Structural engineers for property owners, condominiums and building professionals
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Clients
Owners, condominium syndicates, property managers, contractors, architects and insurers: each comes with a different question about a building's structure.
Our approach as engineers is the same for everyone: observe on site, analyze, then deliver a signed and sealed report or plans. Here, for each type of client, are the most common assignments and what you receive.
- Engineers licensed by the OIQReports and plans signed and sealed by the engineer in charge
- Montreal, South Shore, North Shore and across QuebecResidential, condominium, commercial and institutional buildings
- Written service proposalScope, deliverables and timeline agreed before the work begins
01
Six types of clients, the same rigour
Choose your profile to see the services that apply to you.
Owners
Houses, plexes and cottages: cracks, load-bearing walls, additions, buying a building.
Condominium syndicates
Contingency fund, maintenance log, facades, parking structures, balconies.
Property managers
Rental, commercial and institutional portfolios: priorities, capacity, changes of use.
Architects and designers
Structural design, existing buildings, added storeys and plan coordination.
Insurers, claims adjusters and lawyers
Post-loss assessment, probable causes, latent defects and expert testimony.
02
Owners of houses, plexes and cottages
A crack that's widening, a wall to open up, an addition to get approved, a building to buy: you want to know whether the situation is serious, what to do, and what the municipality will require.
- Cracks and foundations: assessment, movement monitoring and repair recommendations (see our guide Foundation cracks: should you be worried?).
- Load-bearing walls: plans to open or remove a wall, with the beam, its supports and the shoring (see Removing a load-bearing wall).
- Additions: structural plans for an addition or an added storey, with a check of the existing structure.
- Buying: a pre-purchase structural inspection when a concern goes beyond the scope of a building inspection.
- After a loss: assessment of the structure after a fire, water damage or an impact.
- During the work: supervision visits at key stages and answers for the contractor.
What you receive
- Report
- Findings, probable causes, recommendations and level of urgency
- Plans
- Signed and sealed, for the permit and for the contractor
- Follow-up
- Visits and written opinions during the work, as needed
The permit application is filed by the owner or their representative; our plans are part of it.
03
Condominium syndicates
The board of directors has to maintain the building, plan major work and meet its obligations: the maintenance log and contingency fund study and, for buildings of 5 storeys or more, the facade inspection required by the Safety Code.
- Contingency fund: the structural part of the study, with estimated service life for components (see our Bill 16 guide).
- Maintenance log: inventory of structural elements and inspection frequency.
- Facades: inspection and report for the buildings covered, with follow-up on corrective work (see our Bill 122 guide).
- Parking structures: inspection of slabs, columns and joints, maintenance program.
- Balconies and guardrails: condition assessment, repair or replacement plans.
- Major work: plans and specifications to obtain comparable bids, followed by supervision.
What you receive
- Report
- Signed by the engineer, with priorities for action
- Plans and specifications
- For a clear call for tenders and comparable bids
- Explanations
- Presentation of the findings to the board or at a general meeting, on request
04
Property managers
You manage several buildings, whether rental, commercial or institutional, and you need clear answers and a realistic order of priority.
- Structural condition: inspection of a building or a group of buildings, with an action plan.
- Capacity: checking a slab or a roof before adding equipment or heavy storage.
- Change of use: checking the structure when a space is put to a new use.
- Cracks: movement monitoring over several months to tell what is changing from what is stable.
- Outside notices: a technical response to a municipal notice or an insurer's request.
- Work: repair plans and supervision of the contractor you hire.
What you receive
- Priorities
- Findings ranked by urgency
- Written scope
- Deliverables and deadline set out in the service proposal
- Point of contact
- One engineer responsible for the file
05
Contractors
You need buildable plans, quick answers on site and an engineer you can reach when an unforeseen condition comes up.
- Permit plans: openings, beams, additions, underpinning.
- Shoring: design of temporary supports during the work.
- Unforeseen conditions: site visit, written opinion and correction directive.
- Supervision: visits at key stages and notices of compliance.
- Shop drawings: review of joists, trusses and steel components.
- Repairs: technical directives for concrete, masonry and wood.
What you receive
- Sealed plans
- Connection details and load table
- Site opinions
- In writing, to keep a record of decisions
- Coordination
- With the architect and the other professionals on the project
06
Architects and designers
On a project designed by an architect or designer, the structural engineer integrates the load-bearing system into the concept and produces the structural plans for the permit application.
- New buildings: structural design of small and medium-sized buildings.
- Existing buildings: capacity assessment before a conversion.
- Additions: added storey, mezzanine, facade opening, rooftop terrace.
- Coordination: integration of the structural plans with the architectural plans.
- Heritage: load-bearing masonry and old timber frames.
- On site: supervision and certificate of compliance, when planned.
What you receive
- Plans and specifications
- Signed and sealed, included in the permit application
- Calculations
- Under the Quebec Construction Code in force
- Answers
- In writing, to the design team's questions
07
Insurers, claims adjusters and lawyers
After a loss or in a dispute, you need objective findings that are documented and clearly explained. Before the court, the expert's mission is to enlighten the decision, and that mission takes precedence over the parties' interests.
- After a loss: assessment of the structure after a fire, water damage or a vehicle impact.
- Probable causes: analysis of structural damage and the factors that explain it.
- Corrective work: the extent of the work needed to restore the structure.
- Latent defects: assessment and counter-assessment of the severity and pre-existence of a defect.
- Testimony: presentation of the report and testimony as an expert.
- Joint assessment: an assignment given jointly by the parties, when the procedure provides for it.
What you receive
- Expert report
- Findings, method, analysis, conclusions and limitations
- Testimony
- Before the court, on request
- Mission
- To enlighten the decision, impartially
08
FAQ
Do you work for individuals?
Yes. We carry out assignments for owners of houses, plexes and cottages, as well as for condominium syndicates, businesses and organizations.
Can you step in if another professional is already on the file?
Yes, in coordination with them, or for a counter-assessment. We then set out in writing the question we've been asked and the scope of our work.
What area do you serve?
In Montreal, on the South Shore, on the North Shore and across Quebec. Tell us about your project and we'll confirm our availability.
What should I do in an emergency?
For sagging, a crack that is changing quickly, a fire or water damage, call us at (438) 993-8518. We'll tell you the first safety steps to take and schedule a visit.
How does an assignment work?
In five steps: assignment, visit, analysis, report or sealed plans, then follow-up. Each step is described on the Our approach page.
Next step
Not sure which service to ask for?
Describe the situation in a few lines and attach your photos: an engineer will reply and send you a written service proposal.
- Firm
- GC4I Inc., structural engineers
- Office
- 8350 Christophe-Colomb Avenue, Suite 18, Montreal
- Service area
- Montreal, South Shore, North Shore and across Quebec
- contact@gc4i.ca