Structural engineering questions, answered

Yes. Removing or altering a load-bearing wall changes how loads travel through your home, so most BC municipalities require a building permit supported by engineered, sealed (P.Eng.) drawings for the replacement beam and its supports. MAF Engineering assesses the wall, designs the beam and posts, and provides the stamped drawings and calculations your permit needs.

Typically when you build new, add a storey or addition, remove or move a load-bearing wall, build a large deck or retaining wall, underpin or repair a foundation, seismically upgrade a building, or when your municipality requests Schedule B and Schedule C letters of assurance for a permit. If you are unsure, a short call can tell you whether engineering is required for your project.

A seismic retrofit strengthens an existing building so it performs better in an earthquake — for example adding shear walls, bracing, anchoring the structure to its foundation, or upgrading a soft-storey. British Columbia’s south coast is a high-seismic region, so older homes, unreinforced masonry, and buildings with large ground-floor openings are common retrofit candidates. We assess the structure and design a retrofit scaled to your building and budget.

Fees depend on the scope — a single beam or wall review is a small fixed fee, while a full custom home, multi-family building, or seismic retrofit is priced on the complexity of the design and field review involved. Rather than quote a misleading number, we review your drawings or site and provide a clear scope-and-fee proposal up front. Call 778.840.9867 for an estimate.

In BC, Schedules B and C are the letters of assurance under the building code: the registered professional (engineer of record) commits on Schedule B to design and field-review the structural components, and confirms on Schedule C that the work was reviewed and substantially conforms to the design. MAF Engineering acts as engineer of record, provides these schedules, and carries out the required field reviews.

Structural engineering focuses on the parts of a building that carry load — foundations, beams, columns, walls and lateral (seismic) systems. Civil engineering covers the site around and under the building — grading, drainage, servicing and site coordination. MAF provides both, so structural and civil aspects of your project stay coordinated through design and permitting.

Yes. MAF Engineering is led by a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) registered in British Columbia (EGBC), Alberta (APEGA) and Ontario (PEO). We provide sealed structural drawings, calculations, and the letters of assurance municipalities require for permits.

We work across residential (single-family and multi-family), commercial, institutional, and industrial projects — including tenant improvements, additions, hotels, hospitals and healthcare facilities, schools, warehouses and tilt-up, and machinery foundations. Structural systems include structural steel, reinforced concrete, wood framing, and cold-formed / light-gauge steel (CFS/LSF).

Yes. We prepare the sealed structural drawings and calculations your permit application requires, provide the Schedule B and C letters of assurance, and coordinate with your architect, contractor and the municipality through review and construction so the structural scope moves smoothly.

Cold-formed steel — also called light steel framing — is light-gauge steel shaped into studs, joists and tracks. It is non-combustible, dimensionally stable, and fast to erect, which makes it well suited to mid-rise residential, hotels, and commercial buildings. We produce detailed CFS/LSF structural drawings and connection design that keep fabrication and site erection efficient.

MAF Engineering serves Greater Vancouver and beyond — including Vancouver, the North Shore, Burnaby, New Westminster, Surrey, the Tri-Cities, Langley, Maple Ridge, the Fraser Valley (Abbotsford, Chilliwack), the Sea-to-Sky corridor (Squamish, Whistler), and Vancouver Island. See our service-area pages for local details.