tmmaloney1
Member
I'll give this question a go here; I can't find an answer to this anywhere.
I guess this is Massachusetts specific, because I'm in Massachusetts with a CSL license, which I believe is a Mass state license still.
The back of my "unrestricted construction supervisors license" says verbatim "Buildings of ANY use group which contain less than 35,000 cubic feet of enclosed space". With this license, I am entitled to do design, or structural design, but obviously I can't design skyscrapers, so there must be a cutoff point when a P.E. or other design professional comes in to take charge. Mainly, this Mass license is for 1 and 2 family dwellings, but it says any use group, as long as it has less volume than 35,000 cubic feet. Well, I got a job on a 3 unit building that contains less than 35,000 cubic feet. I go to pull the permit, and they say I need an engineer because it's 3 units. All I'm doing is reframing small porches that are about to collapse. I've been in this business for 20 years, and I know what is safe. I study the code, understand how to calculate loads, basically I can do the job that the license says I should be able to do.
Question is: Do I really have to pay an engineer $1,500, (or do the unit owners), to tell me to use 2x8's 16" on center, with adequate beams, columns rated for the load, etc, etc, etc? So is the statement on the back of the license completely untrue? I've had a lot of crazy answers to this question. There are two CSL licenses in Mass. The unrestricted one that I have, and the one for 1 and 2 family dwellings.
Thanks to any that try to help.
I guess this is Massachusetts specific, because I'm in Massachusetts with a CSL license, which I believe is a Mass state license still.
The back of my "unrestricted construction supervisors license" says verbatim "Buildings of ANY use group which contain less than 35,000 cubic feet of enclosed space". With this license, I am entitled to do design, or structural design, but obviously I can't design skyscrapers, so there must be a cutoff point when a P.E. or other design professional comes in to take charge. Mainly, this Mass license is for 1 and 2 family dwellings, but it says any use group, as long as it has less volume than 35,000 cubic feet. Well, I got a job on a 3 unit building that contains less than 35,000 cubic feet. I go to pull the permit, and they say I need an engineer because it's 3 units. All I'm doing is reframing small porches that are about to collapse. I've been in this business for 20 years, and I know what is safe. I study the code, understand how to calculate loads, basically I can do the job that the license says I should be able to do.
Question is: Do I really have to pay an engineer $1,500, (or do the unit owners), to tell me to use 2x8's 16" on center, with adequate beams, columns rated for the load, etc, etc, etc? So is the statement on the back of the license completely untrue? I've had a lot of crazy answers to this question. There are two CSL licenses in Mass. The unrestricted one that I have, and the one for 1 and 2 family dwellings.
Thanks to any that try to help.