Questions clients ask before they start
FAQ: straight answers about PE stamped drawings, licensing, turnaround, revisions and pricing, from the licensed engineers who prepare and seal them every day.
- Licensed PE in your state
- One fixed fee in writing
- Revisions until approved
- Quote usually within the hour
Prefer to talk?(737) 409-9610contact@residentialpe.com
The questions below are the ones we are actually asked, in the order they usually come up. If yours is not here, send it over, a licensed engineer will answer it directly, free.
Still have a question?
Call (737) 409-9610, use live chat, or send it with your plans. You will get a straight answer from an engineer, not a sales script.
Sample sheets from recent permit sets
References: ICC building codes · NCEES state licensing boards
FAQ: PE stamped drawings, licensing and pricing
What do you need from me to quote?
Whatever you have: PDF or CAD drawings, a survey, photos, or a hand sketch with dimensions. Add the project address, what you want to build or change, and anything the building department has already told you.
How long does a quote take?
Usually under an hour, seven days a week. The quote is a fixed fee with a delivery date, in writing.
Is the quote free?
Yes, including the initial plan review that goes with it. We will also tell you if you do not need an engineer at all.
Do I have to come to an office?
No. Everything is handled online: upload, review, questions, revisions and the final sealed PDF.
Are you licensed in my state?
We work with Professional Engineers licensed across all 50 states, and your drawings are sealed by an engineer licensed in the state where the work is being built. The license number appears on the sheet.
Will my building department accept a digital stamp?
Nearly all now do, and most permit portals require a digital submission. Where a jurisdiction still insists on a wet seal, tell us and we will arrange it.
Can you stamp drawings somebody else drew?
Yes, that is our review and stamp service. The engineer reviews the work properly and asks for changes where it does not meet code before sealing anything.
Can you stamp drawings without reviewing them?
No. Sealing work an engineer has not reviewed is not legal and is not something any reputable PE will do. The review is what makes the seal worth having.
How fast can I get stamped drawings?
Standard residential scopes are typically back in 48 to 72 hours once we have the full information. Larger packages get a firm date in the quote.
What does it cost?
Review and stamp of small residential work starts at $249. Engineered plans with a PE stamp start at $599. Large multi-discipline projects with full approval support start at $1,999. See pricing.
Is it hourly?
No. One fixed fee for an agreed scope, settled before work begins.
Can you expedite?
Often yes, for simple scopes submitted early in the day. Ask and we will either commit to it or say plainly that we cannot.
What if the city rejects the drawings?
We answer the reviewer’s comments and revise the drawings at no extra charge. Permit support is included until your submission is approved.
Will you talk to the plan reviewer directly?
Yes. The engineer who sealed the drawing responds to the jurisdiction, so you are not relaying technical questions you did not sign up to answer.
Are revisions charged?
Revisions to satisfy the reviewer are included. Revisions because you changed the design are quoted separately and fairly.
Do you visit the site?
Not for standard residential work. Photos, dimensions and existing drawings carry what an engineer needs, which is what keeps the fee and the schedule down. If a physical inspection is genuinely required, we will say so and help you arrange it locally.
Do you provide calculations?
Yes, where the jurisdiction asks for them or the design needs them to be defensible. They are included in the quoted fee.
Can you do structural, MEP and civil on one project?
Yes, and coordinated sheets from one team are usually cheaper and faster than three separate consultants.
Do you do commercial work?
Light commercial and mixed-use, yes. Send the scope and we will tell you honestly whether it is a fit.
Who actually does the work?
Licensed Professional Engineers, and you deal with them directly rather than through an account manager.
Are my drawings kept confidential?
Yes. Project files are not shared, published or used as portfolio material without your permission.
Do you work with contractors on repeat volume?
Yes, see engineering for contractors for standing scopes and repeat pricing.
Can you trust an online engineering service? Here is how to check us.
Everything below can be verified before you pay anything. Ask us about any of it on chat.
Check the engineer’s license yourself
Every set is sealed by a Professional Engineer licensed in the state where you build. The name and license number on the seal can be looked up on your state licensing board’s website.
Know the price before anything starts
You get the scope, one fixed fee and the delivery date in writing. No hourly billing and no surprise invoices.
Covered until your permit is approved
If plan review sends comments, the engineer answers them and revises the drawings at no extra charge.
Talk to the team directly
Live chat, phone or email, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You reach the people working on your project, not a call center.
Your plans and payments stay private
Your files are used only for your project. Payments go through PCI-DSS compliant processors, so card details never reach our servers.
A registered US company
Residential PE is operated by Site Planers LLC, a US-registered company. Our terms and privacy policy are published in full.
Or reach us directly:(737) 409-9610contact@residentialpe.com
Get a fixed price for your project.
Send plans, photos, a survey or a sketch. A licensed engineer replies with scope, price and a delivery date, usually within the hour, seven days a week.
Request your free quote
- Free quote, no obligation
- One fixed fee in writing before any work starts
- Your drawings stay confidential