What is a structural engineer?

What does a structural engineer do?

Day to day, a structural engineer works out the loads and material stresses a structure has to carry, tests the soils and materials under a foundation, and gives advice on structural repairs. O*NET lists these tasks for civil engineers, occupation code 17-2051.00, which covers this specialty: “Compute load and grade requirements, water flow rates, or material stress factors to determine design specifications.” Source: O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor, read 2026-10-29. “Test soils or materials to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel.” Source: O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor, read 2026-10-29. “Provide technical advice to industrial or managerial personnel regarding design, construction, program modifications, or structural repairs.” Source: O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor, read 2026-10-29.

How does the Bureau of Labor Statistics describe a structural engineer?

A structural engineer is a civil engineer who focuses on whether a building, bridge or dam is strong enough and will last. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics describes the specialty and the wider field it belongs to: “Structural engineers design and assess major projects, such as buildings, bridges, and dams, to ensure their strength and durability.” Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, read 2026-10-29. “Civil engineers plan, design, and supervise the construction and maintenance of building and infrastructure projects.” Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, read 2026-10-29.

When do load bearing walls need a structural engineer?

A load-bearing wall is one of the parts that carry a house's weight down to its foundation, so changing one changes that path. North Carolina's 2018 Residential Code, Sections R301.1 and R301.1.3 as reprinted by the state fire marshal, requires a complete load path and sends structural elements beyond the code's prescriptive limits to engineered design: In North Carolina, “Buildings and structures, and parts thereof, shall be constructed to safely support all loads, including dead loads, live loads, roof loads, flood loads, snow loads, wind loads, and seismic loads as prescribed by this code.” Source: North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal, read 2026-10-29. “The construction of buildings and structures in accordance with the provisions of this code shall result in a system that provides a complete load path that meets the requirements for the transfer of loads from their point of origin through the load-resisting elements to the foundation.” Source: North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal, read 2026-10-29. “Where a building of otherwise conventional construction contains structural elements exceeding the limits of Section R301 or otherwise not conforming to this code, these elements shall be designed in accordance with accepted engineering practice.” Source: North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal, read 2026-10-29.

Is a structural engineer a civil engineer?

Yes. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists structural engineers as one of its example types of civil engineers, next to geotechnical engineers, who focus on foundations and soil, while many civil engineers stay generalists: “Civil engineers often work as generalists on a variety of projects, gaining skills in different areas that are widely applicable.” Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, read 2026-10-29. “Some specialize in one of several areas.” Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, read 2026-10-29. “Geotechnical engineers ensure the safety and sturdiness of foundations for streets, buildings, and other structures and systems.” Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, read 2026-10-29.

What is a structural engineer inspection?

For a house foundation, a structural engineer inspection is an engineering evaluation of how the foundation is performing. The Texas Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers sets out three levels, from a Level A report of first impressions to a Level C investigation with testing: “The most common purpose of an engineering evaluation of a residential foundation is to assess its performance.” Source: American Society of Civil Engineers, Texas Section, read 2026-10-29. “The engineer should personally visit the site and be in responsible charge of the investigative activities.” Source: American Society of Civil Engineers, Texas Section, read 2026-10-29. “For the purpose of aiding the client in determining the type of evaluation desired or actually performed, the following three levels of investigation are offered as guidelines.” Source: American Society of Civil Engineers, Texas Section, read 2026-10-29. For Level A, the guideline says: “This level of investigation shall be clearly identified as a report of first impressions and shall not imply that any higher level of investigation has been performed.” Source: American Society of Civil Engineers, Texas Section, read 2026-10-29. For Level C, it says: “This level of investigation shall include the items listed above for Level A and Level B inspections and additional services, testing and related reports deemed appropriate by the Engineer.” Source: American Society of Civil Engineers, Texas Section, read 2026-10-29.

What does a structural engineer look for in a house?

Under the ASCE Texas Section guideline, the engineer looks at whether the foundation is still flat and level, for signs that structural members have lost strength, and at how far floors bend or slope. It uses a deflection limit of L/360 and notes when a floor slope becomes noticeable: “Residential foundations are expected to remain reasonably flat and level to provide acceptable performance.” Source: American Society of Civil Engineers, Texas Section, read 2026-10-29. “Lack of structural integrity may be indicated by excessive deflection, cracking, partial collapse, loss of section, material deterioration, or demonstrated by calculations.” Source: American Society of Civil Engineers, Texas Section, read 2026-10-29. “If a foundation profile indicates the deflection is less than the analogous deflection limit of L/360, it is unlikely the foundation is deflected materially unless visible indications show otherwise.” Source: American Society of Civil Engineers, Texas Section, read 2026-10-29. “A floor slope greater than 1 percent is usually noticeable.” Source: American Society of Civil Engineers, Texas Section, read 2026-10-29. “The Americans with Disabilities Act considers a 2 percent slope too large.” Source: American Society of Civil Engineers, Texas Section, read 2026-10-29.

What is a structural engineer report?

A structural engineer report is the written record of what the engineer looked at, how the findings were analysed and what was concluded. Section 6 of the ASCE Texas Section guideline describes it, and the guideline notes that repair drawings can follow: “The report provides a record of the investigation, analysis and conclusions.” Source: American Society of Civil Engineers, Texas Section, read 2026-10-29. “Report formats may vary, but should contain pertinent information that was obtained or generated during the investigation.” Source: American Society of Civil Engineers, Texas Section, read 2026-10-29. “If the evaluation determines that remedial measures are appropriate, the engineer may be asked to provide the design and construction documents.” Source: American Society of Civil Engineers, Texas Section, read 2026-10-29.

Sources

• Occupational Outlook Handbook: Civil Engineers — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; read 2026-10-29.
• Summary Report for 17-2051.00: Civil Engineers — O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor; read 2026-10-29.
• Formal interpretation: 2018 NCRC Section R301.1.3 Engineered design and ASCE 7-2010 — North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal; published 2024-02-29; read 2026-10-29.
• Guidelines for the Evaluation and Repair of Residential Foundations, Version 2 — American Society of Civil Engineers, Texas Section; published 2009-05-01; read 2026-10-29.