Engineer Needed

[D&BSmith]

Howdy, need plans drawn up for the install of a new slider to submit to Sumter Building department. Suggestions please would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Bob&Deb

[graciegirl]

Howdy, need plans drawn up for the install of a new slider to submit to Sumter Building department. Suggestions please would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Bob&Deb

That seems like a simple thing a contractor who you hire to install it could do. I may not understand. Here are pictures of sliders that can be purchased;

Search Results for sliding patio door at The Home Depot (https://www.homedepot.com/s/sliding%2520patio%2520door?NCNI-5)

[D&BSmith]

Installing myself.

[D&BSmith]

They want 8K to open up the wall. I have done this 3 times when we were in NE, less than 1500.

[retiredguy123]

To cut an opening in an exterior wall, you will need a drawing stamped by a licensed engineer. I would ask a few small general contractors if they will do the drawing and get it stamped for a fee. If you hire an engineer directly, it will probably be expensive. Good luck.

[D&BSmith]

Understood. That is what I am looking for. The Sumter Building Dept told me to try the Talk of the Villages for such a small job.

[D&BSmith]

The contractor I had who gave me the quote suggested NextDoor or this site as well. Not sure many other contractors want to go through the process of drawing it up when they won't be getting the job. These guys are 2 to 3 months out with regard to lead-time.

[villagetinker]

I do not know what type of house you have but most if not all of the exterior walls are LOAD BEARING, so installation of sliders may be more complicated. You can get your house plans from sumter county building department. You will need ARC approval for this project, as well as one or more building permits. Remember this is Florida and there are very specific building codes due to hurricanes so what you were able to do in your other home may not pass inspection here.
I am very handy did similar work in previous homes and would not attempt this here. We have a concrete block house and to install sliders would require a new lentil beam to be installed, way beyond my capability.
Good luck with your project.

[D&BSmith]

Wall is load bearing. Have the house plans. New header and post needed to meet code. Gap no larger than a 1/4" filled with non-expanding foam. Got it. So, anyone suggest an engineering to draw it up?

[D&BSmith]

Stick built. Marathon. CYV. Going to newly poured patio.

[villagetinker]

OP, if you have the original house drawings, there will be an engineering firm in the lower right corner, try calling them, while I was a registered professional engineer (electrical), I have no contacts for structural/civil engineers. One other thought, if you have a phone book, look up engineering firms.

[ton80]

Wall is load bearing. Have the house plans. New header and post needed to meet code. Gap no larger than a 1/4" filled with non-expanding foam. Got it. So, anyone suggest an engineering to draw it up? You also mentioned that the opening would go to a newly poured patio.

1. TV house plans for houses usually include typical construction details such as the structural elements for a slider unit. If you have this detail in your set of plans for your stick built (wood framed) CYV, you already have an approved construction detail for the header and supports. However you will need much more to get approval for doing it yourself.

2. Did you get approval for pouring the new patio both Sumter County and ARC? If not, consider making the patio part of the new building permit and ARC approval. Also, did you relocate any irrigation or other piping out of the patio area? Sumter County, for example, will not permit irrigation pipes in use under concrete slabs for patios and bird cages. Check the drainage detail as to top of patio to door sill detail. Check the dimensions at your front door, mine seems to be about 4 inches.

3. You will need electrical modifications for rerouting electrical to wall receptacles around the new door unit. There may also be required switches and lights to the new egress (sliding door). You may need an electrical permit and inspections.

2. You need to provide more information to get a building permit. Florida codes are strict in maintaining the structural integrity to withstand hurricanes. Some key items are to ensure that the sill plate to concrete slab/footing connection is adequate and that the hurricane straps or equivalent tie the door header and top plate to the roof trusses. These are done easily in the original construction but are difficult to do after the roof is on the house. There may be special plates that do the job. I believe that you need to specify how you will do this to get a permit and get a structural inspection.
You may be able to use a solar powered light with motion detector on the outside wall and avoid some of the electrical work.

Good luck with your project!

[rustyp]

Is anybody ever going to answer this poor boys question ? Is there a retired licensed civil engineer in TV that is willing to give a neighbor a hand. We apparently have many more retired Philadelphia Lawyers than structural engineers. This is not his first rodeo - he simply needs a stamp without going to the cleaners.

[retiredguy123]

Is anybody ever going to answer this poor boys question ? Is there a retired licensed civil engineer in TV that is willing to give a neighbor a hand. We apparently have many more retired Philadelphia Lawyers than structural engineers. This is not his first rodeo - he simply needs a stamp without going to the cleaners.
The problem is that it has to be an engineer currently licensed in Florida.

