Most people arrive with a question they cannot quite phrase: does the new structure touch the house or not — and does it become living space? Those two answers change the foundation, the load path, and which code chapters apply. Everything below follows from them.
A structure that stands on its own foundation adds no load to your house. The engineering stays inside the new structure: footings, columns, roof framing, and uplift resistance for your design wind speed. The moment that structure connects to the house, the load path changes — wind uplift and lateral force now travel into walls, headers and foundations that were designed years ago for a different building. Those existing elements have to be checked, and sometimes reinforced. That check is the real work, and it is what an unsealed drawing set leaves out.
How load reaches the ground in each of the three cases.
Stands on its own foundation, structurally independent of the house.
A one-story detached accessory structure to a one- or two-family dwelling with a footprint of 120 sq ft or less, and no mechanical, electrical, plumbing or gas, is generally exempt from engineered plans. Above that, engineering applies.
Connects to the existing house, so load transfers into it.
The existing walls, headers, footings and connections have to be verified for the added load — not assumed adequate.
Existing covered space becomes conditioned, habitable area.
This is a real addition: insulated, conditioned, and built to the same standard as the rest of the house.
Foundation plan, framing plan, structural details and calculations for a complete permit set.
Base plates, embedment, epoxy and mechanical anchors, uplift and lateral connections.
Florida PE engineering support for manufacturers bringing a product to the Florida market.
Strengthening existing structures to carry loads they were not designed for.
Usually yes. Florida exempts a one-story detached accessory structure of 120 sq ft or less with no mechanical, electrical, plumbing or gas. Anything larger, habitable, or with utilities needs engineered plans, including wind load analysis and an anchoring system.
It depends on what is inside it. Any habitable structure requires a permit regardless of what it is called — pool house, casita, guest house or in-law suite. Adding a bedroom, bathroom or kitchen changes the classification and the requirements.
Enclosing keeps it outside the thermal envelope. Converting brings it inside: it becomes insulated, conditioned floor area built to the same standard as the rest of the house, which brings in foundation, envelope and energy requirements that a screen enclosure never triggers.
Yes. We do general structural engineering in Florida, sealed under FL PE #102290. If your project does not fit a category above, send the details and we will tell you what it needs.
Send the details and we will tell you which path your project falls under and what the engineering scope looks like.