Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
(OP)
I have a client that has inquired if I would be interested in signing and sealing drawings prepared by a steel fabricator. As part of the process, I would review these drawings, make any necessary comments or markups, and then review the revised set. I realize that as a professional engineer I can't sign and seal documents prepared by others, or documents that weren't prepared under my supervision, but is there any possible way I could help my client out, perhaps by writing a signed and sealed supplementary letter? Any help of previous experiences would be greatly appreciated - thanks in advance.






RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
This does pop up now and then. I've had it happen to me and here are a few thoughts on the matter:
1. Consider calling your Engineering board to discuss what sort of efforts, etc. would be required. Many times the board appreciates you visiting with them on this...very up front and they can sometimes provide good feedback that is consistent with your area's laws.
2. I would always keep in mind the engineer's "primary directive" - Public Safety and Welfare - in whatever course you take.
3. I normally consider the effort to check someone else's work via a thorough and "legal" review as almost as much effort as doing it myself the first time. You should go through ALL the necessary calculations yourself and verify all the details, notes, specifications, etc. So in the end you perhaps save 10% of the effort of developing the concept or framing - the rest should be (must be?) repeated by you.
4. Consider this aspect: The reason so many engineering laws are written with the terms "direct supervision" is to encourage people to rely on engineers and the value we bring to a project. The more we engineers help the clients out by doing reviews instead of getting hired in the first place to do the work the more we engineers will get left in the wake of life.
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
I have done this many times BUT - I get involved w/ the project upfront, do the calcs and have their draftsmen draw it for my review and incorporate any changes required.
These drawings are under my supervision because I did the calcs and can order any changes necessary before I seal.
Kind of like a "real" office but with a remote drafter.
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
Generally, I don't think it would be objectionable to review drawings and calcs done by others and write a letter stating your findings. However, most of the time, if sealed drawings or calcs are required, then a letter stating they were reviewed won't be adequate anyway.
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
Cheers,
YS
B.Eng (Carleton)
Working in New Zealand, thinking of my snow covered home...
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
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RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
The foundations for a building can be somewhat "tricky", since they are site specific. Many building manufacturer's specifically exclude the foundation for that reason.
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RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
I'd say the Metal Building Co. would want to pursue this in a couple of ways. One would be to attempt to get licensed in as many states as possible where they do business.
Second, if it is "impossible" to do so (I know an architect licensed in 50 states plus Canada plus a few other areas) then they could conceivably get engineers lined up in the other states and establish some sort of design/quality/review process that would be part of their normal operating procedures.
This process would have to satisfy both the engineer taking the responsibility as well as that state's board of engineers.
It would be interesting to know how some of these pre-engineered folks actually do it....or maybe it would be scary to know...
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
This has more to do with the Federal system than a money grab. To have a national license would violate the US Constitution. At least that's what I've heard described by many engineers over the years.
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
Many states are at least $100 or more per year. And I am registered in 43 states.
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
As to the "tax" idea for these licenses- that comes up largely in the corporate certificates of authority, which in most cases don't accomplish anything other than raising revenue.
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
Presumably you don't need 50 driving licenses?
A state license that is recognised in all states would achieve the same.
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."
I assume that's the line in question.
dgkhan- The state rules vary on whether you can review and stamp work done by others. For example, in Utah, "the licensee in this state affixing the seal performs a thorough
review of all work for compliance with all applicable laws and rules and the standards of the profession; and makes any necessary corrections before submitting the final plan." So there, the rule clearly allows that practice. In Texas, "License holders shall only seal work done by them, performed under their direct supervision as defined in §131.81 of this title", etc. It seems that most of the states are headed in that direction and state rules allowing review and stamp are not too common. This is not to say it should be one way or the other, just that's how the rules read.
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
So it would be possible to have a "national" license where each state could review and accept another state's license.....wait....they already do that - it's called reciprocity.
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
Does this qualify under "direct supervision" or I am also a violator?
Thanks
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
http
Don Phillips
http://worthingtonengineering.com
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
TN is $140 biannually.
RE: Signing and Sealing Drawings Prepared by Others
I hate to say it, but I have to suggest that the link you provided is to a group that makes a lot of claims and asseritions that are quite flawed on many levels.
A one-nation US engineering licensing board may sound fine and dandy, and may claim that the one-license scenario would come to be "without creating another Federal bureau"; but I highly doubt it. History has proved that the more centrally you locate power, the more it gets mis-used and becomes inefficient. All the claims of how "redundant" the state boards are don't ring true with me. Not at all.