[mulligan]

Any engineer worth his salt won't put his name on a project unless properly compensated.

[villagetinker]

After looking at the very detailed reply (excellent by the way), I agree the OP will probably not get a stamped drawing for a Do It Yourself project, way too much liability. I just recently got out of electrical consulting for exactly the same reasons.

D&BSmith, I wish you a lot of luck with your project, but I believe the best alternative is to hire a contractor with experience to do this project. Please do not be penny wise and pound foolish.

[rustyp]

After looking at the very detailed reply (excellent by the way), I agree the OP will probably not get a stamped drawing for a Do It Yourself project, way too much liability. I just recently got out of electrical consulting for exactly the same reasons.

D&BSmith, I wish you a lot of luck with your project, but I believe the best alternative is to hire a contractor with experience to do this project. Please do not be penny wise and pound foolish.

Contractors are not engineers. They go to engineers for stamped drawings all the time. Is there something magical if the engineer's client is a contractor or a home owner ? Why would the liability be any different ? The engineer is not responsible for someone following the drawing or not. That is the inspectors job. The real difficulty as a DYI finding an engineer is more like upsetting the "good old boys club".

[ton80]

Is anybody ever going to answer this poor boys question ? Is there a retired licensed civil engineer in TV that is willing to give a neighbor a hand. We apparently have many more retired Philadelphia Lawyers than structural engineers. This is not his first rodeo - he simply needs a stamp without going to the cleaners.

Rustyp.
I already provided advice about how to find the construction detail and other considerations in post #12. House construction details are generally done using a suite of construction details located near the back of the house plans package. If the CYV has an existing slider unit, there should be a construction detail drawing showing the construction details. These details have been developed by the national and local building codes and are therefore "approved". They do not need an additional stamp by a licensed structural engineer.
The plan submitted to the county building dept. for this revamp work needs to specify how the sill to slab and top plate and header to trusses connections will be done.
See post #12 for other details that you need to consider.

OP have you checked your plans for these construction details?

[retiredguy123]

Rustyp.
I already provided advice about how to find the construction detail and other considerations in post #12. House construction details are generally done using a suite of construction details located near the back of the house plans package. If the CYV has an existing slider unit, there should be a construction detail drawing showing the construction details. These details have been developed by the national and local building codes and are therefore "approved". They do not need an additional stamp by a licensed structural engineer.
The plan submitted to the county building dept. for this revamp work needs to specify how the sill to slab and top plate and header to trusses connections will be done.
See post #12 for other details that you need to consider.

OP have you checked your plans for these construction details?
The Sumter County building department told me that they needed a drawing stamped by a licensed engineer to get a permit to open up an existing exterior wall.

[rustyp]

To cut an opening in an exterior wall, you will need a drawing stamped by a licensed engineer. I would ask a few small general contractors if they will do the drawing and get it stamped for a fee. If you hire an engineer directly, it will probably be expensive. Good luck.

Rustyp.
I already provided advice about how to find the construction detail and other considerations in post #12. House construction details are generally done using a suite of construction details located near the back of the house plans package. If the CYV has an existing slider unit, there should be a construction detail drawing showing the construction details. These details have been developed by the national and local building codes and are therefore "approved". They do not need an additional stamp by a licensed structural engineer.
The plan submitted to the county building dept. for this revamp work needs to specify how the sill to slab and top plate and header to trusses connections will be done.
See post #12 for other details that you need to consider.

OP have you checked your plans for these construction details?

I see where I went astray. Post #5 by retiredguy says OP needs a stamp. Thanks

[rustyp]

Rustyp.
I already provided advice about how to find the construction detail and other considerations in post #12. House construction details are generally done using a suite of construction details located near the back of the house plans package. If the CYV has an existing slider unit, there should be a construction detail drawing showing the construction details. These details have been developed by the national and local building codes and are therefore "approved". They do not need an additional stamp by a licensed structural engineer.
The plan submitted to the county building dept. for this revamp work needs to specify how the sill to slab and top plate and header to trusses connections will be done.
See post #12 for other details that you need to consider.

OP have you checked your plans for these construction details?

The Sumter County building department told me that they needed a drawing stamped by a licensed engineer to get a permit to open up an existing exterior wall.


Looks like we have a definite MAYBE we need a stamp :shocked: