Letters and certificates
Engineer's letters and certificates in Canberra
A letter about one structure or one element, written for whoever asked for it: your certifier, a buyer or you. Existing decks and carports, roof framing for solar panels and heat pumps, raised tank stands and more.
- From $450 + GST ($495 inc GST), fixed before we start
- Fixed quote in under 20 minutes on average, during business hours
- Engineering only, nothing to sell you
Prefer to talk? Call 02 6189 9876
Or email info@canberrastructuralengineers.com.au
Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm
- Engineering onlyWe never sell the repair or the build.
- Letters from $450 + GST($495 inc GST), confirmed before we start.
- Fixed quote in under 20 minutes on averageDuring business hours, Monday to Friday.
- Canberra and the Queanbeyan sideEvery district, plus Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra and Googong.
In short
An engineer's letter or certificate in Canberra starts from $450 + GST ($495 inc GST). It covers one specific structure or element, such as an existing deck, roof framing for solar panels or a heat pump, or a raised tank stand. No ACT form sets a standard engineer's certificate for houses, so we write what your certifier or buyer asks for. Same price across Canberra and Queanbeyan.
- Fee
- From $450 + GST ($495 inc GST)
- Quote
- Fixed, in under 20 minutes on average, during business hours
- You receive
- A letter about one specific structure or element
- Common uses
- Existing decks, carports and pergolas, roof framing, tank stands
- Who reads it
- Your certifier, a buyer, an installer or you
- Area
- Canberra, Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra and Googong, same price
What is an engineering certificate in Canberra?
A letter from an engineer about one structure or element: what we looked at, what we found and our view on the question asked. There's no single ACT form for it.
People call it an engineering certificate, a structural adequacy certificate or an engineer's sign-off. It's a letter about the structure, not approval of the building.
In the ACT the roles are split. The engineer designs and assesses. A licensed certifier approves the building work, inspects the stages and lodges the documents. The Construction Occupations Registrar issues the certificate of occupancy and use (COU). No ACT document requires a set "engineer's certificate" form for houses, so we write the letter for the person who needs it and the question they asked. Our guide Do I need a structural engineer? sets out who does what.
What a letter isn't
It isn't a building approval and it doesn't replace one. We don't approve building work, issue a COU or act as your certifier.
Do solar panels or a heat pump need an engineer's letter?
Not by law. No ACT rule requires engineering for solar or heat pumps, but the roof has to carry them, and the building approval exemption depends on the structure being unaffected.
Solar panels and heating and cooling plant on a house or garage need no building approval if they meet the general rules, including no effect on the building's structural integrity. We check roof framing for added plant and solar where needed. If your installer, your certifier or you aren't sure the roof can take the load, a letter answers that one question.
The Territory Plan allows no new gas network connections for new or existing developments, so new homes are all-electric. That means more electric plant, such as heat pumps and hot water units, and some of it goes on the roof.
| Work | What the ACT rules say |
|---|---|
| Rooftop solar panels | No building approval if the general rules are met, including no effect on structural integrity. Exempt from development approval if not within 1.5 m of a side or rear boundary, with panels no more than 300 mm above the roof where no solar envelope applies. |
| Heat pump or other external plant | No building approval if the general rules are met. Exempt from development approval if not within 1.5 m of a side or rear boundary. |
| Replacing a whole roof | Needs building approval. |
| Replacing a roof tile | No building approval. |
| Water tank | No building approval up to 20 kL and 2.4 m high. For an underground tank, ask your certifier. |
From the ACT Government's building approval page and the Planning (Exempt Development) Regulation 2023 (ss 1.30 and 1.31). Your certifier confirms what applies. Our guide to building approval in the ACT covers the wider rules.
Which existing structures need an engineer's letter?
Usually ones a certifier, buyer or installer has asked about: built without paperwork, changed since, or about to carry something new.
- Existing decks, carports and pergolas. A letter on whether the structure is adequate for its use. For new ones, see carport, pergola and deck engineering.
- Roof framing for solar panels, a heat pump, air conditioning or other plant.
- Raised tank stands. A tank up to 20 kL and 2.4 m high needs no building approval, but a full tank is heavy and the stand has to carry it.
- A beam, post or wall already changed, where a buyer or certifier wants an engineer's view of the work as built.
- Shops, offices and warehouses. Letters for commercial buildings are part of our commercial work, priced as a fixed quote; see fit-outs and mezzanines.
If a seller's building and compliance report has flagged a structure as unapproved, you probably need an unapproved structure assessment instead, from $690 + GST ($759 inc GST). Certifiers and builders asking for letters on a project can see our page for builders, designers and certifiers.
What's included, and what do you need from me?
A letter about one specific structure or element, from $450 + GST ($495 inc GST). Tell us who asked for it and why.
| What you get | What we need from you |
|---|---|
| A letter about one specific structure or element | What the letter is for, and who asked for it |
| What we looked at and what we found | Photos of the structure, close up and from further back |
| Our view on the question asked, such as whether the framing can carry new panels | Any plans, approvals or product details you have, such as the weight of the plant |
| Written for the person who needs it: your certifier, a buyer or you | The suburb, and how we can get access |
If the structure needs work before we can give the letter, we say so plainly, and design for the fix is quoted separately. See all our prices.
We're engineers only. We don't install solar, build decks or recommend who does, so the letter answers the question without a sale behind it.
What happens next?
You see the price before anything is booked.
Tell us what you need
Use the form at the top of this page or our quote page, or email info@canberrastructuralengineers.com.au. Add up to 5 photos or plans.
Get a fixed quote
We reply with a fixed quote in under 20 minutes on average, during business hours.
Inspection and letter
We look at the structure and send the letter. Over the border in Queanbeyan, NSW rules apply to approvals, so tell us what your certifier there has asked for.
Often needed alongside a letter
Every service is quoted at a fixed price before we start. Send photos or plans and we reply in under 20 minutes on average, during business hours.
Unapproved structure assessment
Decks, pergolas, carports, garage conversions and extensions built without approval, assessed by an engineer.
$690 + GST($759 inc GST) See the service
Carports, pergolas & decks
Footings, beams, posts, tie-downs and the connection to the house, designed for your structure and your block.
$590 + GST($649 inc GST) See the serviceDo I need a structural engineer?
Who does what in the ACT: the structural engineer, the licensed certifier, the Registrar and the building inspector, and which one to call first.
Read the guideLetter and certificate questions
Something else on your mind? Call 02 6189 9876, email info@canberrastructuralengineers.com.au or send photos for a fixed quote.
What is a structural adequacy certificate?
A letter from an engineer on whether a specific structure or element is adequate for its use. The ACT has no standard form for houses, so we write it for the question your certifier or buyer asked.
Do I need an engineer for solar panels in Canberra?
Not by law. No ACT rule requires engineering for solar panels or heat pumps. We check roof framing for added plant and solar where needed, from $450 + GST.
Can an engineer sign off an existing deck?
We can write a letter on whether an existing deck is adequate, from $450 + GST. If it was built without approval and a seller's report flagged it, an unapproved structure assessment usually fits better.
Is an engineer's certificate the same as a certificate of occupancy?
No. The Construction Occupations Registrar issues the certificate of occupancy and use. Our letter is evidence about one structure, which your certifier can use.
Does replacing my roof need building approval?
Replacing the roof does; replacing a tile doesn't. That's the ACT building approval rule, and your certifier may ask for engineering on the roof framing.