In short: A structural engineer designs the structure and is responsible for it: the loads, the calculations and the beam and footing sizes. A structural designer or drafter turns that design into drawings, often in CAD software. In Victoria, professional structural engineering work must come from an engineer registered under the Professional Engineers Registration Act 2019, or someone under their direct supervision, unless it only follows a prescriptive standard.
What is a structural designer?
A structural designer is someone who prepares structural drawings and documentation, usually under the guidance or review of a qualified engineer. It's a valuable role, but it isn't a registered engineering qualification on its own.
"Structural designer" is not a registration category in Victoria. Professional engineers are registered by the Business Licensing Authority (BLA) in five areas, including structural and civil engineering. Building practitioners such as building designers, building surveyors and builders are registered by the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC), and none of its classes is for structural design.
In practice the title covers two kinds of work. A structural drafter documents an engineer's design. A registered building designer prepares plans for building work and coordinates the engineers who design the structure.
Structural draftsman vs structural engineer: who does what?
A structural draftsman produces the drawings, and a structural engineer makes the engineering decisions behind them. The drafter draws plans, sections and details for beams, posts, footings and connections from the engineer's design and mark-ups. The engineer works out the loads, sizes each member, designs footings to suit the site's soil and is responsible for the structural adequacy of the design.
Unless the work follows a prescriptive standard, an unregistered drafter can only do professional engineering work under the direct supervision of a registered engineer. Direct supervision means the engineer has direct contact with the drafter, directs the work, and oversees and evaluates it.
How do a structural drafter and a structural engineer compare?
A structural drafter documents the design, while a structural engineer makes and answers for the engineering decisions. The table sets out the main differences under Victoria's rules.
| Aspect | Structural drafter or designer | Structural engineer |
|---|---|---|
| What they do | Draws plans, sections and details from an engineer's design, often in CAD software | Works out the loads and designs the structure: beams, posts, frames, footings and connections |
| Responsible for | Producing the drawings to the engineer's design | The load calculations, the structural adequacy of the design and signing off the documentation |
| Engineering judgement | Follows the engineer's design, or a prescriptive standard that needs little or no judgement | Makes the engineering judgements that professional engineering services require |
| Registration in Victoria | No registration class of its own; unregistered engineering work must be under a registered engineer's direct supervision or only to a prescriptive standard | Registered with the BLA in structural or civil engineering, with an endorsement for building industry work |
| How to check | Ask which registered engineer supervises and reviews the work | Search the professional engineers public register |
Who must be registered for structural engineering in Victoria?
Anyone providing professional engineering services in structural or civil engineering, in or for Victoria, must be registered under the Professional Engineers Registration Act 2019. Registration is with the BLA. Consumer Affairs Victoria describes a professional engineering service as one that applies engineering principles and data to a design and needs a high degree of engineering judgement, knowledge and skill.
Engineers who work in the building industry also need their registration endorsed. This endorsement replaced the old registration of engineers as building practitioners under the Building Act 1993. Endorsed building engineers must hold the professional indemnity insurance required by section 135 of the Building Act 1993.
Structural engineering is an area of focus of civil engineering. For building work, an engineer must be registered and endorsed in either structural or civil engineering.
The Act has two exemptions from registration. The first is work under the direct supervision of a registered engineer. The second is work done only in accordance with a prescriptive standard: a document whose procedures need little or no engineering judgement and no advanced scientifically based calculations.
Building designers, the category formerly called draftsperson, are registered separately by the Building and Plumbing Commission, the trading name of the Victorian Building Authority. Their three classes are architectural, interior and services. The BPC says architectural building designers work closely with endorsed building engineers to produce compliant designs and drawings for building permits.
Why does the difference matter for your building permit?
The difference matters because your building surveyor will usually ask for structural drawings and calculations before issuing a permit for structural work. Those drawings and calculations need to come from a registered structural engineer, not just anyone producing CAD drawings. It's worth confirming this before you commission structural work.
When should you go straight to a structural engineer?
Go straight to a structural engineer when the work changes how loads are carried through the building to the ground. Common examples are:
- a load-bearing wall removal, which needs a beam, posts and footings designed to carry the load the wall used to take;
- an upper floor addition, which needs the existing footings and frame assessed;
- a ground floor extension with new footings and slabs, which have to suit the site's soil classification;
- a retaining wall that needs engineering design.
A building designer or architect can still draw the house, and the engineer then designs the structure that goes with it. Our guide to structural design vs architectural design explains how those two roles fit together.
How we work
Our structural drawings and calculations are prepared and checked by qualified structural engineers, so what you receive is ready for council and building surveyor submission without a second round of review.
For a fixed-price quote, send us your plans or photos. See our residential structural design service for what's included.
Structural Designer vs Structural Engineer FAQs
Can a structural engineer design a building?
Yes. A structural engineer designs a building's structure: the footings, slab, frame, beams and connections that carry the loads. The layout and look usually come from an architect or a registered building designer, who works with the engineer to produce the permit drawings.
Can a civil engineer be a structural engineer?
Yes. Victoria's guidelines treat structural engineering as an area of focus of civil engineering. To provide structural engineering services in the building industry, an engineer must be registered and endorsed in either civil or structural engineering.
What does a structural draftsman do?
A structural draftsman turns an engineer's design into drawings that a builder can build from and a building surveyor can assess. That means plans, sections and details for beams, posts, footings and connections, often drawn in CAD software. The engineer makes the design decisions and reviews the drawings.
What's the difference between an architectural engineer and a structural engineer?
In Victoria, architectural engineering is not an area of engineering registration. The Professional Engineers Registration Act 2019 registers engineers in five areas: civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and fire safety engineering. A structural engineer is registered in structural or civil engineering and designs the parts of a building that carry loads.
How do I check that a structural engineer is registered in Victoria?
Search the professional engineers public register on the Consumer Affairs Victoria website. It shows the areas of engineering a person is registered in and whether their registration is endorsed. For building designers, use the Building and Plumbing Commission's find and check a practitioner search.
Is it cheaper to use a drafter instead of a structural engineer?
Not when the job needs engineering. For work such as a load-bearing wall removal, a registered structural engineer usually needs to design the replacement beam and its supports, and your building surveyor will require the calculations. The cost of structural design depends on the scope: how many beams, posts, footings or walls need designing, the site's soil, and whether the existing structure has to be assessed. Send your plans or photos and we'll quote a fixed price before we start.
Related services
- Residential structural engineering: permit drawings and calculations from a structural engineer
- Load-bearing wall removal: beam, post and footing design for opening up your home
- Structural inspections and reports: independent assessments by a qualified engineer
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Send us your plans for a fixed-price quote, or pick up the phone. We reply to every enquiry within a few business hours.
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