FAQ

We provide structural engineering, civil and infrastructure design, building design and planning, statutory certification (Assigned Certifier under BCAR, fire safety and disability access certificates), and assessments and reports. One office carries a project from first concept to completion certificate. The Services page sets out what each category covers. For anything not listed, call the office and ask.

We work on all scales of development, from residential extensions and single houses to housing estates, major commercial and industrial projects, and roads and infrastructure works.

Yes. We take a one-off house from site layout and design through the planning application, structural design and certification to completion. Because the design, engineering and certification are all done in one office, there is a single point of responsibility from first sketch to completion certificate.

Yes, we work throughout Ireland, however our ability to assist with projects outside of our usual catchment area will depend on the scale of the project. While based in Naas, Co. Kildare, we have completed projects nationwide, and our established relationships with local authorities let us work efficiently anywhere in Ireland.

Call us or use the contact form with basic project details. We'll arrange a consultation to discuss your requirements and provide a detailed proposal.

It depends on the scope. A single inspection with a short report is a fixed fee; design work is generally priced on the time it will take to complete the task and the level of certification required. Tell us what you're planning and we'll quote a fixed fee before any work starts.

Architects and engineers are separate professions that often work on the same types of building projects, but with a different focus. An architect is primarily concerned with the overall design of a building: its layout, appearance, functionality, and how it meets the needs of the people using it. Architects also deal with compliance with the Building Regulations across areas such as fire safety, access, and energy performance, and can certify a building accordingly.

An engineer focuses on the technical performance of the building, including structural design, foundations, drainage, and roads. Chartered engineers can also design buildings, certify compliance with the Building Regulations, and act as Assigned Certifier under BCAR, meaning a project can be designed, delivered, and certified in full by an engineer without an architect being involved.

Some projects involve both professions working together, but this comes down to the needs of the project rather than any requirement.

A structural engineer works out how a building stands up. We calculate the loads a structure has to carry, from the weight of the building itself to the people in it, wind and snow, and design the foundations, beams, columns and walls to carry them safely. The result is drawings and calculations a contractor can build from, and during construction we inspect the works and certify what was built.

You need a structural engineer for new builds, extensions, structural alterations, removing walls, building over existing structures, or when structural problems are suspected. We also provide structural assessments for property purchases or insurance claims.

Yes. Internal alterations don't normally need planning permission, but removing a load-bearing wall is structural work: the replacement structure must be designed, inspected by a qualified structural engineer and certified. We design the works and issue a certificate of compliance afterwards.

Yes. We prepare and manage planning applications from start to finish, including site layouts, engineering drawings, drainage and road design, and the technical reports councils increasingly require. Just as importantly, we deal with what happens after you apply: responding to Further Information requests, discharging planning conditions, and preparing appeals to An Coimisiún Pleanála where needed. We work with local authorities across Leinster and nationwide, and we know what each council looks for.

A standard planning application takes around 12 weeks at a minimum. The council must decide within 8 weeks of a valid application, and the grant only becomes final once the 4-week appeal period to An Coimisiún Pleanála has passed. If the council requests Further Information, this pauses the process; you have up to 6 months to respond, and the council then has 4 weeks to decide. We can advise on realistic timescales for your project and local authority.

Not always. A rear extension can be exempt from planning permission if the total floor area, including any previous extensions, is under 40 square metres, subject to limits on first-floor area, height and windows, and provided at least 25 square metres of private open space remains. Extensions to the side or front normally need permission. The exemption rules have several conditions, so if you're unsure, contact us and we'll confirm whether your extension needs permission before you build.

We handle the full Uisce Éireann process, from pre-connection enquiries that establish whether a connection is feasible, through to full connection applications for developments with planning permission. We design the water and wastewater infrastructure to Uisce Éireann's codes of practice and standard details, including watermain layouts, foul sewer design, and any pumping stations or network upgrades required, and we prepare the drawings and technical submissions that go with the application. We deal directly with Uisce Éireann's engineers throughout.

Our surveys include structural assessment, condition evaluation, photographic documentation, and recommendations for any remedial works, in a clear written report to inform your purchasing decision.

Most residential surveys are completed within 2-3 days of instruction, with reports delivered within 1 week. Commercial surveys may take longer depending on complexity.

Most commonly as part of a planning application, where the site lies in or near Flood Zone A or B on the OPW flood maps, where the county's strategic flood risk assessment flags the area, or where the site has a history of flooding. In those cases the council will require a site-specific flood risk assessment prepared under the 2009 Planning System and Flood Risk Management Guidelines. Flood risk assessments are sometimes also sought outside planning, for example by lenders or insurers before a property purchase, or to inform the design and layout of a development at an early stage. We carry out flood risk assessments for all of these situations.

DMURS, the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets, is the national standard for street design in Irish towns and cities. Planning authorities commonly require a DMURS Statement of Consistency with residential and mixed-use applications, showing the layout follows the manual on street widths, junctions, speeds and pedestrian priority. We prepare these statements.

A computer simulation of the largest vehicles that must use a site (refuse trucks, fire appliances, delivery vehicles), tracked through the proposed layout to prove they can enter, turn and leave. The output is a set of drawings overlaid on the site layout, which we produce with vehicle-tracking software.

Building Regulations are the legal minimum standards for the design and construction of buildings in Ireland, covering health, safety, energy efficiency and accessibility. They apply to new buildings, extensions and material alterations. The requirements are set out in Technical Guidance Documents covering everything from structure and fire safety to drainage, ventilation and access. Compliance is a legal obligation regardless of whether planning permission is needed.

An Assigned Certifier is the registered professional who inspects and certifies that a building complies with the Building Regulations, under the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations (BCAR). One must be appointed for new dwellings, extensions over 40 square metres, and buildings that require a Fire Safety Certificate. For a one-off house or a large extension, the owner can opt out of certification. As Chartered Engineers we act as Assigned Certifier, preparing the inspection plan, carrying out inspections during construction, managing all BCMS documentation, and certifying the completed building.

A Fire Safety Certificate is required before work starts on most buildings other than houses, including apartment buildings, extensions and material changes of use. It certifies that the design complies with Part B (Fire Safety) of the Building Regulations. A Disability Access Certificate does the same for Part M (Access and Use) and is required for new buildings other than dwellings before they open. Both are granted by the local Building Control Authority. We prepare and submit both applications, including the compliance drawings and supporting reports.

A Certificate of Compliance on Completion (CCC) is the certificate confirming a building was constructed in accordance with the Building Regulations. It's signed by the Assigned Certifier and the Builder and lodged on the Building Control Management System (BCMS), along with as-built drawings and supporting documentation. The building cannot legally be opened, occupied or used until the certificate is registered by the Building Control Authority. It's also a key document when selling or refinancing, as solicitors will look for it as evidence of compliance.

An Opinion of Compliance is a certificate from a suitably qualified professional stating that a property substantially complies with its planning permission and with the Building Regulations. Solicitors and lenders require one whenever a property is sold or remortgaged; without it, a sale can stall. We inspect the property, review the planning history, and issue the Opinion, and where an issue is found, such as an uncertified extension, we can advise on how to resolve it.

On a self-build mortgage, the lender releases funds in stages as the house progresses. At each stage an engineer inspects the works and certifies what has been completed and its value, and the bank pays out against that certificate. We provide stage inspections and certificates throughout the build.

A written and photographic record of a property's condition on a given date. It's commissioned before construction starts next door, before works that could affect a neighbouring structure, or at the start of a lease, so that if damage is claimed later there is an agreed baseline. We prepare schedules of condition for owners on both sides of a project.

Owners building a single house for their own use, or a domestic extension, may opt out of the statutory certification process (the Assigned Certifier and completion certificates). Building Regulations still fully apply and a Commencement Notice is still required. Opting out saves certification fees, but a future buyer's solicitor or lender will usually want professional certificates instead, so most self-builders who opt out still retain an engineer for stage inspections. We advise on both routes and provide either service.

The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 apply to all construction projects in Ireland, regardless of size, including domestic works. They place legal duties on clients, designers and contractors to ensure projects are planned and carried out safely. As a client, you may be required to appoint a Project Supervisor for the Design Process (PSDP) and a Project Supervisor for the Construction Stage (PSCS), for example where a project lasts more than 30 working days or involves a particular risk. We act as PSDP and can advise on your duties before work starts.

Before work starts, you must appoint competent designers and contractors, and in many cases appoint a Project Supervisor for the Design Process (PSDP) and a Project Supervisor for the Construction Stage (PSCS), such as where there's more than one contractor or a particular risk. Projects lasting more than 30 working days must be notified to the Health and Safety Authority, and a Safety and Health Plan may be required before work begins. These duties apply to domestic clients too. We can review your project, tell you exactly what applies, and act as PSDP where one is needed.

Non-compliance is a criminal offence under safety and health legislation, and the Health and Safety Authority can inspect sites, issue improvement or prohibition notices that stop work, and prosecute. Clients who fail to make the required appointments take on the supervisors' duties, and the liability that goes with them, by default. Beyond the legal exposure, an accident on a non-compliant site can have serious insurance consequences. Getting the appointments and paperwork right at the start is straightforward and inexpensive by comparison, and we can handle this for you.