design work for use in another state

huangyhg

design work for use in another state
i have searched state licensing requirements and cannot find an ansewer for this question. i have been asked to perform structural engineering for someone in my state (pa) who is constructing a house in another state. i suggested they hire an engineer in that state, but they want to work with someone local. they indicated to me that the area where the home will be constructed in rural and does not have a building code or require stamped drawings. my question is whether it is legal for me to perform these engineering services and perhaps just stamp my calculations and possibly some detail drawings if the structure will be built in another state. this question assumes that that state does not require a p.e. seal.
check out our whitepaper library.
"they indicated to me that the area where the home will be constructed in rural and does not have a building code or require stamped drawings"
you have to make sure that a pe stamp is not a requirement if you are interested in the project. call the city hall in the city where the house will be built and talk to the building department and make sure. make sure you hear that from them and not from a person who may have a personal interest in the project.
in almost everywhere i know there will be an occupancy certificate that has to be signed at the end of the project. the oc need to carry the structural pe stamp and other stamps to make the house ready for occupancy. nowadays, the structural pe not only has to stamp the drawings and the oc, he also has to sign the oc attesting to the fact that the project was properly built.
"my question is whether it is legal for me to perform these engineering services and perhaps just stamp my calculations and possibly some detail drawings if the structure will be built in another state"
yes it is legal as long as you can find somebody in the other state who is willing to stamp the project for you. and take final responsibilty for occupancy certificate. they will have to review your work and take full responsibility and you would have to pay them from your fee. in this case, you will end up like the middle man.

my guess is that in many states single family residential plans and specs do not need to be prepared by a licensed professional.
daveatkins
it is not always legal in a given state to "find somebody in the other state who is willing to stamp the project for you and take final responsibilty for occupancy certificate". some states specifically frown upon this as plan stamping. i don't know about pa.
in some states performing engineering work without a license is not legal - regardless of whether or not the project needs sealed drawings. i don't know how or why this would be enforced but i'll bet the laws are on the books.  
jnj,
it up to the pe in the state that will review and stamp the project, i am sure he will have to do a thorough review of the drawings and calculations before stamping anything. in this case the liability is fully burdened on the pe of the said state and the project will become his full responsibilty and his responsibility alone and not the person who prepared the original documents.
are you speaking for pa or for all states?  
have a look at the first case listed in the attachment.

jnj,
i don't know the details of this case; however, i will sight a real example on what i mean:
an owner for a project hired an architect, the architect went and hired a structural engineer from canada. when it came to build the project. the owner asked the architect to fire the structural engineer from canada and hire a local engineer. so the architect hired a local engineer, the new structural engineer rechecked the whole project and revised it as needed and then he stamped the project.
there was nothing wrong with what was done as far as i know.
i posted my earlier post based on this example, and i do not see anything wrong with that, nor any court should see anything wrong with that.
ahaddad1,
jlnj is correct in that the situation varies with locality.  you cannot make a blanket statement about these matters.  saying that "nor any court should see anything wrong with that" is poor advice.  the mere act of trying to circumvent licensing requirements is wrong, in my opinion.
"saying that "nor any court should see anything wrong with that" is poor advice"
i agree, eventhough the statement was not intended as advice.
"the mere act of trying to circumvent licensing requirements is wrong, in my opinion."
i am not trying to change what the pre-existing licensing rules are, nor do i dare to change them.
the key issue as structural engineers is protecting the public from nature. if all of us just worry about that part alone, then all other issues become secondary.
i would agree with you in a perfect world, but unfortunately our world includes bureaucrats and lawyers.