Sign and seal a letter for permit purpose w/o firm number
Sign and seal a letter for permit purpose w/o firm number
(OP)
I have been asked by a friend to inspect their deck construction in the back of their house. After the construction was completed the city ask them to provide a document (a letter) signed and sealed by a PE to certify that the deck was constructed in accordance with applicable building code. I am a registered PE in General Civil/Transportation. I understand that when you put your SEAL down you have to provide a firm number. Since I don't have a registered firm of my own (I work for a consulting firm) I am not able to provide the firm number. Can I still sign and seal this letter? Also my PE is in general civil not in structural, is it ok for me to sign and seal this letter?
Thanks,
KW
Thanks,
KW





RE: Sign and seal a letter for permit purpose w/o firm number
RE: Sign and seal a letter for permit purpose w/o firm number
Garth Dreger PE - AZ Phoenix area
As EOR's we should take the responsibility to design our structures to support the components we allow in our design per that industry standards.
RE: Sign and seal a letter for permit purpose w/o firm number
In many states, PE's can stamp deck plans.
As per the above, you should check with your state board, and the local jurisdiction as to what is required here.
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)
RE: Sign and seal a letter for permit purpose w/o firm number
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RE: Sign and seal a letter for permit purpose w/o firm number
Individual engineers use their PE number.
RE: Sign and seal a letter for permit purpose w/o firm number
Many jurisdictions require special inspections by outside firms such as testing agencies, to include the engineer of record, in addition to those of their inspectors. This is not uncommon, just a little odd considering its a deck.
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)
RE: Sign and seal a letter for permit purpose w/o firm number
RE: Sign and seal a letter for permit purpose w/o firm number
spreadshift the liability.Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)
RE: Sign and seal a letter for permit purpose w/o firm number
RE: Sign and seal a letter for permit purpose w/o firm number
And that is not true of a city or jurisdiction never having the liability. They might like you to think that...
God help Snohomish County with all the lawsuits that will be emanating from the OSO landslide fiasco...
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)
RE: Sign and seal a letter for permit purpose w/o firm number
Hydrology, Drainage Analysis, Flood Studies, and Complex Stormwater Litigation for Atlanta and the South East - http://www.campbellcivil.com
RE: Sign and seal a letter for permit purpose w/o firm number
http://www.berding-weil.net/articles/public-agency...
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)
RE: Sign and seal a letter for permit purpose w/o firm number
RE: Sign and seal a letter for permit purpose w/o firm number
1. In all states in the US, you are individually licensed, even though you work for a company that might have multiple engineers, holds itself out to the public as an engineering firm and has a certificate of authorization (a number). That CA number means nothing to an individual signing/sealing event, other than the fact that you might be a representative of that firm when using such.
2. Again, in the US, YOU hold the license to practice engineering. You can use that individually or as a representative of a company. If you sign the letter, you are "moonlighting". Is your company OK with that? Are you providing services individually that compete with your company? If so, you might want to explore the ethics of doing so.
3. Will your signing potentially expose your company to liability? If so, you might want to let them know what you are doing.
4. Are you willing to accept the liability for the deck? By signing/sealing you do so. Think about it.
Does your friend understand what he/she is asking? They are asking you to state, to the best of your professional ability, that the deck meets ALL local codes and standards; and is structurally adequate for its intended use. As cvg noted, read your state rules for engineers and if you are not capable of evaluating the structural efficacy of that deck, don't sign the letter.
RE: Sign and seal a letter for permit purpose w/o firm number