three stems faqs
When do I need an engineer for house extensions or renovations?
A home extension will always require engineering, as it involves making the house larger and typically affects the structure.
Internal renovations, however—where you’re not increasing the overall footprint but are instead adding or removing internal walls or windows—can be a little trickier to assess.
Generally, adding a wall won’t require an engineer, as it’s usually non-structural. But if you’re removing a wall, it’s important to confirm whether it’s load-bearing. A load-bearing wall supports the weight of the roof, ceiling, or upper floor. In that case, you’ll need an engineer to design a beam or structural solution to safely redistribute the load before the wall can be removed.
Often a builder can help identify whether a wall is load-bearing, but it’s always safest to check with an engineer. Queenslander homes are often easier to determine whether the walls are load bearing, as where the roof changes pitch/angle there will be a wall underneath for the roof to rest on.