these documents gives contractors, fabricators, and building inspectors confidence that the details are accurate and structurally correct.

We prepare shop drawings for: steel warehouses, industrial buildings, modular and prefabricated steel units, steel staircases and mezzanines, anchor bolt plans, base plate details, custom beam and column connections, and steel components for residential and commercial construction.

In most Ontario municipalities, a permit is required for a deck that is attached to the house, more than 600mm above grade, or has an area greater than 10 square metres. AMGH Engineering can design your deck structure and prepare permit drawings.

Ontario detached garages typically require continuous concrete strip footings below the frost line (1.2m depth), foundation walls or thickened slab-on-grade, and framing designed for Ontario snow and wind loads. AMGH Engineering designs the foundation system and prepares P.Eng.-stamped drawings for your permit.

Yes. Garden and laneway suites are permanent habitable structures and must meet the full Ontario Building Code. They require a complete permit submission including structural drawings. AMGH Engineering provides the full structural engineering package — foundation, framing, and roof structure — coordinated with your architect.

Book a structural inspection when: purchasing a property and wanting an expert structural assessment; you notice cracks, settling, or movement in your home; a contractor raises concerns during renovation; you need a P.Eng. opinion for insurance purposes; or a building inspector requires verification of existing conditions.

Yes. AMGH Engineering provides P.Eng.-stamped structural condition reports for existing buildings. These reports can be used for insurance claims, real estate transactions, legal purposes, or renovation planning.

When structural elements are hidden, AMGH Engineering uses the home's age, construction type, geometry, and our extensive experience with Ontario building types to make documented structural assumptions. These are clearly stated in our report or drawings, and we provide prompt revisions if field conditions differ.